Will Jones was thrust into the head coaching chair in the middle of the 2019-2020 season. It was the moment he had been waiting for his whole career; though not the way he expected to inherit a program. Having served as a college basketball coach since 2005, Jones learned early on to expect the unexpected, put your players first and be ready when opportunity knocks. That’s exactly what he did.
Jones was named the 11th head coach at North Carolina A&T State University in the modern era on June 18th, 2020. The first-time collegiate head coach was promoted following an interim campaign in which he led the Aggies to a 12-4 conference record, the #2 seed in the MEAC Tournament and had two players earn 1st Team All-MEAC honors. Jones was also voted MEAC Coach of the Year by his peers for taking over the A&T program mid-season and succeeding. Jones took over a program at a cross-roads. The squad had won basketball games the previous two seasons, however, something was missing. There was a lack of cohesive energy in the locker room. Jones set out to change that immediately, letting his squad know that Aggies #ProtectTheBrand and play #4TheCulture.
Prior to becoming the head coach, Jones served as the Associate Head Coach for the Aggies, helping the program achieve the 2nd greatest one-season turnaround in Division 1 history, going +17 during the 2017-2018 season. Jones arrived at A&T in 2016 and was an integral part of setting the foundation for success, serving as the recruiting coordinator and APR coordinator for the team. As an assistant, the Aggies made a post-season appearance in the CIT.
This was not Jones’ first go-around in the MEAC. He was an assistant coach at FAMU for the 2015-2016 season and also worked on the staff at his alma mater, South Carolina State during the 2006-2007 campaign.
Coach Jones has also worked in the Atlantic Sun, Big South (the future conference home of North Carolina A&T) and the Ohio Valley. While an assistant coach at Jacksonville University from 2011-2014, Jones served as the Dolphin’s recruiting coordinator, was in charge of scheduling, recruited 2 All-ASUN players and helped JU reach the CIT. Jones also made a stop at Charleston Southern University, where he worked for current Buccaneers head coach Barclay Radebaugh. It was a successful stint back home for the Moncks Corner, SC native. CSU earned 2 Big South Championships and Jones recruited the Big South Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year while on staff.
Jones began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for his college head coach, Cy Alexander, at Tennessee State University. Jones followed Alexander to Nashville, TN after the player/coach duo won the MEAC Tournament in 2003 and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Each experience in a coach’s career provides something different for them to lean on down the road. Jones didn’t only serve as a Division 1 coach, he began his coaching career at Division 2 Lemoyne-Owen College as an assistant under legendary head coach David “Smokey” Gaines.
The Junior College ranks also provided Jones with valuable connections. As an assistant at Northwest Florida State (2007-2009), Jones coached against some of the strongest JuCo programs in the nation in the Panhandle Conference. That experience helped him land 1st Team All-MEAC selection Ron Jackson at North Carolina A&T. Jones also led the West Nassau (Callahan, FL) High School basketball program from 2014-2015.
Helping young men graduate college is of the upmost importance to Jones, who holds a B.S. From South Carolina State and an M.A. from Tennessee State. He is also a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, INC.