NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Mike Jones led Old Dominion to success as a player during his college career. Now he'll try to do the same for the program as its head coach.
Multiple sources confirmed to News 3 on Thursday that Jones will be hired as the Monarchs' next head coach. A press conference to introduce him will take place Friday morning at 10:45 in Chartway Arena's Big Blue Room.
Kevin Swann knows Jones well. The two were teammates at ODU from 1992-1994 and experienced two NIT appearances during their time together in the silver and blue. Swann will be thrilled to see his friend come back to Norfolk.
"I think he's the right person at the right time for the position, being an alum of the school, knowing the program well, knowing probably what we need at this stage," Swann said Thursday night. "I think this is a great hire."
Jones spent this season as an assistant on Kevin Willard's staff at Maryland after two years at Virginia Tech. He's assumed several roles for USA Basketball and was one of the best high school coaches in the country during his 19 years as DeMatha Catholic's head coach from 2002-2021. It was there he would rack up 511 wins and boast an 81 percent winning percentage.
Swann transferred to Old Dominion after two seasons at Central Connecticut State and spent his final two collegiate campaigns with Jones. The former point guard calls the new head Monarch a "great teammate" who he used to compete with quite a bit.
"He was always available, always working hard, had a good feel for the game, had a high IQ of the game," Swann recalled. "That's why I think he's going to be a good fit as a coach here."
Those aren't the only reasons Jones is set up for success. It may be his first head college job, but his ability to connect with his players and those around him is one thing that his former teammate sees as a strong trait.
"Being able to have good relationships with your players, with the coaching staff, with the university, the fans, the student body, I think he's going to bring all of that," noted Swann. "Yes, you can talk X's and O's, but I think, in the end, Mike's going to really build solid relationships with this team.
"When guys have solid relationships with their coaches, they really want to play hard for you. They'll run through a walls for you. I anticipate that happening with him."
Swann has been active with his alma mater himself. He's the pastor at Ivy Baptist Church in Newport News, but has served as the Monarchs' character coach. It's something he's enjoyed and says he would like to continue that role under with the new staff. That's a conversation for the near-future, but right now, Swann is excited to shake his friend's hand, reminisce on some of the good times and wish him well.
"He never wanted to pass the ball," the former point guard laughed when asked what he remembered about playing with Jones. "He used to keep coming in my ear, 'hey, give me the ball, man,' and we knew once he got the ball we were going back down the other way. We knew the shot was going up."
News of Mike Jones's hiring broke Thursday afternoon, just three days after Jeff Jones announced his retirement. The latter led the program for 11 seasons, guiding Old Dominion to a 2019 Conference USA title and NCAA Tournament berth.
