Joey Jones (American football)
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1962)}}
{{distinguish|Joe Jones (defensive end)|Joseph Jones (American football)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Joey Jones
| image = SunBeltMD-2015-0720-JoeyJones.png
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title = Wide receivers coach
| current_team = Thompson HS (AL)
| current_conference =
| current_record =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|10|29}}
| birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1979–1983
| player_team1 = Alabama
| player_years2 = 1983–1985
| player_team2 = Birmingham Stallions
| player_years3 = 1986
| player_team3 = Atlanta Falcons
| player_positions = Wide receiver
| coach_years1 = 1989–1990
| coach_team1 = Briarwood Christian (AL) (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1991–1993
| coach_team2 = Dora HS (AL)
| coach_years3 = 1996–2005
| coach_team3 = Mountain Brook HS (AL)
| coach_years4 = 2006–2007
| coach_team4 = Birmingham–Southern
| coach_years5 = 2008–2017
| coach_team5 = South Alabama
| coach_years6 = 2018–2019
| coach_team6 = Mississippi State (ST)
| coach_years7 = 2024–present
| coach_team7 = Thompson HS (AL) (WR)
| admin_years1 = 2023
| admin_team1 = Mississippi State ({{tooltip|DOPP|Director of Player Personnel}})
| overall_record = 55–57 (college)
125–38 (high school)
| bowl_record = 0–2
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Joseph Russell Jones (born October 29, 1962) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the wide receivers coach at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama. He served as the special teams coordinator at Mississippi State for two seasons, hired by head coach, Joe Moorehead from 2018 to 2019. Jones served as the head football coach at the University of South Alabama from 2008 to 2017.
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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rolltide.com/fls/8000/files/football/1982/Roster/82roster.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=8000|title=Alabama Crimson Tide 1982 Roster}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/players/joey-jones/|title=Joey Jones Stats, News and Video - WR|website=NFL.com}} He was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 1984 Supplemental Draft.{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
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.[http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=99695&SPID=12275&DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=1390076 "Joey Jones Named First Football Coach at South Alabama"] (University of South Alabama Press Release, February 15, 2008) 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.{{cite news| url=http://usajaguars.com/news/2017/11/20/jones-announces-resignation-as-south-alabama-football-coach.aspx| title=Jones Announces Resignation as South Alabama Football Coach| date=November 20, 2017| accessdate=November 25, 2017}}
On February 22, 2018, news broke that Jones had been hired as special teams coordinator at Mississippi State University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-bulldogs/|title=UGA Sports News|website=ajc}}
On February 3, 2023, Jones along with fellow former South Alabama head coach, Steve Campbell, was hired by Zach Arnett to join back with Mississippi State with Jones joining as the director of player personnel.{{cite web|url=https://www.al.com/usa/2023/02/former-south-alabama-coaches-joey-jones-steve-campbell-hired-to-mississippi-state-support-staff.html|title=Former South Alabama coaches Joey Jones, Steve Campbell hired to Mississippi State support staff|website=AL.com|first=Creg|last=Stephenson|date=February 3, 2023|access-date=August 29, 2024}}
On May 3, 2024, Jones returned back to the high school football sidelines and was hired to coach the inside wide receivers at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama.{{cite web|url=https://www.al.com/highschoolsports/2024/05/former-south-alabama-coach-joey-jones-returning-to-high-school-sidelines-its-a-lot-of-fun.html|title=Former South Alabama coach Joey Jones returning to high school sidelines: ‘It’s a lot of fun’|website=AL.com|first=Ben|last=Thomas|date=May 3, 2024|access-date=August 29, 2024}}
Honors
In 2011, Jones was chosen to be inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://usajaguars.com/news/2011/2/14/FB_0214115239.aspx|title=USA'S JONES EARNS INDUCTION INTO MOBILE SPORTS HALL OF FAME|website=University of South Alabama Athletics|date=February 14, 2011 }}
Head coaching record
=College=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Birmingham–Southern Panthers
| conf = Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
| startyear = 2007
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2007
| name = Birmingham–Southern
| overall = 3–7
| conference = 1–7
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Birmingham–Southern
| overall = 3–7
| confrecord = 1–7
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = South Alabama Jaguars
| conf = NCAA Division I FCS independent
| startyear = 2009
| endyear = 2011
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2009
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 7–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2010
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 10–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2011
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 6–4
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = South Alabama Jaguars
| conf = Sun Belt Conference
| startyear = 2012
| endyear = 2017
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2012
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 2–11
| conference = 1–7
| confstanding = 10th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2013
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 6–6
| conference = 4–3
| confstanding = T–3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2014
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 6–7
| conference = 5–3
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname = Camellia
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2015
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 5–7
| conference = 3–5
| confstanding = T–5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2016
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 6–7
| conference = 2–6
| confstanding = T–8th
| bowlname = Arizona
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2017
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 4–8
| conference = 3–5
| confstanding = T–8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = South Alabama
| overall = 52–50
| confrecord = 18–29
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 55–57
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.usajaguars.com/coaches.aspx?rc=824&path=football South Alabama Jaguars bio]
{{Birmingham–Southern Panthers football coach navbox}}
{{South Alabama Jaguars football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Joey}}
Category:Players of American football from Mobile, Alabama
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:Birmingham Stallions players
Category:Atlanta Falcons players
Category:Coaches of American football from Alabama
Category:High school football coaches in Alabama
Category:Birmingham–Southern Panthers football coaches