Stan Jones

Updated August 2022

Memphis, 1984
Memphis, 1990

Features: Florida State Coaching For Literacy Against North Carolina / Florida State Coaches Should Take A Bow After 2019 NBA Draft /

Video: Coaching For Literacy (2018) / Coaching For Literacy (2019) / Working With the Seminoles’ Post Players

The longest tenured assistant coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Stan Jones is in his 20th season at Florida State. He was the first hire Leonard Hamilton made when he became the Head Coach at Florida State in March of 2002 and has been as loyal a coach to a program, a university and a head coach – a characteristic that has helped make the Seminoles one of the top programs in college basketball.

As one of the top coaches in all of college basketball, Jones is leading Florida State through the most successful five-year period in program history with four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, five 20 win seasons, the school record for wins in a season (29 in 2019), the school record for ACC wins in a season (16 in 2020), the second ACC Championship in school history and an average of 25 wins and 12 ACC wins per season. Florida State has been ranked in the final national poll in each of the last five seasons (2021, No. 10; 2020, No. 4; 2019, No. 12; 2018, No. 18; 2017, No. 16) and is one of only two teams in the ACC to be ranked in the final poll in each of the last five seasons.

Jones excels as a coach because of his incredible knowledge of the game of basketball. He is one of the top in-game strategists in all of college basketball because of his incredible ability to prepare players and teams for games and practices.

A member of the inaugural class of the College Basketball Assistant Coach Hall of Fame in 2019, Jones is a 25-year veteran with high major college success who is regarded as one of the nation’s best all-around coaches, with a special knack for developing big men.

CoachStat.net named Jones as the top assistant coach in college basketball in 2019.

Said CoachStat.net on Jones’ incredible success as an assistant coach: Stan Jones excels as a scout and is one of the top in-game strategists in all of college basketball. The veteran of twenty-three years, all at high major programs, has made assistant coaching a very lucrative career. The longest tenured coach in the ACC, of all coaches, is arguably the top assistant coach of any sport, any level, across the globe.”

Not only has Jones helped Florida State’s program become one of the most respected in all of college basketball, but he has helped more than 50 Seminoles become professional players.

Jones helped lead Florida State to the 2020 ACC Championship as the Seminoles won a school-record 16 ACC games. The Seminoles won the ACC Championship for the second time in school history and finished with a 26-5 overall record and a No. 4 national ranking. Florida State was on their way to earning a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament before it was cancelled because of the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic.

With Jones on Florida State’s bench in 2019, the Seminoles won a school-record 29 games, 13 ACC games, defeated six nationally ranked teams, advanced to the ACC Tournament championship game and to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Coupled with the Seminoles’ appearance in the Elite Eight of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, the 2019 season marked the second time in school history the Seminoles had advanced to at least the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons.

Jones has helped the Seminoles compile an impressive list of accomplishments including the 2012 and 2020 ACC Championships, a school-record four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (twice, 2009-12, 2017-21), a school-record nine consecutive postseason appearances (2006-14), the first four appearances in the ACC Championship game in school history (2009, 2012, 2019 and 2021), 181 ACC victories and the first appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament (in 2018) for the Seminoles since 1992.

His drive and determination as both a recruiter and a coach are two of the main reasons why Florida State is the fourth-winningest program in the ACC since the start of the 2005-06 season. Since the 2009 season, Florida State is third in ACC Tournament championship game appearances (four) and is one of only six teams to make multiple ACC tournament championship game appearances.

Jones helped direct the Seminoles to their first-ever ACC Championship (2012) and has been on the bench for more wins over the nation’s No. 1 ranked team (three), more wins over nationally ranked teams (58) and more 20-win seasons (12) than any assistant coach in school history. In 2019, the Seminoles won a school-record 29 games, finished in fourth place in the ACC standings and earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In 2020, the Seminoles won a school record 16 ACC games and won the first ACC Regular Season championship in school history.

Jones is consistently recognized as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation and has worked tirelessly to help build the Seminoles into a consistent winner – into a program that is the fourth winningest in the ACC in the last 15 years. Jones has been on the bench for four of the Seminoles’ top seven-winningest seasons in school history and helped lead Florida State to 124 wins from 2016-20 – the winningest five-year period in Florida State history.

