Cornell University Men's Basketball

Jon Jaques '10 has been front and center during two of the most successful eras in Cornell men's basketball history — first as a player, and now as the architect on the sidelines. The through line in both roles is unmistakable: connected teams, unselfish play and an identity built around trust and precision. In two seasons as head coach, Jaques has guided the Big Red to a 33-24 record (17-11 Ivy), with back-to-back Ivy League Tournament appearances and a run to the 2025 championship game. In that time, Cornell has emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive programs in the country, pairing pace with efficiency at a national level. 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. 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. 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.

Ilan Kinder joined the Cornell men's basketball coaching staff as director of basketball operations in June 2025. In his first season on the sideline, the Big Red led the nation in assists (21.3) and 3-pointers made per game (12.9), while ranking among the top 10 nationally in effective field goal percentage (fifth, .599), 3-point percentage (sixth, .393), scoring offense (sixth, 88.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (seventh, 1.83). Cornell set both school and Ivy League single-season records for assists (596) and 3-pointers (362), while also establishing a program-best assist-to-turnover ratio. Against one of the nation's top mid-major schedules — including matchups with Illinois State (NIT Final Four), George Mason, Samford, Kent State, Towson and Sweet 16 participant Michigan State — the Big Red's style translated across levels. Seniors Jake Fiegen (first team) and Cooper Noard (second team) were both named All-Ivy, with Noard capturing NABC all-district accolades. The Big Red returned to the Ivy League Tournament for a fifth consecutive year, rebounding for an 0-3 start in conference action to place fourth. Prior to Cornell, Kinder spent four years as the head student manager under former coach Mike Magpayo, who coached at Columbia with Jaques. Kinder was entrusted with tasks that touched every part of the program's operations, from scouting to data and analytics, with responsibilities that included social media content and team travel. He earned his degree in Economics fro

Jalen Hayes joined the Cornell men's basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach and director of basketball operations in September 2023 and was elevated to a full-time assistant coach the following year. He has played an important role in the Big Red's relentless pace on both ends of the floor. Hayes joined the Big Red after one season as the director of basketball operations at Lafayette. He spent the 2021-22 season on the men's basketball coaching staff at Widener University, coaching under Chris Carideo. 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. 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.

Luke Colwell joined the Cornell men's basketball coaching staff as the Director of Basketball Operations in May 2024 and was promoted to assistant coach in May of 2025. He previously served as one of the youngest Division I assistant coaches and basketball operations directors in the country during his time at VMI, and his energy and passion are emblematic of the Big Red's style of play. Colwell worked at South Carolina under head coach Frank Martin for four years as a student manager, including as head manager his senior year and co-head manager the prior two, and then another year as a graduate assistant coach. As a grad assistant, Colwell served as the assistant video coordinator filming practice, cutting opponent film, and editing highlight tapes. As a student manager, he was responsible for managing health and safety protocols during COVID, filming practices, creating scouting reports, assisting in player development and helping with travel and meal logistics. During his two seasons at VMI, Colwell coordinated team travel, meals, practice planning, social media, official visit logistics, and facilities, while also being responsible for opposing scouts, game film and player development.

Nat Graham returned to the Cornell men's basketball coaching staff as associate head coach in June 2025. In 2025-26, the Big Red led the nation in assists (21.3) and 3-pointers made per game (12.9), while ranking among the top 10 nationally in effective field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, scoring offense and assist-to-turnover ratio. Cornell set both school and Ivy League single-season records for assists and 3-pointers. Graham previously spent five seasons (2005-10) as an assistant coach at Cornell under Steve Donahue, helping the Big Red win 111 games with three Ivy titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 2009-10 Sweet 16 run. He spent four seasons at Boston College with Donahue (2010-14) as associate head coach before returning to Penn in 2014. In 10 seasons at Penn (2014-25), he helped the Quakers win 140 games, including an Ivy regular season and tournament championship in 2017-18. Graham was a two-year letter winner (1993-95) at Penn, playing for the Quakers when Coach Donahue was an assistant, and was a member of two undefeated Ivy League championship teams. He later played professionally in Ireland and Denmark. Graham holds a B.S. in Sociology from Penn (1997) and an M.S. in Multicultural Education from Eastern University (2009).