Men's Basketball
Flores, Jay
Jay Flores
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- jay.flores@mso.umt.edu
- Phone:
- 243-5334
Twitter: @coachflo10
Jay Flores enters his ninth season with the Montana men’s basketball program in 2024-25, including his eighth season as an assistant coach. Flores was originally hired by Travis DeCuire in June 2016 as director of basketball operations. He was elevated to assistant coach in July 2017.
Flores’ first two seasons as an assistant coach were historic on many levels, with Montana winning back-to-back Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and qualifying for the NCAA tournament both seasons. Montana went a combined 52-17 during that time, the best two-year stretch in school history.
Overall, the Grizzlies have posted a winning record every season with Flores on staff. Montana has a 144-99 (.593) record in Flores’ eight seasons with the Grizzlies.
On top of his roles on the court, Flores also holds scouting and recruiting responsibilities. Additionally, he runs the team’s annual summer camps and takes on the bulk of Montana’s academics. Prior to his first season in Missoula, he and DeCuire made a goal of obtaining a 3.0 team grade-point average. Montana has accomplished that six times since then, being recognized with the NABC Team Academic Award in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
During the 2020-21 academic year, Montana posted a team GPA of 3.30, with 10 individuals earning a 3.0 GPA compared to zero below 2.0. Additionally, nine players earned Academic All-Big Sky status in 2020-21, a huge jump from previous seasons, including seven in 2019 and 2020 combined. Josh Bannan earned Academic All-America recognition in back-to-back seasons, one of 15 Division-I players honored nationally and the only sophomore.
With Flores on staff, Montana has had 15 all-conference selections, including six first-team picks. During that time, Flores and the Grizzlies' staff have also developed the league's defensive player of the year (2018), freshman of the year (2020), newcomer of the year (2020) and top reserve (2020, 2022), as well as three of the top-eight scorers in school history.
In 2023-24, Montana won 24 games and won just the second postseason game in program history, reaching the quarterfinal round of the CBI. The Griz made the Big Sky Championship game for the third time with Flores on staff. Montana went 14-3 at home during the year.
The Grizzlies set a program record for total scoring with 2,768 total points. They also broke the school record for free throw shooting for the fourth straight season, making 79.2 percent of their attempts to rank 7th in the NCAA.
In the last five seasons, Montana ranks second nationally to Villanova in free throw percentage. The Grizzlies have shot 77.6 percent over the five-year stretch.
Montana had a two-year run in which the Grizzlies won back-to-back Big Sky regular-season championships, back-to-back tournament titles and qualified for the NCAA tournament two seasons in a row. Montana won 26 games in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, tied for the third-most wins in school history.
Instrumental to the team’s success during that time was a trio of standout players who Flores helped develop. Ahmaad Rorie, the 2019 Big Sky tournament MVP, reached 1,500 career points faster than any player in Montana history, doing so in his third season with the program. Michael Oguine was the 2018 tournament MVP and league’s top defender, and finished his career ranked in the top 10 for scoring, steals and games started. Sayeed Pridgett, also a two-time first-team selection, ranks fourth all-time for scoring, sixth for steals and in the top 15 for assists and rebounds.
The team’s 26-8 record in 2017-18 included a perfect 14-0 mark on its home court. The Grizzlies got off to a strong start, posting their first winning non-conference record in six seasons, including a signature victory at Pitt of the ACC. Montana then won its first 13 Big Sky games, the third-longest winning streak in school history and the third-longest active streak in the NCAA at the time. The stretch featured a program-record seven consecutive road wins. Montana used the same starting lineup for all 34 contests, leading to a balanced effort. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky in five statistical categories and ranked in the top three in 14. On defense, they ranked in the top 30 nationally for turnovers forced (15.4, 22nd), steals (7.8, 23rd) and turnover margin (+3.0, 29th).
Early on in the 2018-19 season, Montana beat a pair of NCAA tournament teams in Georgia State and North Dakota State, and snapped South Dakota State’s nation-leading 26-game home winning streak. After beginning Big Sky play just 3-2, Montana then won 16 of its next 18 games to repeat as Big Sky regular-season and tournament champions. Montana was one of 20 schools nationally to rank in the top 100 for both scoring offense and defense, and was incredibly efficient, making 49.2 percent of its shots (10th in the nation), including 37.6 percent from beyond the arc (38th).
