Reigning National Player of the Year JuJu Watkins and head coach Lindsay Gottlieb are typically at the center of the conversation when looking at the revival of USC. However, another key figure in the Trojans’ resurgence is assistant coach Courtney Jaco.
The Compton, Calif. native graduated from USC in 2017 as the program’s second-leading 3-point shooter and now she’s coaching at her alma mater. Her current responsibilities include the development of the point guards, scouting other teams and recruiting — the latter of which she describes as “The Beast” due to the craziness of the transfer portal.
One of her biggest recruitment wins was helping the Trojans land former Stanford star and current Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen from the transfer portal last offseason. At the time, 247Sports ranked Iriafen as the No. 2 player in the women’s college basketball transfer portal. Jaco was humble when asked about the recruitment process, saying that it was “equal parts” her recruiting skills and Iriafen’s desire to return to her hometown and play in front of her family.
While the Trojans were in the middle of their Elite Eight run in this year’s NCAA tournament, the 29-year-old was named a Women’s Basketball Coaching…
