DePaul women’s basketball head coach Jill M. Pizzotti announced the addition of Jessica January to her staff as an assistant coach. January, a four-year standout for the Blue Demons from 2013-17, returns to Lincoln Park after a successful professional playing career overseas.
“It feels incredible to welcome back one of our most decorated alums to the program,” said Pizzotti. “Jess truly embodies what it means to work hard, and we are thrilled to have her join our coaching staff following her outstanding professional playing career. She brings tremendous energy, basketball development expertise, and a relentless work ethic that will have an immediate impact on our team. One of my top priorities is strengthening the connection with our alumni, so it’s especially meaningful to have both Ashton Millender and Jessica January on staff. Their commitment to this program is unwavering and their presence will continue to elevate our culture and player development.”
After returning stateside last fall, January spent this winter serving as an assistant boys basketball coach at Richfield High School in her home state of Minnesota. While with the Spartans, she worked primarily with the guard unit focusing on offensive execution. She also assisted the girls program at Edina High School as a Player Development coach where she focused on individual skill instruction.
“Returning to DePaul as an assistant coach is really a full circle moment for me” January said. “I had an incredible college experience playing and learning under Doug Bruno and Jill Pizzotti. Although I’ll be on the sidelines now, I feel honored to be a part of the DePaul women’s basketball tradition in a new capacity and couldn’t be prouder doing it alongside Coach P! From my years of playing experience, I look forward to pouring that energy and competitive edge into our players as we strive for greatness on and off the court.”
January was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in the 2017 WNBA Draft which began a seven-year professional career overseas with stops in Romania, Finland, Slovakia and Poland. In 2021, January was the leading scorer and named one of the top five players in the Polish league. She was elected a team captain with her club from 2021-23.
As a student-athlete at DePaul, January appeared in 126 games and made 92 starts while leading the Blue Demons to a pair of BIG EAST Tournament titles, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 berth in 2016. She was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-America selection in her senior season and was twice named All-BIG EAST honoree. January was the first player to wear a Blue Demon uniform to record multiple triple doubles. She ranks fifth in the program’s record book with 554 assists in her career while scoring 1,530 points which is good for 21st.
January, a four-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member, was instrumental on the court, in the classroom and in the Chicago community. She was an NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honoree in 2017 while also being named the 2017 NACDA Division I-AAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.
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