Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus West Virginia on January 2, 2026 , Win , 80, to, 59
Final
Men's Basketball
80
West Virginia
59
Iowa State University Athletics
Staff Directory
Jake Thornton
- Title:
- Offensive Line
- Phone:
- 515-294-6721
Jake Thornton, who has six years of experience in the Southeastern Conference, is in his first year as offensive line coach at Iowa State after joining the program in December 2025.
Thornton spent the previous three seasons at Auburn in the same role he’s assumed at Iowa State.
The Tigers ranked among the nation’s Top 25 in rushing offense in 2023, averaging 189.9 yards per game on the ground.
At Ole Miss, Thornton helped the Rebels rank in the Top 10 nationally in total offense in each of his seasons in Oxford, leading the SEC in the category (492.5) in 2021 before pacing the league and ranking third in the country in rushing offense (261.6) in 2022.
Ole Miss, which ran for more than 3,000 yards (3,189) in 2022, saw a pair of Thornton’s linemen earn All-SEC honors while another made an NFL roster in 2022.
Prior to Ole Miss, Thornton spent the 2020 season at Gardner Webb as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. He had a two-year stint in the same role at Tennessee Tech, where guard Trevor Stephens earned Freshman All-America honors and sophomore guard Mike Rhoades was a Second Team All-Ohio Valley Conference choice.
He spent the 2017 season as a graduate assistant under legendary coach Nick Saban at Alabama where the Crimson Tide defeated five Top 20 teams en route to a 13-1 record and the national title.
Working with Alabama’s offensive line, which featured future NFL Draft picks Jonah Williams (first round, 2019) and Ross Pierschbacher (fifth round, 2019) as well as Second Team All-SEC selection Bradley Bozeman.
The Toccoa, Georgia, native began his college playing career at Division II Carson-Newman before transferring to Western Carolina in 2012 where he was a two-time All-Southern Conference selection as a center. He started 33-straight games and helped the Catamounts to consecutive seven-win seasons and runner-up finishes in the Southern Conference.
Thornton’s grandfather, Billy Shaw, played guard for the Buffalo Bills and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1999).
Thornton earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a political science minor from Western Carolina in 2015.
WR Highlights vs. Arizona State
Tuesday, January 06
Kevin Dresser Interview (Arizona State)
Tuesday, January 06
Bill Fennelly Interview 1-5-26
Tuesday, January 06
Cyclone Coaches Corner TV replay 1_5_26
Tuesday, January 06
