Ali Jaques - Women's Basketball Coach - Seton Hall University Athletics

Ali Jaques

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
aloysia.rybczyk@shu.edu
Phone:
(973) 761-9298

Seton Hall women’s basketball head coach Anthony Bozzella announced on May 19, 2022 the hiring of Ali Jaques as the Pirates’ new assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

“Ali’s overall experience and thorough understanding of this level set her apart and is a real benefit to our players and staff,” Bozzella said. “I’ve known Ali a long time. She’s had success as both a head coach and assistant coach, and I think she will really bolster our recruiting efforts. I’m excited to have her join us.”

Jaques brings extensive coaching experience to South Orange having served as head coach of the Siena women’s basketball team for nine years. Under her leadership, Siena won 116 games and advanced to the title contest of the WBI during a memorable postseason run in 2014-15. That year, the Saints recorded their first winning season in 11 years and most victories in a dozen seasons. Siena's 13-win improvement from the previous season was tied for the second-best turnaround in all of Division I and the Saints' 12 true road wins were tied for the fourth most nationally.

Despite being projected to finish 10th of 11 teams in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, and forced to play with an active roster of just seven players for the final 30 games of the season, the Saints persevered to finish fifth in the conference standings with a 11-9 mark in posting an eight-win league improvement from the previous season. During the WBI run, the Saints defeated BIG EAST foe Xavier in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati by 20 points, marking the program's largest margin of victory ever over a current member of one of the six major conferences.

“I am so grateful to be joining the Seton Hall community,” Jaques said. “I have known Coach Bozzella and several members of the coaching staff since I began my coaching career over 20 years ago. This program is first class, and I am excited to contribute to its continued success. As a New Jersey native, this the perfect time to start a new chapter and come back home!”

Prior to Siena, Jaques had 14 years of Division I coaching experience, having served as an assistant coach at six different institutions. Her teams posted four NCAA Tournament wins and three WNIT victories. She came to Siena following a four-year stint at Northwestern where she was the associate head coach. Jaques has also served as an assistant coach at Dayton (2005-06), Furman (2002-05), Sacred Heart (1999-02) and Rider (1998-99).

Jaques is a 1998 graduate of New York University where she played both basketball and soccer and made the Dean's List all four years. Jaques led the Violets to the 1997 Division III National Championship, a 1996 Final Four appearance and two Sweet 16's. In her four years NYU posted a 101-15 (.871) record. A two-time Coach's Award recipient, she was named a UAA Honorable Mention All-Association selection during her senior season.

A native of Rosemont, N.J., Jaques comes from a very athletic family. Her brother, Curtis, is the head men's lacrosse coach at Division III Wilkes University (Pa.) and played collegiately at Virginia Military Institute. Her brother, Parker, played football at the University of Rochester. Her sister, Sidney, played collegiately on the University of Scranton women's basketball team. On August 24, 2019, Jaques married her husband Marc Rybczyk, currently an assistant coach with the Albany Patroons in the TBL.