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Coaches

Head Coach: Jeff Jones
Assistant Coaches: Kelvin Jefferson, Kieran Donohue, Greg Lyons
Graduate Manager: TBA

Jeff Jones Position: Head Coach Alma Mater: Virgina '82 Seasons at AU: Fifth

In just four seasons as head coach, Jeff Jones has put his stamp on American University basketball, molding and rejuvenating a program that has a proud past, and is now looking at a bright future.

Three words have been associated with Jones since his days as a top-level student-athlete — Leader, Teacher, and Winner — and those could not be truer today as he begins his third season at the helm in 2002-03.

Last year, Jones led American into a new chapter of its basketball history, as the University became a member of the Patriot League. Stepping into the unknown, coupled with 10 new players dotting the roster, Jones and the Eagles racked up a laundry list of accomplishments, putting the program back in the spotlight. The season could be considered a whirlwind, as American was coming off a disappointing 2000-01 campaign and was picked by many to finish in the second tier of the Patriot League. As each small success built on the one prior, the campaign culminated with a berth in the Patriot League Championship game in front of a national audience on ESPN. March 8, 2002, will be remembered as the finale to an outstanding season, but for Jones and the Eagles, it promises to be a small part of something much larger.

Noted for his ability to connect with his players and meld a unit that competes as one, Jones mentored American to the second largest turnaround in the NCAA Division I last season, finishing with an 18-12 overall record. The 11-game improvement from 2000-01 was second only to Bob Knight’s Texas Tech squad that featured a 14-game turnaround. The 18 victories were the highest win total for the program since 1989-90, and its first winning campaign since 1990-91. The Eagles went on to capture the Patriot League regular-season title, fashioning a 10-4 record in the process. The top seed in the league tournament, the Eagles advanced to the championship game, where it fell to Holy Cross, 55-52, before the largest championship crowd in league history and just the second sellout in the history of AU’s Bender Arena.

The accomplishments did not begin and end within the confines of the Patriot League by any stretch of the imagination. American gained national recognition with a 77-72 win at Florida State on Dec. 22, becoming the first Patriot League school to ever defeat a member of the renowned Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

On a personal note, Jones was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year by Basketball America.

One of the most respected teachers in the collegiate ranks, Jones took the helm of American basketball on April 17, 2000, becoming the 17th coach in the school’s history.

Jones has made his mark on the national college basketball scene as both a student-athlete and as a head coach. Following a storied high school career, he went on to star at point guard for the University of Virginia from 1978-82. After graduation he served eight seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater before being tabbed the Cavaliers’ head coach prior to the 1990-91 campaign. He would go on to lead that program for eight seasons.

Just prior to coming to American, Jones served as an assistant on Jerry DeGregorio’s staff at the University of Rhode Island during the 1999-2000 season.

Named the eighth coach in Virginia men’s basketball history at the tender age of 29, Jones became the youngest coach in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In eight years at the helm, he complied a record of 146-104 for a .584 winning percentage. He led Virginia to six postseason appearances (five NCAA, one NIT), one regular-season ACC Championship and four 20-win campaigns. Virginia’s win over Virginia Tech during the 1994-95 regular season gave Jones his 100th career victory, making him the second-fastest in school history and fifth-fastest in ACC history to accomplish the feat.

A coach with a distinct style, the cornerstone of Jones’ teams has been their defensive prowess. During his tenure at Virginia, he led the Cavaliers to five of the top six seasons for field goal percentage defense.

Virginia made its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons under Jones in 1996-97. Finishing that season with an overall mark of 18-13, the Cavaliers fell to Iowa in a West Region first-round game.

Jones enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his coaching career in 1994-95, leading Virginia to a final mark of 25-9. The program advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s “Elite Eight” and earned a share of its first ACC regular-season crown since 1983. Virginia finished that season ranked eighth in the final CNN/USA Today poll, and 13th in the final Associated Press media poll. Those were the highest final national rankings by a Virginia team since 1983.

In 1992-93 Jones became the only coach in conference history to win at least 20 games in each of his first three seasons. He led Virginia to a 21-10 record (9-7 ACC) and a trip to the 1993 East Region semifinals in the NCAA Tournament.

In 1991-92, Jones’ Cavaliers posted a 20-13 record and went on to win the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship. As a result, Jones became the first individual to win an NIT title as both a player and a coach; he is still the only person to accomplish the feat. In his first season as the head coach at Virginia, Jones led the 1990-91 squad to a 21-12 overall record. He was the only rookie coach in the nation that year to have his team in the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to his eight-year run as head coach, Jones was a full-time assistant on Terry Holland’s staff at UVa from 1986 to 1990, a part-time assistant for three seasons and a graduate assistant for one. The Cavaliers complied an incredible overall record of 162-95 (.630) during those eight seasons as an assistant, participating in six NCAA Tournaments, while advancing to the Final Four in 1984 and the Final Eight in 1989. Virginia also competed in one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) during his tenure.

As a four-year starter (1979-82) at Virginia, Jones was known as a leader and prolific passer. With Jones at the controls of a potent offense, UVa complied an overall record of 102-28 (.785), while he led the Cavaliers to two NCAA Tournaments and two NITs during his career. Virginia captured the 1980 NIT title, and advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1981. Jones graduated from Virginia in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Jones finished his career as Virginia’s all-time assists leader (598), and his 200 assists during the 1979-80 season was UVa’s single-season record until both marks were later broken by John Crotty. Jones served as the team captain as a senior during the 1981-82 season and played in 129 games during his career. For his career, he averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 assists per game, while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 74.3 percent from the free-throw line.

A native of Owensboro, KY, Jones is a member of the Apollo High School Hall of Fame. His father, Bob, is a former coach of Kentucky Wesleyan College, which he led to the 1973 NCAA Division II title.

Jones and his wife, Danielle, reside in Arlington, VA. He is the father of three children - Meghann (15), Madison Perry (12), and Jeffrey Robert (9).