Coaching Experience
• Assistant Coach/Director of Basketball Operations, Cornell University (2023-present)
• Director of Basketball Operations, Lafayette College (2022-23)
• Assistant Coach, Widener College (2021-22)
• Assistant Coordinator of Basketball Operations, Drexel University (2017-21)
Education
• B.S., Sports Business, Drexel University (2021)
At Cornell
Jalen Hayes joined the Cornell men's basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach and director of basketball operations in September 2023.
In his first season on the sidelines, the Big Red went 22-8 (the second-most wins in a season in school history) in 2023-24, finishing second in the final Ivy League standings and earning 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.
The 2024-25 season, the program's first with Jon Jaques '10 on the sidelines, saw Cornell finish second in the Ivy League and reach 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. Hayes assisted in the development of All-Ivy League players AK Okereke, Nazir Williams and Cooper Noard.
Prior to Cornell
Hayes joined the Big Red after one season as the director of basketball operations at Lafayette.
Hayes spent the 2021-22 season on the men’s basketball coaching staff at Widener University, coaching under Chris Carideo. He helped lead that team to a berth in the semifinals of the MAC Commonwealth Tournament.
Prior to Widener, Hayes spent four seasons at Drexel as the assistant coordinator of men’s basketball operations under head coach Zach Spiker. His time with the Dragons included a Colonial Athletic Association title in 2020-21 and the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 25 years. That time in Philadelphia coincided with the season that Jordan spent on Spiker’s staff as an assistant coach.
Outside of his role at Drexel, Hayes worked for HoopGroup where he coordinated the company’s day-to-day basketball operations and recruited new athletes to the program. On the business side of the sport, Hayes also served as a marketing and sales associate for DMVElite.
A native of Bowie, Md., Hayes earned his bachelor of science degree in sports business from Drexel in 2021.
* Updated June 2025
