Coaching Experience
• Head Coach, Cornell University (2024-present)
• Associate Head Coach, Cornell University (2022-24)
• Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2013-22)
• Graduate Assistant Coach, Columbia University (2012-13)
• Graduate Assistant Coach, Stevens Institute of Technology (2011-12)
Competitive Experience
• Cornell University (2006-10)
• Senior starter and captain on Cornell’s 2010 NCAA Sweet 16 team
• All-tournament team at the 2009 Legends Classic
• Ironi Ashkelon (Israeli Premier League) (2010-11)
Education
• B.S., Biology and Society, Cornell (2010)
At Cornell
Jon Jaques '10 has been front and center at two of the most successful eras in program history and many of its greatest moments, first on the court and now commanding the sidelines.
Jaques has worn many hats since his time back on East Hill, including responsibilities for game and practice planning, opponent scouting, alumni relations, recruiting, scheduling and individual player development. He was elevated to associate head coach in the spring of 2022 and was named head coach on April 5, 2024. Since the return from COVID in 2021, the Big Red has gone 72-41 overall, qualified for the Ivy League Tournament each year, earned the program's first-ever NIT appearance and been dominant at home (40-9) while evolving into one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
In his first season as head coach in 2024-25, Cornell finished second in the Ivy League and reached the championship game of the conference tournament as part of an 18-11 campaign. The Big Red set school records in assists, 3-pointers made per game and assist:turnover ratio. It led the nation in two-point field goal percentage (.620) and effective field goal percentage (.592), was second in assists per game (19.1), third in overall field goal percentage (.501) and fourth in both scoring offense (85.1) and 3-pointers per game (11.2). The team owned wins over NIT qualifier Samford, swept Princeton and won at California - the program's first win over an ACC opponent in 73 years. Senior Nazir Williams earned second-team All-Ivy and NABC All-District honors, while former walk-on AK Okereke developed into a second-team all-league player.
As an Assistant Coach
In his eight years on Coach Brian Earl’s staff, Jaques assisted in making the offense more efficient, lowering opponent scoring average and cutting down on Big Red turnovers – all the things that allow teams to win in the Ivy League. Cornell's improvement in year two culminated in a spot in the Ivy League Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time in program history, as well as a four-game improvement in the win column (two game improvement in Ivy play). With 15 wins and its first .500 conference season in nine years in 2019, the Big Red earned a spot into the CBI Postseason Tournament.The Big Red returned to the Ivy Tournament in 2021-22 with a 15-11 overall record, again in 2022-23 with a 17-11 mark and for a fourth time in 2024, its fifth time in eight seasons finishing in the top half of the conference standings.
Cornell's offense has evolved into one of the most potent in the country. In 2022-23, the Big Red led the Ivy League in 11 categories, including scoring offense (81.7), 3-pointers made (10.7) and attempted (30.4) per game, assists (17.5), assist:turnover ratio (1.41), steals (9.7), effective field goal percentage (.556) and fastbreak points (15.9).
The 2023-24 campaign was even better. The Big Red went 22-8 (the second-most wins in a season in school history), finishing second in the final Ivy League standings and earned the program's first-ever bid to the NIT. Cornell posted a school record for assists in a season (544) and highest assist:turnover ratio (1.486) and ranked in the top three in school history in 3-pointers made (second, 310), steals (second, 250) and scoring average (third, 82.1). The Big Red was road tough, as its 10 true road victories ranked fourth nationally in large part due to its balance - six players averaged at least 8.8 points with nine playing 15.0 minutes per contest or more.
Jaques previously spent three seasons on head coach Bill Courtney's staff as an assistant coach. Cornell had its first consecutive .500 non-league seasons since 2010 during that span with three players (Nolan Cressler, Shonn Miller, Matt Morgan) earning All-Ivy League honors. The Big Red led the Ancient Eight in steals (217) in 2015-16 and annually ranked among the conference’s leaders in 3-pointers made. He also played a key role in Cornell posting one of the nation’s biggest turnarounds, winning 11 more games 2014-15 than the previous year while ranking first in the conference in blocked shots per game and defensive field goal percentage, ranking among the nation's top 20 in the latter. Cornell has had three 1,000-point scorers suit up with Jaques on the sidelines.
Prior to Cornell
In his only season at Morningside Heights, Jaques was part of Kyle Smith's 2012-13 staff for a Columbia team that defeated a pair of NCAA tournament teams (Villanova and Harvard). The Lions went 8-6 in non-league play and ranked in the top 10 in school history in 3-point field goals made (181) and free-throw percentage (.745) while developing a young core of players that would win 25 games and the 2016 Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament as seniors in 2015-16.
Jaques began his coaching career at Stevens Institute of Technology under head coach Bobby Hurley and was part of a staff that led the team to a 20-8 record and a spot in the ECAC semifinals. Jaques tutored three 1,000-point scorers, and the squad finished in the top 50 nationally in assists, rebound margin, 3-point field goal percentage defense, field goal percentage defense, field goal percentage, scoring margin and scoring offense in Division III.
Playing Career
Jaques was a four-year member of the Big Red basketball team and a senior captain, emerging as a starter in his final season and developing into one of the nation's most improved players after playing a total of 108 minutes and scoring 33 points through his first three years. Jaques and his teammates won an Ivy League record 29 games and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, defeating nationally ranked opponents Temple and Wisconsin before falling to overall No. 1 seed Kentucky in the regional semifinals. In his four seasons on the team, Cornell went 88-33, including 47-9 in Ivy League play, and won three outright Ivy League titles.
An all-tournament pick at the Legends Classic, Jaques started 23 contests and averaged 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.8 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor, 45 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free-throw line in his final season. He led the Ivy League in 3-point shooting overall (.472) in league games.
After graduating from Cornell with a degree in Biology and Society in 2010, Jaques spent one season playing professionally with Ironi Ashkelon in the Israeli Premier League.
Prior to Cornell, Jaques was a first-team all-league and All-CIF selection at Harvard-Westlake HS while playing alongside more than a half-dozen Division I players, including future NBA player and Parade All-American Alex Stepheson, who played at North Carolina and USC.
Personal
Jaques is married to Jasmine (Marcus) '10 and the couple reside in Ithaca with their daughter, Carina, and son, Micah. Away from the court, Jaques earned a reputation as a basketball writer, blogging for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Slam Magazine.
ABOUT THE BENEFACTOR:
Robert E. Gallagher `44, former basketball team captain, named the head coach position in 1993. When the United States entered World War II, he enlisted, taking leave from his studies at Cornell to serve as a Navy carrier dive bomber pilot. After being discharged, he returned to Cornell, graduating in 1947. Soon thereafter he joined his father's Chicago based insurance agency, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. In 1963, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm, which had 19 employees. Under his leadership, the company grew to the world's fourth largest insurance broker with 8,100 employees worldwide. The company went public in 1984 and, in 1990, Mr. Gallagher was elected Chairman of the Board. He continued to serve as CEO until 1995 and remained Chairman until his passing.
* Updated June 2025
