Courtney Jaco is in the spotlight as an assistant coach at USC, where she has played a significant role in the resurgence of the women’s basketball program. One of her notable achievements has been the recruitment of Kiki Iriafen, the No. 2 transfer in women’s college basketball for 2024, who previously starred at Stanford and is now a rookie with Washington Mystics.

Jaco, who hails from Compton, California, began her journey at USC as a player and transitioned to coaching after a stint playing overseas. Describing the recruitment process as ‘The Beast’ due to its intensity, she recognizes the joint effort of her skills and Iriafen’s desire to return home.

Recently, Jaco was named a Women’s Basketball Coaching Association Thirty Under 30 honoree, an accolade that spotlights her potential as an up-and-coming coach in the industry. ‘Lindsay’s been a great mentor to me,’ she remarked about head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

As Jaco continues to propel her coaching career, her ambition is to lead her own program one day, all while savoring her current experience with a USC team vying for a national championship.