Jacob Klee, a University of Miami alumnus, joined the Hurricanes as the assistant director of basketball operations in June 2023.
Klee initially became part of the Miami basketball program as a student manager in September 2017 and was then promoted to assistant head manager in August 2018. Just five months later, in January 2019, Klee was elevated to head student manager during the 2019-20 campaign, becoming the youngest person in the position during head coach Jim Larrañaga’s tenure. The Roslyn Heights, N.Y., native worked in that capacity until his graduation in May 2020. He managed the equipment room, handled gear distribution, aided student-athletes in numerous capacities, coordinated logistics on the road and oversaw the full group of 10-plus managers.
In August 2020, Klee began a role as a graduate assistant at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, a Division I program in the Summit League. He was responsible for day-to-day operations of the equipment room, organizing postgame meals on road trips, assisting with video editing across multiple platforms and more. In 2021-22, his second year there, he was the acting director of basketball operations and added more responsibilities, such as booking flights and helping to plan a foreign tour.
Following his graduation from Kansas City, Klee went to Western Connecticut State University, as Division III school in the Little East Conference, as an assistant coach in July 2022. In that role, he handled daily program operations, assisted with game planning and scouting, oversaw student-athlete academic progress, aided with recruiting efforts, organized team travel and food orders, helped with video editing and more. The Wolves won 19 of their first 20 games, finished 22-5 (12-4 LEC) and reached the league title game.
Klee also has experience as a basketball operations consultant for Thomas Academy (N.Y.) in the summer of 2020, an intern for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the fall of 2021, the director of operations for Guy Rancourt USA East Coast Basketball in the summer of 2021 and a counselor at Jim Larrañaga Basketball Camp in the summers of 2018 and 2019.
In May 2020, Klee graduated from Miami after just three years with a 3.6 GPA and a bachelor’s degree in business management. In May 2022, he added a master’s degree in higher education administration from Kansas City, posting a 3.9 GPA.
