Story Courtesy: Seth Pringle, Athletic Communications
Colorado’s women’s basketball staff filled its assistant coach vacancy with the announcement of Jordynn Hernandez‘s hire by head coach JR Payne on Monday.
Hernandez joins the Buffaloes bench, having spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Stephen F. Austin.
“JoJo has quickly built a tremendous reputation as one of the most talented young coaches in the country,” Payne exclaimed. “Her passion for recruiting, player development and mentoring student athletes is truly exceptional. We’re confident that JoJo will make a significant impact on our program and our community. Her energy, vision and commitment to helping our students reach their full potential align perfectly with our values. We can’t wait to have her here and get things rolling.”
In her two years at SFA, the Ladyjacks went 51-21 and appeared in back-to-back conference tournament championship games. SFA knocked off No. 1-seeded Southeastern Louisiana to win the 2025 Southland Conference Tournament, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.
“I am truly blessed and excited to be joining the Colorado women’s basketball family,” Hernandez expressed. “This opportunity means so much to me – having the opportunity to work with an incredible staff and student-athletes at a place that values both excellence and community. I can’t wait to get started, building relationships and help push this program forward. Sko Buffs!”
Prior to SFA, Hernandez spent two years at UT Arlington, starting as a graduate assistant during the 2021-22 season. She was promoted to the Director of Player Development for the 2022-23 season. Hernandez played a key role in helping lead the Mavericks to a 20-8 record, winning the Sun Belt Tournament, and coming up just short of an upset of No. 3 seed Iowa State in the opening round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Hernandez, a native of McKinney, Texas, started her college career at Collin College before transferring to UT Arlington. She sat out the entire 2019-20 season due to a knee injury but returned to the court in 2020-21, where she averaged 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals in 13 games.
Hernandez was selected to participate in the 2021 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) “So You Want To Be a Coach” program. As part of the program, Hernandez attended a one-day online workshop where she learned about recruiting skills, skill development, and the administrative aspects of coaching. Hernandez was the lone Sun Belt Conference student-athlete chosen and was one of only 18 members selected from a Division I school.
Also recently announced was the title change for assistant coach Matt Hower. He will now serve as the team’s Basketball Strategy & Roster Management Assistant Coach.
