NORTHFIELD, Minn. - St. Olaf College Athletic Director Kelly Mahlum announced the hiring of John Cheng as the head coach of the St. Olaf men's basketball program on Thursday.
 
Cheng comes to St. Olaf after a second stint at Elmhurst University, where he most recently served as the associate head coach for the past two seasons. He will be just the fifth head coach for the Oles since 1957-58 following the retirement of Dan Kosmoski after a 32-season tenure leading the program. Cheng's first day at St. Olaf will be Monday, June 8.

"I am thrilled to announce John as our next head men's basketball coach," Mahlum said. "John brings an exceptional work ethic, a strong understanding of the student-athlete experience at a highly-selective liberal arts institution, and a proven track record of recruiting and developing high-character young men who strive for excellence both academically and athletically. His values, commitment to servant leadership, and passion for building meaningful relationships align perfectly with the culture we are continuing to strengthen in Ole Athletics. I am excited for the future of our men's basketball program under John's leadership."
 
Cheng spent a pair of two-year stints at Elmhurst, helping guide the Bluejays to an overall record of 64-34 (.653), including a mark of 34-22 (.607) in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). In 2021-22, Cheng was on the staff of the team that finished as the national runner-up, concluding the season with a 27-7 overall record and a CCIW Tournament title. The Bluejays qualified for the CCIW Tournament in all four of his seasons, including a runner-up finish in 2025-26 to conclude a 19-9 season.

"First and foremost, I want to sincerely thank Athletic Director Kelly Mahlum and the entire search committee for their trust and confidence in me to lead the men's basketball program at St. Olaf," Cheng said. "The opportunity to guide a tradition-rich program at such a prestigious institution is truly humbling and exciting. I am eager to compete alongside and mentor St. Olaf's exceptional student-athletes while fully immersing myself in the vibrant campus community." 
 
At Elmhurst, Cheng played an integral role in all aspects of the program. He oversaw the program's recruiting operations while serving as a key contributor in opponent scouting, game preparation, and overall player development. Cheng helped develop practice plans, provided on-court instruction, led in-season individual workouts, and designed offseason player development programs. Beyond basketball operations, he also supported the academic and career development of the program's student-athletes.
 
Between his two stints at Elmhurst, Cheng was an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Hillsdale College during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, including serving as the interim head coach for four games in 2023-24 and the entirety of the spring offseason that year. The program went 41-17 (.707) overall, including a 28-12 (.700) record in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) play, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23.
 
A 2016 graduate of Denison University with a bachelor of arts in economics, Cheng played four years of basketball for the Big Red, including being part of the 2015-16 team that won the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament title to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. He was a team captain and was named the program's Teammate of the Year that season. Cheng went on to earn a master of business administration from Elmhurst in 2022.
 
Cheng began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Chicago for two seasons from 2018-20 where the Maroons went 27-23 (.540) overall. He also worked as a trainer and AAU coach for Breakaway Basketball from 2017-19, training groups of youth and high school players and coaching one of the program's AAU squads during the spring and summer seasons.