Following back-to-back championship seasons, Flores then helped develop Montana's next wave of young talent with true freshmen accounting for 100 total starts in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
In a shortened 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana once again earned a top-three finish in the Big Sky, winning 18 games despite returning just four letterwinners from the previous season. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky for field-goal percentage (.498), 3-point field-goal percentage (.394) and turnover margin (+3.5), and ranked in the top three for scoring (74.1), scoring margin (+6.4), free-throw percentage (.745), field-goal defense (.436) assists (13.3), steals (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). On a national scale, Montana ranked 21st in the NCAA for shooting and 55th for 3-point accuracy.
Montana had a trio of freshmen start 40 combined games in 2019-20, including Big Sky Freshman of the Year Derrick Carter-Hollinger. The Grizzlies were also paced by two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection Sayeed Pridgett and second-team honoree Kendal Manuel.
In 2020-21, Montana was the only school nationally to have three true freshmen average at least 25.0 minutes per game, and was one of two schools in the country to have its freshman class total 2,000 minutes played. Montana peaked at the right time, winning its final four games of the regular season, followed by a pair of victories in the Big Sky tournament – including an upset over No. 3-seed Weber State – to advance to the semifinals. During non-conference play, Montana also earned a win at Washington of the Pac-12.
The Grizzlies set a then-school record from the charity stripe in 2020-21, making 78.2 percent of their free-throw attempts (15th in the NCAA). They also ranked highly from 3-point range (36.2, 61st) and for overall shooting (46.0, 66th), and ranked in the top 25 percent nationally for scoring defense (67.0 points allowed per game, 77th).
Montana won 18 games in 2021-22, including a 7-4 mark during a non-conference slate that saw the Grizzlies earn victories over Air Force (Mountain West) and Southern Miss (Conference USA), in addition to winning the Zootown Classic tournament title. The Grizzlies were paced by second-team All-Big Sky selection Josh Bannan, who was the only player in the league to average at least 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The sophomore also shot .520 from the floor while recording the Grizzlies' third-highest rebounding average over the past two decades.
Montana set a school record from the free-throw line for the second year in a row, ranking 10th in the NCAA at 78.5 percent. The Grizzlies were also among the nation's leaders for turnovers per game (10.2, 20th), turnover margin (+2.9, 35th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28, 46th).
Flores has been a member of the Latino Association of Basketball Coaches (LABC) since 2018, and was selected for an interactive discussion regarding “How to Win the Interview Process” in 2024.
A former California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Most Valuable Player at Chico State, Flores spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Division II Cal State East Bay Pioneers (2013-14 through 2015-16). During his tenure as an assistant coach, Flores coached a pair of All-CCAA players, including Jacari Whittfield, who finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader for 3-pointers made and free-throw percentage and was second for assists. Flores also helped develop Mark Samuels – who ranks in the top 10 in school history for both scoring and rebounding – and Jalen Richard – an All-CCAA selection after ranking in the top five in the conference for scoring, steals and free throws. Additionally, Flores oversaw a large section of the Pioneers' basketball program, including academic monitoring and counseling, recruiting and athlete evaluation, video analysis, and coordinating summer camps.
Flores also has professional playing experience, having spent the 2012-13 season playing for Soles de Mexicali of Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, Mexico's top professional basketball league. Flores was the starting point guard for Soles, helping them to a 31-9 record and a postseason appearance. He played in 52 games, averaging 3.1 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting .568 from the field and .380 percent from 3-point range.
Flores was an outstanding point guard at Chico State, where he played under current Montana associate head coach Chris Cobb. As a Wildcat, he finished his three-year career as one of the most decorated players in program history. During his sophomore campaign in 2009-10, he started every game and led Chico State in minutes, assists and steals. He ranked fourth in the CCAA that year with 4.1 assists per game. In his second season at Chico State, he averaged 11.0 points per game while once again pacing the squad for steals and minutes played. He led the conference for 3-pointers made and assist-to-turnover ratio, and ranked second for assists (4.8 per game), earning himself a second-team All-CCAA selection.
