Jon Jaques promoted to head coach at Cornell
Jon Jaques has been promoted to head coach at Cornell, the school announced on Friday. Jaques is an alum who has been on staff since 2013, most recently serving as associate head coach under Brian Earl.
“Jon’s is an incredible Cornell story – from recruit, to scout team player, team captain and starter on a Sweet 16 team, to alumnus, assistant, and finally associate head coach,” AD Dr. Nicki Moore said. “But his narrative isn’t why we make this announcement today. In every conversation we’ve had about this program, it became increasingly clear that Jon’s experiences and preparation have led him to this moment. In a very impressive field of candidates, he set himself apart as the right person at the right time to lead Cornell men’s basketball and I am thrilled to work with Coach Jaques as we, with the support of our alumni, student body, and fans, and alongside our women’s basketball program, aim to build Cornell Basketball.”
Jaques is originally from Los Angeles but came to Cornell to play for Steve Donahue, where he had a fantastic four-year career that included three-straight Ivy League titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, concluding with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010. After a year playing professionally in Israel, Jaques started his coaching career back in the States with graduate assistant gigs at D-III Stevens Tech (NJ) and back in the Ivy League at Columbia (where he worked under Kyle Smith).
He returned to Ithaca in 2013 to be an assistant under Bill Courtney and stayed on under new head coach Brian Earl, eventually becoming his associate head coach in 2022. He was a key member of the staff that led the 2023-24 Big Red to their first 20+ win season since he was a senior in 2009-10, ending with the program’s first-ever NIT appearance.
“I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve as the Robert E. Gallagher ’44 head men’s basketball coach at Cornell,” Jaques said. “On and off the court, this community and program have given me many of my most cherished memories, experiences, relationships, and life lessons. I can’t thank Dr. Nicki Moore and the search committee enough for entrusting me with the responsibility of helping our student-athletes create a similar transformative college athletics experience. I’m eager to build on our program’s clear forward momentum and continue to compete in a way that our alumni, students, and supporters can be proud of.”
Earl left last month to be the head coach at William & Mary after eight years at Cornell. The Big Red have finished above .500 in each of the last four seasons, again something the program hasn’t done since Jaques’ playing days.
credit to Cornell Athletics for the image
