Bio

John Cheng joined the Hillsdale College men's basketball program as an assistant coach in June of 2022, bringing experience and a track record of success at the NCAA Division III level to his new role with the Chargers. Entering his second season with the program this fall, Cheng helped the Chargers complete a third-straight 20-plus win season and earn a third consecutive NCAA DII Tourney berth in his first year with the program.

He arrived on the Hillsdale College campus after an impressive two-year stint as an assistant coach at Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, Illinois. During Cheng's time with the Bluejays, he helped the Elmhurst's men's basketball team to its best season in program history in 2021-22. With Cheng assisting, the Bluejays went 27-7, won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament title, and reached the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in program history, making it to the title game and finishing as the 2022 national runner-up.

In his role at Elmhurst, Cheng was the program's main coordinator for logistics and academic support, and also played an important role in scouting and recruiting for the Bluejays. He also coached guard Jake Rhode, a two-time NCAA DIII All-American, while at Elmhurst.

Before his time at Elmhurst, Cheng was an assistant at the University of Chicago from 2018 to 2020, where he helped the Maroons to a 27-23 record and .500 or better marks in University Athletic Association play in both campaigns. He also worked with the Breakaway Basketball AAU organization as a trainer and coach from 2017-2019, helping run the program's year-round training regimen and coaching one of Breakaway Basketball's travel teams in the spring and summer seasons.

Cheng became a coach after a four-year collegiate career at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. In 2015-16, his senior season, Cheng was a team captain on a Big Red squad that posted a winning record for the first time in over a decade and ended a 19-year NCAA Division III tournament drought with the program's third-ever tourney berth. 

A native of Elmhurst, Illinois, Cheng came to Denison from Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep School in Elmhurst, where he helped lead the Knights to a 24-4 record as a senior in 2011-12.

Cheng graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Economics in 2016, and received his Master's degree in Business Administration from Elmhurst University in May of 2022 while coaching the Bluejays.