As a senior, Flores led Chico State to a 25-8 record, its first CCAA title in school history, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II semifinals. Again, he led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked second for assists (4.2 per game), while anchoring one of the nation's top defenses. Flores was named conference MVP, first-team All-CCAA, first-team All-West Region and Academic All-West Region, and was a third-team All-American.
At the conclusion of his career, Flores ranked third all-time in Chico State history with 387 assists and 137 steals and fourth all-time with 153 made 3-pointers. He was also an 81.3-percent shooter from the free-throw line. During his college career, Flores coached summer camps for top Division-I programs like UCLA, Cal, Saint Mary's and Michigan State.
Flores played his prep ball at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, California. An all-league honoree as a senior, he led the Marauders to a combined record of 60-8, consecutive appearances in the Delta League championship and back-to-back Sac-Joaquin section titles in his final two seasons.
Flores then played in 24 games in one season as a freshman at Sonoma State before transferring to Chico State to complete his college career. He graduated from Chico State in 2012 with a degree in business administration.
He and his wife, Molly, were married in August 2016. In 2019, they welcomed their first son, Julian Jesse. In 2021, they added a daughter, Lea, to their family.
Jay Flores enters his ninth season with the Montana men’s basketball program in 2024-25, including his eighth season as an assistant coach. Flores was originally hired by Travis DeCuire in June 2016 as director of basketball operations. He was elevated to assistant coach in July 2017.
Flores’ first two seasons as an assistant coach were historic on many levels, with Montana winning back-to-back Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and qualifying for the NCAA tournament both seasons. Montana went a combined 52-17 during that time, the best two-year stretch in school history.
Overall, the Grizzlies have posted a winning record every season with Flores on staff. Montana has a 144-99 (.593) record in Flores’ eight seasons with the Grizzlies.
On top of his roles on the court, Flores also holds scouting and recruiting responsibilities. Additionally, he runs the team’s annual summer camps and takes on the bulk of Montana’s academics. Prior to his first season in Missoula, he and DeCuire made a goal of obtaining a 3.0 team grade-point average. Montana has accomplished that six times since then, being recognized with the NABC Team Academic Award in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
During the 2020-21 academic year, Montana posted a team GPA of 3.30, with 10 individuals earning a 3.0 GPA compared to zero below 2.0. Additionally, nine players earned Academic All-Big Sky status in 2020-21, a huge jump from previous seasons, including seven in 2019 and 2020 combined. Josh Bannan earned Academic All-America recognition in back-to-back seasons, one of 15 Division-I players honored nationally and the only sophomore.
With Flores on staff, Montana has had 15 all-conference selections, including six first-team picks. During that time, Flores and the Grizzlies' staff have also developed the league's defensive player of the year (2018), freshman of the year (2020), newcomer of the year (2020) and top reserve (2020, 2022), as well as three of the top-eight scorers in school history.
In 2023-24, Montana won 24 games and won just the second postseason game in program history, reaching the quarterfinal round of the CBI. The Griz made the Big Sky Championship game for the third time with Flores on staff. Montana went 14-3 at home during the year.
The Grizzlies set a program record for total scoring with 2,768 total points. They also broke the school record for free throw shooting for the fourth straight season, making 79.2 percent of their attempts to rank 7th in the NCAA.
In the last five seasons, Montana ranks second nationally to Villanova in free throw percentage. The Grizzlies have shot 77.6 percent over the five-year stretch.
Montana had a two-year run in which the Grizzlies won back-to-back Big Sky regular-season championships, back-to-back tournament titles and qualified for the NCAA tournament two seasons in a row. Montana won 26 games in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, tied for the third-most wins in school history.
