Jake Shoff, Former BYU Basketball Player, Dies In Car Accident
Feb 7, 2025, 12:05 PM | Updated: 12:06 pm
Former BYU basketball player Jake Shoff died in a car accident. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – Former BYU basketball player Jake Shoff tragically passed away on February 6, 2025.
Shoff, who played at BYU from 2001 to 2004 after transferring from Weber State, died in a car accident on Thursday. He was 46 years old.
Cougar Nation mourns the loss of basketball alumni, Jake Shoff.
Our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this time💙 pic.twitter.com/k2eNk5RqzD
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 7, 2025
Jake Shoff passed away at the age of 46
The BYU basketball social media accounts wrote, “Cougar Nation mourns the loss of basketball alumni, Jake Shoff. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this time.”
Ben Criddle, Jake Shoff’s brother-in-law and former BYU football cornerback, wrote on X:
“On behalf of the Shoff and Criddle families, we share the sad loss of a giant of man—a giant in every sense of the word. Our world has been flipped upside down. We are reeling and devastated. No words can describe the void we are all experiencing right now.”
On behalf of the Shoff and Criddle families, we share the sad loss of a giant of a man—a giant in every sense of the word. Our world has been flipped upside down. We are reeling and devastated. No words can describe the void we are all experiencing right now.
Jacob William… pic.twitter.com/Kk0xF42U9F
— Ben Criddle (@CriddleBenjamin) February 7, 2025
Shoff was part of two BYU basketball teams that reached the NCAA Tournament under the direction of former head coach Steve Cleveland.
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Shoff served a two-year mission in Honduras.
Shoff was the CEO of The Phoenix Recovery Center, and he noted the treatment industry was his “life’s professional passion.”
Shoff is survived by his wife, Emily, and four sons.
The Shoff and Criddle families wrote on social media, “At this time we can assure you that Jake would want all of us to ‘Rise and Shout’ in this life! Seize the day! Make an impact in the lives around you! Love your friends and family! Let us all be more like Jake today and forever.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
