Xavier University Athletics
Born to Coach: Ari Wideman’s Journey to Xavier
08.03.26 | Women's Basketball
CINCINNATI - Sitting alone in a small room in Kópavogur, Iceland during the winter of 2015, new Xavier women's basketball assistant coach Ari Wideman was constantly drawing up plays. Not for Breiðablik, the club she competed for professionally for a little more than a year, but instead for the local 8th grade team she was coaching in her spare time.
Wideman was playing on the small Nordic island in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean directly following a decorated career at the University of Nevada. It was in Reno from 2010-2014 that her love for the game of basketball, and eventually her desire to teach the game, truly blossomed.
The Southern California native, whose first love was soccer, made an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2010-11, before becoming a key rotational piece during her sophomore campaign. Under the tutelage of current Oklahoma State head coach Jacie Hoyt, Wideman became a smooth facilitator in the backcourt, racking up 110 assists in 30 games.
Wideman credited the then-assistant Hoyt's coaching style for her growth as a player, but also for changing how she approached the game. "I really loved her energy and juice when she coached the point guards, so that's when I thought, being a point guard and basically an extension of the coach, I could really see myself doing this," she recalled.
Wideman took another massive leap during the summer following her sophomore year, which was also the time when she realized coaching would define her future. She transformed her offensive skillset at the Point Guard College camp, and was eventually named team captain prior to a season in which she led the Wolf Pack in minutes, assists and steals, and also ranked third on the team in both scoring and rebounding.
Wideman would wind up starting all 62 games across her final two years in the Silver State, en route to earning an All-Mountain West Conference Honorable Mention selection as a senior.
So naturally when her playing career as a point guard came to a close, she made the transition from floor general to the bench. Despite describing herself as more fiery than her collegiate coach Jane Albright, Wideman believes that her passion for competition and her approach to teaching stems from her time alongside Albright. "My coaching style is always evolving. I'm ultra competitive and I will do my best to push everyone so that you can reach your greatest potential," Wideman said.
Her first gig back in the States came as a graduate assistant for Prairie View A&M, a historically black college in Texas. The GA role came with many mundane administrative tasks, but also allowed Wideman to gain vital experience in recruiting and player development. That wide array of responsibilities proved immensely beneficial, as Wideman quickly moved up the coaching ladder, becoming San Jose State's recruiting coordinator in 2018. But regardless of the position or the school, Wideman's philosophy and focus have remained largely consistent throughout her career. "Helping people get better and teaching and sharing the game is really important to me," she attested.
From San Jose State she moved on to Arkansas State and eventually Toledo, before becoming one of youngest head coaches in Division I when she landed the Cal State Bakersfield job in the spring of 2024.
Similar to the work current Xavier head coach Billi Chambers has done since arriving in Cincinnati, Cal State Bakersfield was a rebuilding project for Wideman. She explained that her time out West was transformative, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to come to a Power 5 and coach alongside Chambers. "What I learned most was how to build [a program], and Coach Chambers did a great job building at Iona, so to have an opportunity to keep building here [at Xavier] is awesome," Wideman stated.
She was also impressed by Chambers' detail-oriented, diligent approach to program-building, adding, "I love that she has built before and it took time. Sometimes our generation wants everything instantly. She's showing me how to be patient, keep building, and move forward."
Wideman trusts her time as a head coach will only make her a better assistant, as she now understands the value of a supportive staff. "I always want to be a good assistant, because [as a head coach] I would always want that."
Wideman's coaching acumen has already stood out during her brief time in the Queen City, with her basketball IQ impressing Chambers during their first summer together. Wideman noted that when she isn't coaching, she is always watching NBA, WNBA, or Euroleague action, stating, "I think the fact that I actually love the game translates to my work ethic, and that's how I've been able to move up."
She loves learning the game, and is always searching for new ways for her team to gain an advantage through both skill and scheme. Wideman continued by saying, "I'm just trying to learn and grow at every stop. You experience highs and lows, but as long as you're growing, getting better, that's what I'm trying to do."
Wideman also believes that boasting experience as both a recruiting coordinator and a head coach across different regions of the country can help her attract talent to Xavier. In an era defined by NIL and the transfer portal, Wideman still chooses to define recruiting through relationships. Although it can be difficult to evaluate and develop homegrown talent in today's landscape, Wideman eyes decision making, toughness, and moxie as the separators in players that can help grow Xavier women's basketball.
As Wideman prepares for the next stop in her young career, she is immensely grateful to be at Xavier alongside Coach Chambers. "This is the best job I've had. The facilities, the people, and the feel of a family. Everyone cares for one another," she expressed.
