John Jez enters his third season at the helm of Embry-Riddle Men’s Lacrosse after being named the second head coach in program history in August of 2023.
In his first two seasons as the Eagles’ head coach, Jez took Embry-Riddle Men’s Lacrosse from the bottom of the league standings to the second round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament in 2025. The 2025 campaign marked the first winning season in program history as the Blue and Gold compiled a 9-7 overall record, including a 4-3 ledger in SSC play. The Eagles scored upsets against No. 13 Saint Leo, No. 14 Molloy and No. 19 Newberry, and achieved another program first by appearing in the national polls where they were ranked as high as 14th.
The Eagles also celebrated the program’s first All-Americans in 2025. Christian Hofer was named an Honorable Mention All-American by USILA, and Hofer and Tim Keefe both garnered Honorable Mention All-American honors as awarded by USA Lacrosse Magazine. The Jez tenure at Embry-Riddle includes 12 All-SSC selections and four All-Region honorees.
Jez came to Embry-Riddle after two seasons at Post University where he orchestrated the turnaround of a program that had gone winless in the season prior to his arrival. Jez's previous head coaching stops included an unprecedented 11-year run at LIU Post/Long Island University (2007-17), and two years at Pace (2002-04). Jez also served for 11 years as an Assistant General Manager and then General Manager of the United States Men's Lacrosse National Team where his teams won two World Championships (2006, 2010), and three U-19 championships (2008, 2012, 2016).
Jez boasts a 178-78 (.695) career record in NCAA II competition, highlighted by back-to-back national titles at LIU Post in 2009 and 2010. Jez claimed a pair of National Coach of the Year honors while at LIU Post (2009, 2014), and in total made three appearances in the NCAA II national title game and seven trips to the NCAA II national semifinals.
Jez's teams have featured both high-powered offenses and stout defenses, twice leading the country in scoring offense (Pace - 2003, LIU Post - 2009), and finishing as the second-best scoring defense in the nation three times (LIU Post - 2009, 2010, 2011). In his 17 campaigns as head coach, Jez has coached 60 All-Americans, four USILA Position Players of the Year, and two National Players of the Year, as well as 17 Scholar All-Americans. While at LIU Post, Jez's squads claimed seven East Coast Conference Championships.
Heavily involved in the sport of lacrosse, Jez is currently a member of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Regional Advisory Committee representing the Sunshine State Conference, the USILA All-Region Committee, and the USILA National Ranking Committee. Additionally, he has previously served as the Chairman of the NCAA II National Championship committee, the USILA All-American committee, and the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rules committee.
A 1994 graduate of Pfeiffer, Jez was a two-time All-American for the Falcons and received his degree in Sports Medicine before earning a master’s in criminal justice from LIU Post.
Jez and his wife Christine have three daughters, Olivia, Dakota, and Jalyn. The Jez family resides in DeLand, Florida.