Jones has coached in eight of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments and helped the Seminoles to the Elite Eight of the 2018 NCAA Tournament and to the Sweet 16 of the 2011, 2018, 2019 and 2021 NCAA Tournaments. He helped guide Florida State to the first ACC Championship in school history in 2012 and to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2009-12. The Seminoles have won more than twice as many ACC games in 17 years with Jones on the sideline (153) than they did in their first 11 years in the ACC (70) and he has helped the program increase its winning percentage in conference games by more than 10 percent.

Jones has systematically helped assemble, and then expertly coached, winning basketball players and teams to heights unmatched in the programs he has worked to build. He helped coach Miami to a regular season championship in the Big East in 2000 only six years after the Hurricanes went winless in Big East play. He helped coach Mississippi State to the SEC Tournament Championship in 2002 – a title that marked only the second tournament championship in school history. At Florida State, Jones helped the Seminoles win the ACC Tournament in 2012 and 2020. Florida State’s ACC Championship is the most significant title in Jones’ career considering the Seminoles defeated two of the top four all-time winningest programs (Duke and North Carolina) in the semifinals and championship games of the event.

Jones has helped the Seminoles build a solid program by doing what he does as well as any coach in the country: recruiting outstanding talent and developing those signees into NBA level players. 19 Seminoles have become NBA Draft picks while two other players have earned roster sports as free agents during his tenure at Florida State.

His coaching philosophies have helped Florida State become one of the nation’s top defensive teams and his ability to teach the game of basketball has transformed the Seminoles into one of the most fundamentally and consistently sound teams in the nation.

FLORIDA STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Jones has helped Florida State advance to eight NCAA Tournaments including coaching the Seminoles to an appearance in the Elite Eight of the 2018 Tournament. The Seminoles have played in a school-record four consecutive NCAA Tournaments twice (2009-12, 2017-21) after playing in the NCAA Tournament only four times in the 13 years prior to Jones’ arrival in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments in the last 13 years – the most NCAA appearances in any 13 year period in the history of the Florida State program. After winning 12 ACC regular season games and winning the 2012 ACC Championship, the Seminoles tied the school record by earning a No. 3 seed in the East Region in the NCAA Tournament. It had been 19 years since the Seminoles had earned a seed higher than No. 5 in the NCAA Tournament. Florida State was a No. 5 seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles tied the school record in both 2012 and 2017 as they earned a No. 3 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. In 2018, the Seminoles tied the school record for wins in a single NCAA Tournament (three), wins over higher seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament (three) and defeated a No. 1 seed (Xavier) for the first time in school history in advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in a quarter of a century. The Seminoles were a No. 4 seed and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2019.

JONES INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
Jones was inducted into the Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame on May 7, 2019. He was inducted alongside 11 other assistant coaches from across the college basketball world in the inaugural Hall of Fame class presented by Worth Advisors and A Step Up, Inc. Jones has been one of the architects of the most successful era in the history of the Florida State Men’s Basketball program with an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in 2018 and an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 showing in 2019 included in three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

2020 SEASON
Florida State won 26 games, a school-record 16 ACC games, and won the ACC Championship as Florida State enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history. The Seminoles defeated four nationally ranked teams including defending national champion Virginia and Louisville twice during the season. The Seminoles would have been the favorite to win the National Championship had the NCAA Tournament not been cancelled because of the worldwide pandemic.

2019 SEASON
Florida State won a school-record 29 games, 13 ACC games, defeated six nationally ranked teams, advanced to the ACC Tournament championship game and to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament during the 2018-19 season. Coupled with the Seminoles’ appearance in the Elite Eight of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, the 2019 season marked the second time in school history the Seminoles had advanced to at least the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons.

2018 SEASON
Florida State advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 and for only the third time in school history during the 2017-18 season. The Seminoles finished with a 23-12 record, a 9-9 mark in ACC play, won the Jamaica Classic, and played in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Florida State defeated six nationally ranked teams, three teams seeded higher than them in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history and was one of two teams in the ACC to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

2017 SEASON
Florida State enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2017 as it finished with a 26-9 overall record, a 12-6 mark in ACC play, a second place finish in the ACC standings, a school-record tying No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament and a school-record tying No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida State’s 26 are the third most in a single season in school history. Jones helped coach Florida State to a school-record tying seven wins over nationally ranked teams including wins over five nationally ranked teams in a six-game stretch in December and January.

