Joe Jones (basketball) facts for kids
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Boston University |
| Conference | Patriot League |
| Record | 227–202 (.529) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 9, 1965 Ronkonkoma, New York, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1983–1987 | Oswego |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1994–1997 | Hofstra (assistant) |
| 1997–2003 | Villanova (assistant) |
| 2003–2010 | Columbia |
| 2010–2011 | Boston College (assistant) |
| 2011–present | Boston University |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 313–310 (.502) |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (NIT) 1–2 (CIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Patriot League regular season (2014) Patriot League tournament (2020) |
|
Joseph Fernal Jones, born on November 9, 1965, is a well-known basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at Boston University. Before this, he was the head coach at Columbia University. He also worked as an assistant coach at other big universities like Hofstra University, Villanova University, and Boston College.
Contents
Growing Up and Playing Basketball
Joe Jones was born in Ronkonkoma, New York in 1965. He went to Half Hollow Hills West High School and finished in 1983. He then went to SUNY Oswego. There, he played basketball for four years as a point guard. He earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1987. Later, he got a master's degree in counseling in 1989. Joe was a great player for the Oswego Lakers. He is currently ranked 4th in assists and 5th in steals in the school's history.
Joe Jones' Coaching Journey
Joe Jones started his coaching career at Comsewogue on Long Island. He was a guidance counselor and coached the middle school boys' basketball team. He then became the head coach for the high school team for two years, from 1993 to 1994.
In 1994, he joined Jay Wright's coaching team at Hofstra University. Three years later, he moved to Villanova University to work as an assistant coach for Steve Lappas. When Jay Wright took over as head coach at Villanova in 2001, Joe Jones stayed on the staff. He was in charge of finding new players, planning for games, and teaching on the court.
Coaching at Columbia University
After the 2002–03 season, Joe Jones became the head coach at Columbia University. The team had a tough season before he arrived, winning only 2 out of 27 games. In his first year, the Lions improved a lot. They won 10 out of 27 games, which was one of the biggest improvements in their league's history.
In the 2006–07 season, Jones led the Lions to a winning record of 16 wins and 12 losses. This was their best record since the 1992–93 season. Joe Jones coached at Columbia for seven seasons. He left with a record of 86 wins and 108 losses.
Coaching at Boston University
After leaving Columbia, Joe Jones worked as an associate head coach at Boston College for one season. Then, in 2011, he became the head coach at Boston University.
Before his second season at Boston University, the school announced a big change. They would leave the America East Conference and join the Patriot League in 2013. Because of this move, Boston University was not allowed to play in any postseason games for the 2012–2013 season in the America East Conference. Even without a chance to win the conference championship, Joe Jones led his team to a postseason tournament for the first time as a head coach. They played in the CIT.
In 2020, Joe Jones achieved a major goal. He won his first conference tournament title as a head coach! His Boston University team beat Colgate in the championship game of the Patriot League tournament. This win would have sent them to the NCAA tournament. However, the 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe Jones was also recognized as a finalist for the 2019–20 Ben Jobe Award.
Joe Jones' Family and Other Interests
Joe Jones has a brother named James. James is also a head men's basketball coach, leading the team at Yale University.
Besides coaching, Joe Jones has also shared his basketball knowledge on TV. He provided commentary for the online halftime show during the 2008 and 2009 NCAA tournaments.
