DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis men's basketball head coach Jim Les announced the addition of Sacramento native Jay Flores as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.

"Jay is exactly the kind of coach we wanted to bring into this program as we begin our transition to the Mountain West," Les said. "He's a tireless recruiter with a great eye for talent, and his basketball IQ and energy are going to elevate everything we do on and off the court. His track record at Montana speaks for itself — winning at a high level while developing players academically and athletically. We're thrilled to bring him home to Northern California."

Flores returns to Northern California after 10 seasons at Montana, including nine as an assistant coach. During his nine seasons as an assistant, the Grizzlies compiled a 187-109 record, won three Big Sky Tournament championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Montana won 26 games in each of Flores' first two seasons as an assistant, capturing consecutive Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships in 2018 and 2019. The Grizzlies would again return to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 after finishing 25-10, earning a share of the Big Sky regular-season championship and winning the conference tournament. Montana won 14 of its final 15 games before its NCAA Tournament appearance.

In 2025-26, Montana finished 18-16 and reached the Big Sky championship game after defeating Northern Colorado in the quarterfinals and regular-season champion Portland State in the semifinals.

Flores' responsibilities at Montana included recruiting, scouting, academic oversight and the program's annual summer camps. During his nine seasons as an assistant, Montana players earned 22 All-Big Sky honors, including eight first-team selections.

The program also earned eight NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards during Flores' 10 seasons on staff. Montana recorded a 3.21 cumulative team GPA in 2025-26 and placed seven players on the NABC Honors Court.

Before joining Montana, Flores spent three seasons from 2013-16 as an assistant coach at Cal State East Bay where he was responsible for recruiting, player evaluation, academic oversight, video analysis and camps.

Prior to coaching, Flores played professionally for Soles de Mexicali in Mexico's Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional during the 2012-13 season. He appeared in 52 games as the club went 31-9 during the regular season and advanced to the playoffs.

He played three seasons at Chico State after beginning his collegiate career at Sonoma State. As a senior in 2011-12, Flores helped Chico State finish 25-8, capture its first CCAA regular-season championship and reach the NCAA Division II West Regional semifinal. He was named the CCAA Most Valuable Player, earned first-team All-CCAA and All-West Region recognition and received Academic All-West Region and Division II Bulletin third-team All-America honors.

Flores finished his Chico State career ranked third in program history with 387 assists and 137 steals and fourth with 153 3-pointers. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2012.

A graduate of Jesuit High School in Sacramento, Flores helped the Marauders compile a 60-8 record over his final two seasons and win consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section championships.

He and his wife, Molly, a Davis High grad, were married in August 2016. In 2019, they welcomed their first son, JJ. In 2021, they added a daughter, Lea, to their family.

Flores joins the Aggies as they prepare for their first season in the Mountain West Conference. UC Davis opens the 2026-27 campaign Nov. 2 against North Alabama at University Credit Union Center.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe.
Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026-27.

For more information, visit ucdavisaggies.com.