AN INCREDIBLE SIX-GAME STRETCH IN 2017
Jones helped the Seminoles prosper during one of the greatest six-game stretches in NCAA history as Florida State burst onto the national scene with a 5-1 record with wins at No. 11 Virginia (60-58, Dec. 31), No. 21 Virginia Tech (93-78, Jan. 7), No. 7 Duke (88-72, Jan. 10), No. 15 Notre Dame (83-80, Jan. 15) and No. 12 Louisville (Jan. 21, 73-68) in one of the greatest six-game spans in school and ACC history. The Seminoles’ 5-1 record in the six-game stretch is the best by an ACC team in league history against six consecutive nationally ranked teams. Florida State was ranked No. 6 nationally following its win over Louisville.

2012 SEASON
Florida State won its first ever ACC Championship in 2012 as it swept through the ACC Tournament with wins over Miami in the quarterfinals, No. 2 seeded and No. 6 ranked Duke in the semifinals and No. 1 seeded and No. 4 ranked North Carolina in the Championship game. The Seminoles finished the 2012 season with a 25-10 overall record and a 12-4 mark in ACC play. Florida State earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the ACC Champion and played in its school-record fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament where it advanced to the third round for the second consecutive season. The Seminoles defeated an ACC-high six ranked teams including both Duke and North Carolina twice and defeated each of the four Tobacco Road teams in the ACC (Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest) in the same season for the first time since joining the ACC for the 1991-92 season.

FLORIDA STATE AND THE NATIONAL POLLS
Florida State has become a fixture in the national rankings with Jones on the Seminoles’ bench. The Seminoles finished the 2019-20 season ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll – the highest final ranking in school history. The Seminoles were ranked No. 10 nationally in the final Associated Press poll of the 2018-19 season. Florida State was ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation during the 2016-17 season and finished the year ranked No. 16 by the Associated Press and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Seminoles were ranked 18th in the final coaches’ poll of the 2018 season after advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

FLORIDA STATE VS. RANKED TEAMS
Florida State has defeated 58 nationally ranked teams during Jones’s 19 years as the associate head coach of the program. Included in those 58 wins over ranked teams are six victories over nationally ranked Duke teams including two when the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the country at the time (March 1, 2006, 79-74 and Jan. 12, 2011, 66-61). Florida State has defeated four top-five and six top-10 ranked Duke teams with Jones on Florida State’s staff. Jones has also helped Florida State earn three of the programs’ four all-time victories over the nation’s No. 1 ranked team. The Seminoles defeated No. 2 ranked and National Champion Virginia to advance to the ACC Tournament Championship game in 2019. In addition, with two victories over nationally ranked Duke, North Carolina and Virginia teams in 2012, the Seminoles led the ACC with six victories over nationally ranked teams on the way to winning Florida State’s first ever ACC Championship. The Seminoles defeated No. 11 ranked Virginia and No. 20 Notre Dame during the 2015-16 season – both teams advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Florida State tied the school record as it defeated seven nationally ranked teams during the 2016-17 season and have defeated 27 nationally ranked teams in the last five seasons entering the 2021-22 campaign.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
In 2019, Jones earned the title as the top assistant coach in all of college basketball by CoachStat.net. Stan Jones “is arguably the top assistant coach of any sport, any level, across the globe,” said the editors of CoachStat.net.

CALLED AN IMPRESSIVE BASKETBALL MIND
Jones was recognized in 2015 by CoachStat.net as one of the top two “X’s and O’s” assistant coaches in the nation. Said the editors of the publication: Leonard Hamilton’s right-hand-man since his days at Miami, Stan Jones epitomizes the X&O coach on the staff. An impressive basketball mind.”

COLLEGE COACHES WITH EXTRAORDINARY PROMISE
Jones was praised for his high basketball IQ, success, incredible ability to coach players, the respect he has earned from each of the players he has coached during his career, his teaching ability, and knowledge of how to implement strategy as a member of a select panel for Athletes in Action at the 2012 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. Said ESPN.com Insider David Thorpe: “I consider Stan Jones the best “coach” that works as an assistant in the NCAA. He has been Leonard Hamilton’s right-hand man when they turned around the program’s at the University of Miami and now at Florida State. But unlike many assistant coaches, Jones had extensive experience and incredible success as a high school coach in Tennessee, winning multiple state titles while being considered one of the top-five prep coaches in the country. In addition to becoming a top recruiter, Jones is a big part of what Florida State does from a philosophical standpoint (like fronting the post at all times — no other team does so) as well as being the loudest voice at every FSU practice. His command of the game and its nuances rival that of Roy Williams and Coach K … both of whom incidentally lost to FSU a combined four times (in 2012).”

