Joey Jones (American football)

Joseph Russell Jones (born October 29, 1962) is an American football coach and former player. He is a former special teams coordinator at Mississippi State. He was not retained on Mike Leach's staff after Joe Moorhead was fired. Jones served as the head football coach the University of South Alabama from 2008 to 2017.

Not to be confused with Joe Jones (American football) or Joseph Jones (American football).
Joey Jones
Biographical details
Born (1962-10-29) October 29, 1962
Mobile, Alabama
Playing career
1979–1983Alabama
1983–1985Birmingham Stallions
1986Atlanta Falcons
Position(s)Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1989–1990Briarwood Christian (AL) (assistant)
1991–1993Dora HS (AL)
1996–2005Mountain Brook HS (AL)
2006–2007Birmingham–Southern
2008–2017South Alabama
2018–2019Mississippi State (ST)
Head coaching record
Overall55–57 (college)
125–38 (high school)
Bowls0–2
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
  • Alabama All-Decade Team 1980s
  • Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2013)

Playing career

Jones is a graduate of Mobile's Murphy High School. He played college football for coach Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama. Jones lettered with the Tide from 1979 to 1983, graduating with a degree in business administration.[1] As a wide receiver, he tallied 71 receptions, 1,386 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ranked third among Alabama's career touchdown receivers and seventh in career receiving yards. He was named All-SEC as a senior and chosen to participate in the Senior Bowl. He was a member of the University of Alabama's All-Decade Team for the 1980s and played professionally with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League and the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons.[2]

Coaching career

In 1989, Jones took his first coaching job as an assistant coach on the Briarwood Christian School staff in Birmingham, Alabama. After two years at Briarwood, he took the job as head coach at Dora where he led his team to a 24–11 record over three seasons. In 1996, Jones was hired as the head coach at Mountain Brook High School. At Mountain Brook, he led his team to the 1996 Class 6A state championship game, four region titles, two semifinal appearances and three quarterfinal appearances. Jones went 101–27 over ten seasons in charge of the Spartans.

After compiling a .767 winning percentage as an Alabama high school coach, Jones was hired as the new head coach at Birmingham–Southern College, where he led the team to a 1–7 record in its first season in NCAA Division III football in 2007. Jones was the first coach of the Panthers since 1939, when the football program was disbanded.

After only one season at BSC, Jones accepted the same position at the University of South Alabama in February 2008.[3] He was the first coach for the Jaguars and was in charge of creating the program. The team began play in 2009, and joined the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) in 2012 as members of the Sunbelt Conference.

Jones led South Alabama to a 23–4 record in his first three seasons at South Alabama as Division-I FCS independent. After initially struggling after moving to the Sun Belt Conference with a 2–11 record in 2012, the team has since improved and posted a winning record against in-conference competition. The 2014 season saw South Alabama selected to the 2014 Camellia Bowl, their first bowl game which they lost to Bowling Green 33–28.

On November 20, 2017, Jones announced he would resign from his position as head coach following the 2017 season.[4]

On February 22, 2018 news broke that Jones had been hired as Special Teams Coordinator at Mississippi State University.[5]

Honors

In 2011, Jones was chosen to be inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame.[6]

Head coaching record

College
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Birmingham–Southern Panthers (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) (2007)
2007 Birmingham–Southern 3–71–7
Birmingham–Southern: 3–71–7
South Alabama Jaguars (NCAA Division I FCS independent) (2009–2011)
2009 South Alabama 7–0
2010 South Alabama 10–0
2011 South Alabama 6–4
South Alabama Jaguars (Sun Belt Conference) (2012–2017)
2012 South Alabama 2–111–710th
2013 South Alabama 6–64–3T–3rd
2014 South Alabama 6–75–3T–4thL Camellia
2015 South Alabama 5–73–5T–5th
2016 South Alabama 6–72–6T–8thL Arizona
2017 South Alabama 4–83–5T–8th
South Alabama: 52–5018–29
Total:55–57

References
  1. Alabama Crimson Tide 1982 Roster
  2. NFL.com player page
  3. "Joey Jones Named First Football Coach at South Alabama" (University of South Alabama Press Release, February 15, 2008)
  4. "Jones Announces Resignation as South Alabama Football Coach". November 20, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  5. Report: Mississippi State hires former South Alabama coach Joey Jones as special teams coordinator
  6. http://usajaguars.com/news/2011/2/14/FB_0214115239.aspx
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.