Jack Lyons first arrived at Fordham in 1970 when he served as an Assistant Coach for Head Coach Gil McDougald. He was promoted to Associate Head Coach in 1973 and served in that capacity until becoming the Head Coach in 1977.
 
Lyons served as the Head Coach at Fordham for six years, compiling a 102-92-1 career record. He led the 1978 team to the Metropolitan Conference Championship, winning the Met title for the first time in 36 years. The 1978 team finished 30-15, the first 30-win season for a Fordham baseball team in over 50 years, and advanced to their first ever ECAC Tournament. At the ECAC Tournament, Fordham defeated top seeded James Madison, 3-1, and Seton Hall, 1-0, before being falling to Delaware in the final. The 1980 Rams finished in a tie for the Metropolitan title while the 1982 team had two First Team Academic All-Americans as the Fordham program recorded its 1,500th win. Lyons was inducted into the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
 
Following his retirement from coaching, Lyons served as the Director of Physical Education at the Lavelle School for the Blind in the Bronx.