AN IMPACT RECRUITER ACCORDING TO ESPN’S JAY BILAS
Jones was also praised for his recruiting and teaching abilities by expert analyst Jay Bilas of ESPN, who selected an outstanding group of five recruiters who have a huge impact in recruiting players and building programs. Said Bilas: “Jones is one of the most respected assistant coaches in basketball and is another basketball man who is not at all about being flashy. He is about teaching and coaching, and about giving back to the game and those who play it. There is a perception out there that the best recruiters are younger assistant coaches. Jones is clear evidence that is not always the case. He has been in the game forever, never misses an important detail and really does his homework. The results are clear. There is no way that Florida State would be as successful in identifying and securing talent without Jones. He is truly outstanding.”

HAILED AS A TOP ASSISTANT COACH IN 2014 BY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
In 2014 Jones was on a short list of assistant coaches deemed ready for head coaching jobs as determined by Pete Thamel and Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated. He was characterized by two current Division I head coaches as “a guy ready for the leap who is detail-oriented and has helped rebuild after rebuild.”

ONE OF THE TOP 15 BEST ASSISTANT COACHES IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Jones was named as one of the top-15 assistant coaches in all of college basketball by Daniel O’Brien of the Bleacher Report in 2012. He is one of only three assistant coaches from the ACC named to the list. Said Daniels: “It’s tough to give North Carolina and Duke a run for their money in the ACC, but with Stan Jones’ help, the Florida State Seminoles have achieved that and more. During his tenure assisting Leonard Hamilton, Jones has guided the team toward the top of the conference. The Seminoles went from a cellar-dwelling squad eight years ago to ACC tournament champs in 2012. The program has seen a drastic improvement in recruiting during Jones’ decade in Tallahassee, and he’s been able to maximize almost every prospect’s potential.”

POSTSEASON AND NBA DRAFT
In his 25 years as a coach at the collegiate level (all but one under Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton), Jones has helped 20 different teams into postseason play including nine into the NCAA tournament. He has also recruited and coached 24 different NBA Draft selections, including 11 first round picks.

DRAFT PICKS
With 19 NBA Draft selections in the last 19 years, including eight first round selections, Jones has helped Florida State become one of the top collegiate producers of NBA talent since his arrival in 2002. The Seminoles are ranked third in the ACC among teams who have been in the ACC since the start of the 2002-03 season (Jones’ first at Florida State) with their 19 NBA Draft picks. Florida State’s nine first round selections in the NBA Draft in the last 16 seasons is more than Florida State produced during the decade of the 1990’s (four) and in the first 50 years of the program (six). Scottie Barnes (the fourth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 NBA Draft) and Patrick Williams (the fourth overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 2022 NBA Draft) both tied the school record for the highest picked Florida State player in the NBA Draft. Devin Vassell was the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft – a pick that gave the Seminoles multiple draft lottery picks in the same season for the first time in school history. Mfiondu Kabengele, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year in 2019, was the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft and began his professional career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Terance Mann was the 48th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and led the Clippers to the West Conference finals in the 2021 NBA playoffs. Jonathan Isaac was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic while Dwayne Bacon began his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets in 2017 after he was the 40th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. After leading Florida State to the 2012 ACC Championships, Bernard James was the 33rd overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. Chris Singleton was selected as the 18th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft and joined Al Thornton (14th overall selection in 2007) and Toney Douglas (29th overall selection in 2009). Singleton was a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Thornton was only the second NBA Draft Lottery selection in school history and Douglas was an All-ACC First Team selection as a senior. In the 2010 NBA Draft, Solomon Alabi and Ryan Reid became the first Seminole duo to be drafted in the same year since Doug Edwards and Sam Cassell were both chosen as first round selections in 1993. Tim Pickett, who earned All-America Honorable Mention and All-ACC First Team honors during his two-year career at Florida State, was a second round pick of the New Orleans Hornets in 2004, while Von Wafer was a second round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Alexander Johnson was an All-ACC pick and was selected in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. With 12 draft selections since 2004, Florida State is tied for fourth in the ACC for total draft selections. The Seminoles were one of only two ACC teams to have at least one player drafted each year from 2004-07, and in 2010 were one of only two ACC teams (Georgia Tech) to have two players selected in the same draft.

