A six-year veteran on the coaching staff for the Braves, including a stint this past season as the interim head coach, Tony Jones will begin his seventh year with the Black & Gold in 2020-21 as an associate head coach.
Jones, who originally joined the program as a student assistant coach prior to the 2014-15 campaign, took over as interim head coach in November 2019 and led the Braves to a 24-6 record and their first outright Peach Belt Conference regular season title. The Black & Gold closed out the season by capturing 17 of its last 19 regular season contests on the way to claiming the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Southeast Regional. He was rewarded for his efforts by being named the Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Jones was named one of the 50 Most Impactful Division II Assistant Coaches by Silver Waves Media in July 2020.
After excelling as a student assistant coach in his first season with the Braves in 2014-15, Jones was promoted to graduate assistant coach for the 2015-16 campaign and his added duties included coordinating practice plans and drills, while also managing graduate and student assistants. He also served an integral role in the recruiting efforts for the program as well.
A testament to his organizational and time management skills, Jones also ran UNCP's men's basketball club program which posted a 45-7 (.865) record over two seasons (2015-17), while also picking up multiple tournament championships. The club also attained a No. 1 ranking in the southeast region by winning the title at a Georgia Tech-hosted tournament in 2017.
Jones earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from UNCP in 2015 and earned his master's degree in physical education in 2018.
Updated: July 2020