Instrumental to the team’s success during that time was a trio of standout players who Flores helped develop. Ahmaad Rorie, the 2019 Big Sky tournament MVP, reached 1,500 career points faster than any player in Montana history, doing so in his third season with the program. Michael Oguine was the 2018 tournament MVP and league’s top defender, and finished his career ranked in the top 10 for scoring, steals and games started. Sayeed Pridgett, also a two-time first-team selection, ranks fourth all-time for scoring, sixth for steals and in the top 15 for assists and rebounds.
The team’s 26-8 record in 2017-18 included a perfect 14-0 mark on its home court. The Grizzlies got off to a strong start, posting their first winning non-conference record in six seasons, including a signature victory at Pitt of the ACC. Montana then won its first 13 Big Sky games, the third-longest winning streak in school history and the third-longest active streak in the NCAA at the time. The stretch featured a program-record seven consecutive road wins. Montana used the same starting lineup for all 34 contests, leading to a balanced effort. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky in five statistical categories and ranked in the top three in 14. On defense, they ranked in the top 30 nationally for turnovers forced (15.4, 22nd), steals (7.8, 23rd) and turnover margin (+3.0, 29th).
Early on in the 2018-19 season, Montana beat a pair of NCAA tournament teams in Georgia State and North Dakota State, and snapped South Dakota State’s nation-leading 26-game home winning streak. After beginning Big Sky play just 3-2, Montana then won 16 of its next 18 games to repeat as Big Sky regular-season and tournament champions. Montana was one of 20 schools nationally to rank in the top 100 for both scoring offense and defense, and was incredibly efficient, making 49.2 percent of its shots (10th in the nation), including 37.6 percent from beyond the arc (38th).
Following back-to-back championship seasons, Flores then helped develop Montana's next wave of young talent with true freshmen accounting for 100 total starts in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
In a shortened 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana once again earned a top-three finish in the Big Sky, winning 18 games despite returning just four letterwinners from the previous season. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky for field-goal percentage (.498), 3-point field-goal percentage (.394) and turnover margin (+3.5), and ranked in the top three for scoring (74.1), scoring margin (+6.4), free-throw percentage (.745), field-goal defense (.436) assists (13.3), steals (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). On a national scale, Montana ranked 21st in the NCAA for shooting and 55th for 3-point accuracy.
Montana had a trio of freshmen start 40 combined games in 2019-20, including Big Sky Freshman of the Year Derrick Carter-Hollinger. The Grizzlies were also paced by two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection Sayeed Pridgett and second-team honoree Kendal Manuel.
In 2020-21, Montana was the only school nationally to have three true freshmen average at least 25.0 minutes per game, and was one of two schools in the country to have its freshman class total 2,000 minutes played. Montana peaked at the right time, winning its final four games of the regular season, followed by a pair of victories in the Big Sky tournament – including an upset over No. 3-seed Weber State – to advance to the semifinals. During non-conference play, Montana also earned a win at Washington of the Pac-12.
The Grizzlies set a then-school record from the charity stripe in 2020-21, making 78.2 percent of their free-throw attempts (15th in the NCAA). They also ranked highly from 3-point range (36.2, 61st) and for overall shooting (46.0, 66th), and ranked in the top 25 percent nationally for scoring defense (67.0 points allowed per game, 77th).
Montana won 18 games in 2021-22, including a 7-4 mark during a non-conference slate that saw the Grizzlies earn victories over Air Force (Mountain West) and Southern Miss (Conference USA), in addition to winning the Zootown Classic tournament title. The Grizzlies were paced by second-team All-Big Sky selection Josh Bannan, who was the only player in the league to average at least 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The sophomore also shot .520 from the floor while recording the Grizzlies' third-highest rebounding average over the past two decades.
Montana set a school record from the free-throw line for the second year in a row, ranking 10th in the NCAA at 78.5 percent. The Grizzlies were also among the nation's leaders for turnovers per game (10.2, 20th), turnover margin (+2.9, 35th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28, 46th).
Flores has been a member of the Latino Association of Basketball Coaches (LABC) since 2018, and was selected for an interactive discussion regarding “How to Win the Interview Process” in 2024.