MFIONDU KABENGLE PICKED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2019 NBA DRAFT
Jones mentored and coached Mfiondu Kabengele from a player redshirted by the Seminoles in 2017 to him becoming the 27th overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. It was Jones, who specializes in coaching the Seminoles’ post players, who drilled and tutored Kabengele during his redshirt season through his redshirt sophomore season to become a first round NBA draft pick. Kabengele led the Seminoles in scoring and was named the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year despite not starting a game as a redshirt sophomore. After not playing as a redshirt, Kabengele developed into one of the most skilled player in the ACC as one of Seminoles’ hardest working players.

BERNARD JAMES – FROM THE AIR FORCE TO THE NBA
Jones took particular pride in his coaching success when Florida State’s Bernard James was selected with the 33rd overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. Jones was a driving force behind the incredible all-around improvement of James who did not play high school basketball and served three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Qatar in the United States Air Force. James came to Florida State with two years of junior college basketball experience under his belt and left for the NBA after earning All-ACC, All-ACC Tournament and ACC All-Defensive Team honors in becoming the face of the Seminole program for two years. James closed his career ranked in the top-five for blocked shots and field goal shooting percentage despite playing only two years as a Seminole.

NBA DRAFT CHOICE SOLOMON ALABI
In 2009, Jones helped sophomore center Solomon Alabi achieve All-ACC Third Team and ACC All-Defensive honors after earning Freshman All-America Honorable Mention and All-ACC Freshman honors in 2008. Jones was largely responsible for the development of Alabi who led the ACC in blocked shots in both 2008 and 2009. The 7-footer came to Tallahassee with seemingly limitless potential and Jones helped Alabi reach that potential. Alabi earned ACC All-Defensive team honors and became only the seventh freshman in league history to lead the conference in blocked shots with 73. In his second full season of action, Jones helped the center reach even greater heights as he improved in nearly every category including rebounds per game (5.6 to 6.2), points per game (8.4 to 11.7), blocked shots (73 to 75), and free throw percentage (.680 to .794). Alabi led the team in points and blocked shots per game as well as free throw percentage. Alabi’s development allowed him to become the second round draft choice of the Dallas Mavericks in 2010. Alabi returned to Florida State to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in 2020.

NBA DRAFT PICKS AL THORNTON, TIM PICKETT AND DWAYNE BACON
Jones is also largely credited with the development of 2007 NBA Lottery Draft pick Al Thornton, who came to Florida State as a little-known freshman in 2004 and finished his career as one of the top players in school history. After averaging just 2.8 points and 7.9 minutes played as a freshman, Thornton left Florida State for the NBA as an All-America Third Team and All-ACC First Team selection, the runner-up ACC Player of the Year and the eighth-leading all-time scorer in Seminole basketball history. Thornton was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in his first professional season. Thornton was inducted into the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. Jones’s coaching talents have also been extolled for his work with Tim Pickett, who came to Florida State as a junior college transfer and left as an All-ACC First Team selection and an NBA Draft pick. Dwayne Bacon, who led the Seminoles in scoring in both the 2016 and 2017 seasons, was the 40th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and was one of the top rookies in the NBA during the 2017 season.

FIRST ROUND NBA DRAFT PICKS IN 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021
Florida State has three lottery picks in the last two seasons (2020 and 2021) and is the only team in the nation with top five picks (Patrick Williams in 2020 and Scottie Barnes in 2021) with top five picks in both of the last two NBA Drafts. Williams (No. 4 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2020) and Devin Vassell (No. 11 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 2020) gave Florida State multiple lottery picks in 2020 for the first time in school history. Williams and Vassell were the fourth and fifth NBA Draft Lottery selections in school history while Barnes was the sixth in 2021. Jonathan Isaac (No. 6 overall pick by the Orlando Magic in 2017) and Malik Beasley (No. 19 overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in 2016) were both selected in the first round of the last two NBA Drafts. Isaac became the third Draft Lottery selection following his freshman All-American season in 2017 while Beasley was the fourth Seminole player picked in the first round during the Jones era at Florida State following his freshman All-American season in 2016.