"[Xavier] cares about women's basketball. The program is trending upward, so let's make another big jump. I'm excited to help do that and be around good people," she concluded.
Wideman was playing on the small Nordic island in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean directly following a decorated career at the University of Nevada. It was in Reno from 2010-2014 that her love for the game of basketball, and eventually her desire to teach the game, truly blossomed.
The Southern California native, whose first love was soccer, made an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2010-11, before becoming a key rotational piece during her sophomore campaign. Under the tutelage of current Oklahoma State head coach Jacie Hoyt, Wideman became a smooth facilitator in the backcourt, racking up 110 assists in 30 games.
Wideman credited the then-assistant Hoyt's coaching style for her growth as a player, but also for changing how she approached the game. "I really loved her energy and juice when she coached the point guards, so that's when I thought, being a point guard and basically an extension of the coach, I could really see myself doing this," she recalled.
Wideman took another massive leap during the summer following her sophomore year, which was also the time when she realized coaching would define her future. She transformed her offensive skillset at the Point Guard College camp, and was eventually named team captain prior to a season in which she led the Wolf Pack in minutes, assists and steals, and also ranked third on the team in both scoring and rebounding.
Wideman would wind up starting all 62 games across her final two years in the Silver State, en route to earning an All-Mountain West Conference Honorable Mention selection as a senior.
So naturally when her playing career as a point guard came to a close, she made the transition from floor general to the bench. Despite describing herself as more fiery than her collegiate coach Jane Albright, Wideman believes that her passion for competition and her approach to teaching stems from her time alongside Albright. "My coaching style is always evolving. I'm ultra competitive and I will do my best to push everyone so that you can reach your greatest potential," Wideman said.
Her first gig back in the States came as a graduate assistant for Prairie View A&M, a historically black college in Texas. The GA role came with many mundane administrative tasks, but also allowed Wideman to gain vital experience in recruiting and player development. That wide array of responsibilities proved immensely beneficial, as Wideman quickly moved up the coaching ladder, becoming San Jose State's recruiting coordinator in 2018. But regardless of the position or the school, Wideman's philosophy and focus have remained largely consistent throughout her career. "Helping people get better and teaching and sharing the game is really important to me," she attested.
From San Jose State she moved on to Arkansas State and eventually Toledo, before becoming one of youngest head coaches in Division I when she landed the Cal State Bakersfield job in the spring of 2024.
Similar to the work current Xavier head coach Billi Chambers has done since arriving in Cincinnati, Cal State Bakersfield was a rebuilding project for Wideman. She explained that her time out West was transformative, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to come to a Power 5 and coach alongside Chambers. "What I learned most was how to build [a program], and Coach Chambers did a great job building at Iona, so to have an opportunity to keep building here [at Xavier] is awesome," Wideman stated.
She was also impressed by Chambers' detail-oriented, diligent approach to program-building, adding, "I love that she has built before and it took time. Sometimes our generation wants everything instantly. She's showing me how to be patient, keep building, and move forward."
Wideman trusts her time as a head coach will only make her a better assistant, as she now understands the value of a supportive staff. "I always want to be a good assistant, because [as a head coach] I would always want that."
Wideman's coaching acumen has already stood out during her brief time in the Queen City, with her basketball IQ impressing Chambers during their first summer together. Wideman noted that when she isn't coaching, she is always watching NBA, WNBA, or Euroleague action, stating, "I think the fact that I actually love the game translates to my work ethic, and that's how I've been able to move up."
She loves learning the game, and is always searching for new ways for her team to gain an advantage through both skill and scheme. Wideman continued by saying, "I'm just trying to learn and grow at every stop. You experience highs and lows, but as long as you're growing, getting better, that's what I'm trying to do."
Wideman also believes that boasting experience as both a recruiting coordinator and a head coach across different regions of the country can help her attract talent to Xavier. In an era defined by NIL and the transfer portal, Wideman still chooses to define recruiting through relationships. Although it can be difficult to evaluate and develop homegrown talent in today's landscape, Wideman eyes decision making, toughness, and moxie as the separators in players that can help grow Xavier women's basketball.
As Wideman prepares for the next stop in her young career, she is immensely grateful to be at Xavier alongside Coach Chambers. "This is the best job I've had. The facilities, the people, and the feel of a family. Everyone cares for one another," she expressed.
"[Xavier] cares about women's basketball. The program is trending upward, so let's make another big jump. I'm excited to help do that and be around good people," she concluded.
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