A former California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Most Valuable Player at Chico State, Flores spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Division II Cal State East Bay Pioneers (2013-14 through 2015-16). During his tenure as an assistant coach, Flores coached a pair of All-CCAA players, including Jacari Whittfield, who finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader for 3-pointers made and free-throw percentage and was second for assists. Flores also helped develop Mark Samuels – who ranks in the top 10 in school history for both scoring and rebounding – and Jalen Richard – an All-CCAA selection after ranking in the top five in the conference for scoring, steals and free throws. Additionally, Flores oversaw a large section of the Pioneers' basketball program, including academic monitoring and counseling, recruiting and athlete evaluation, video analysis, and coordinating summer camps.
Flores also has professional playing experience, having spent the 2012-13 season playing for Soles de Mexicali of Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, Mexico's top professional basketball league. Flores was the starting point guard for Soles, helping them to a 31-9 record and a postseason appearance. He played in 52 games, averaging 3.1 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting .568 from the field and .380 percent from 3-point range.
Flores was an outstanding point guard at Chico State, where he played under current Montana associate head coach Chris Cobb. As a Wildcat, he finished his three-year career as one of the most decorated players in program history. During his sophomore campaign in 2009-10, he started every game and led Chico State in minutes, assists and steals. He ranked fourth in the CCAA that year with 4.1 assists per game. In his second season at Chico State, he averaged 11.0 points per game while once again pacing the squad for steals and minutes played. He led the conference for 3-pointers made and assist-to-turnover ratio, and ranked second for assists (4.8 per game), earning himself a second-team All-CCAA selection.
As a senior, Flores led Chico State to a 25-8 record, its first CCAA title in school history, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II semifinals. Again, he led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked second for assists (4.2 per game), while anchoring one of the nation's top defenses. Flores was named conference MVP, first-team All-CCAA, first-team All-West Region and Academic All-West Region, and was a third-team All-American.
At the conclusion of his career, Flores ranked third all-time in Chico State history with 387 assists and 137 steals and fourth all-time with 153 made 3-pointers. He was also an 81.3-percent shooter from the free-throw line. During his college career, Flores coached summer camps for top Division-I programs like UCLA, Cal, Saint Mary's and Michigan State.
Flores played his prep ball at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, California. An all-league honoree as a senior, he led the Marauders to a combined record of 60-8, consecutive appearances in the Delta League championship and back-to-back Sac-Joaquin section titles in his final two seasons.
Flores then played in 24 games in one season as a freshman at Sonoma State before transferring to Chico State to complete his college career. He graduated from Chico State in 2012 with a degree in business administration.
He and his wife, Molly, were married in August 2016. In 2019, they welcomed their first son, Julian Jesse. In 2021, they added a daughter, Lea, to their family.
| JAY FLORES AT A GLANCE | ||||||
| PERSONAL | ||||||
| Hometown | Sacramento, California | |||||
| Education | Chico State, 2012 | |||||
| Family | Wife: Molly Children: Julian Jesse (JJ), Lea |
|||||
| COACHING HISTORY | ||||||
| Year | School | Position | Record | Conference Finish | Postseason | |
| 2013-14 | Cal State East Bay | Assistant | 7-21 | 11th | N/A | |
| 2014-15 | Cal State East Bay | Assistant | 6-23 | 11th | N/A | |
| 2015-16 | Cal State East Bay | Assistant | 9-18 | 12th | N/A | |
| 2016-17 | Montana | Director of Operations | 16-16 | 5th | Big Sky Quarterfinals | |
| 2017-18 | Montana | Assistant | 26-8 | 1st | NCAA Tournament | |
| 2018-19 | Montana | Assistant | 26-9 | 1st | NCAA Tournament | |
| 2019-20 | Montana | Assistant | 18-13 | 3rd | N/A (COVID-19) | |
| 2020-21 | Montana | Assistant | 15-13 | 6th | Big Sky Semifinals | |
| 2021-22 | Montana | Assistant | 18-14 | 5th | Big Sky Quarterfinals | |
| 2022-23 | Montana | Assistant | 17-14 | 4th | Big Sky Semifinals | |
| 2023-24 | Montana | Assistant | 24-12 | 3rd | CBI Quarterfinals | |
| 11 Seasons | ||||||
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