ALL-ACC SELECTIONS
Since joining the ACC in 1992, Florida State has produced four All-ACC First Team selections, and Jones has helped coach three of them – Tim Pickett, Al Thornton and Toney Douglas. In total, he has coached 18 all-conference selections, with seven All-ACC Second Team selections and six Third Team All-ACC selections on top of the three first team selections. In helping the Seminoles become the nation’s most dominant defensive team, Jones has played an integral role in coaching the ACC Defensive Player of the Year three times at Florida State. All-American Toney Douglas was named the league’s top defender in 2009 while Chris Singleton earned the honor in both 2010 and 2011. Michael Snaer was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team in 2013 and Okaro White was named to the team in 2014. Both Mfiondu Kabengele, Patrick Williams and Scottie Barnes were picked as the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively.

FSU TEAM STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENT
Jones is an extraordinary teacher of defensive principles and the Seminoles have deservedly earned the reputation as the best defensive team in all of college basketball. The statistics validate the reputation. Florida State has ranked in the nation’s top-10 in field goal percentage defense in four of the last eight seasons and has advanced to the NCAA Tournament each time they ranked in the top 10. Not only was Florida State’s .363 field goal percentage defense in 2011 the fifth best mark in NCAA history – but it was the best in the ACC since 1960. The Seminoles led the NCAA in field goal percentage defense in both 2010 and 2011. Jones’ coaching helped Miami lead the nation in field goal percentage defense during the 1999 season. Florida State led the ACC in field goal percentage defense four times in a league record four consecutive seasons (2009-12) and led the ACC in blocked shots and steals in 2012, becoming only the fourth team in league history to lead the ACC in both blocked shots and steals in the same season.

SUCCESS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
Jones helped lead Mississippi State to a school-best No. 3 seed in the 2002 NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs captured the school’s second SEC tournament championship with victories over No. 11-ranked Florida and No. 8-ranked Alabama in the title game of the SEC Tournament. Mississippi State also recorded the school record for most wins in a single season with 27 in his only season in Starkville.

IN THE NBA WITH THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Jones was an assistant coach to Leonard Hamilton with the Washington Wizards in 2001.

MIAMI
Jones began his collegiate assistant coaching career at Miami under Hamilton in 1996. During his career at Miami, he helped guide the Hurricanes to a 95-54 record for a .638 winning percentage and three NCAA Tournament appearances. The 95 wins (19.0 wins per season) were the most in a five-year period for the program since the 1959 through 1964 seasons. Miami won 23 games in both 1999 and 2000 to mark only the third time in program history (and first time since 1964) that the program had won at least 20 games in consecutive seasons.

MIAMI POSTSEASON
In his final four seasons at Miami, Jones helped guide the Hurricanes to four postseason tournament appearances, a regular season Big East championship and the school’s first ever NCAA Tournament “Sweet 16” appearance in 2000. Miami won a then-school record 23 games in 1999 on its way to the school’s first ever top-10 national ranking. The Hurricanes were ranked No. 10 in the season ending Associated Press poll in 1999.

INCREDIBLE HEAD COACHING SUCCESS
Jones won four association championships and had a winning percentage of nearly 80 percent as the head coach at First Christian Academy in Memphis (1981-90) and at Jackson Academy in Mississippi (1990-95). He won two association championships at First Christian and two at Jackson Academy while earning Coach of the Year Honors twice in Mississippi (state Coach of the Year) and three times in Tennessee (district Coach of the Year). Jones won a total of eight district championships (five at First Christian and three at Jackson Academy) and was the head coach of the state of Mississippi All-Star team in 1989 and the head coach of the state of Mississippi All-Star team in 1994. He amassed a head coaching record of 353-91 for a .795 winning percentage.

PERSONAL
The 61-year-old Jones is married to the former Olga Campos. The couple has a daughter, Shannon (39) (son-in-law Kass Bottini), and a son, Adam (37). Shannon and Kass welcomed the family’s first grandchild, Kaleb (12), into the world right after the Seminoles’ run in the ACC Tournament championship game and the NCAA Tournament in March of 2009, his second grandchild, Jacob (10), just after the Final Four in 2011 and his third, Daniel (seven), during the summer recruiting period in 2014.

Assistant Coaching Record