MIKE JONES SEASON-BY-SEASON RECORDS
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
- Career Coaching Record (21 Years): 452-141 (.762)
- Coaching Record at MC (17 Years): 340-121 (.738)
- Coaching Record at Co-Lin (4 Years): 112-20 (.848)
- Posted a 219-34 (.867) record in A.E. Wood Coliseum over 17 seasons
- Inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2018
- Inducted into the Mississippi College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002
- Led the Choctaws to one Gulf South Conference Championship and four American Southwest Conference Championships
- Reached the "Sweet Sixteen" round of the NCAA Division III Tournament three times.
- Recorded winning seasons in all 20 seasons coached
- Spent eight years as an assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi
Mike Jones is stepping into his 20th season as the full-time athletic director and will come back to the sidelines for his 17th year as the head men's basketball coach in 2019-20.
MIKE JONES ANNOUNCED AS MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to get back on the bench and coach again," Jones said. "As Dr. Thompson and I reviewed the program, he approached me about returning to the sidelines. I spent a lot of time in prayer and felt the Lord steering me back to lead this team."
Jones returned to his position as the full-time athletic director in 2008 after stepping down as head coach of the men’s basketball program following the 2007-08 season. During his 20-year coaching career, including sixteen seasons at MC, the coach, who has been inducted into the MS Sports, Mississippi College Athletics and Co-Lin Athletics Hall of Fame, has put together a career record of 444-123 (.783).
As athletic director, Jones has helped move the Mississippi College athletic department back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference following an extremely successful tenure in the American Southwest Conference of Division III. In 19 years overseeing the athletics department, he has given all of MC’s programs an opportunity for success with improved facilities through fund-raising. In the 2009-10 season, every MC athletics team qualified for postseason play, and all but two teams had winning records.
Under his leaderships, the athletics department has been able to raise the money for new entrances at Robinson-Hale Stadium (Football) and Dickins-Scoper Stadium (Baseball), while also helping to put in new bleachers at the MC Softball Complex. A new fieldhouse was constructed for the men's and women's soccer programs in 2011 to go along with Robert P. Longabaugh Field that was finished in 2005. There were also major renovations done to A.E. Wood Coliseum with a new roof and sound system in recent years to go along with a new bleacher system on the lower level and new seating in the season-ticket holder section. T
he athletics department was able to raise over one million dollars for the addition of an artificial playing surface to the football field and new surrounding track facility.
Coach Jones helped raise over $200,000 at the MC Athletics Dinner in 2018, where two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin (Ohio State. was the keynote speaker. The Athletics Dinner has hosted speakers such as Buck Showalter, Tim Brown, Clark Kellogg, Fred McAfee, Sarah Thomas, John Smoltz, Gene Stallings, Seth Smith, Robert Khayat, Sylvester Croom, Jeff Brantley, Mike Bianco, Van Chancellor and Bobby Bowden.
After a four-year hiatus, Coach Jones returned to the bench for two seasons from 2006-08 where his Choctaws compiled a 46-9 record overall and a 35-5 conference mark. In the ‘06-’07 season, Jones led MC to a third consecutive ASC Championship and a trip to the “Sweet Sixteen” of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
In his first round as head coach of the Choctaws, Jones led MC to 14 consecutive winning seasons overall, including five straight NCAA Tournament appearances at his alma mater. Jones led MC to four ASC championships in 1998, 1999, 2002, and 2007. In the 2007 season, the Choctaws reached as high as a #3 national ranking.
Coach Jones earned three ASC Coach of the Year honors in 1998, 1999, and 2007, and his players consistently appeared on the All-Conference and All-Academic teams at the end of the season. Emphasizing defense, the Choctaws led the ASC in scoring and field goal percentage defense in 2007.
Mike made the move to Mississippi College following a four-year stint at Copiah-Lincoln Community College where he dominated the state and earned national prestige. During his tenure, Jones’ teams were consistently ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Top-Twenty Poll. He took teams to the National Junior College Tournament where the 1988 team finished seventh. His teams were State Junior College Champions in 1998 and were two-time Region 23 Champions.
For his accomplishments, Jones was named Region 23 Junior College Coach of the Year in 1986 an 1988. On October 16, 1996, the Copiah-Lincoln community game Jones the ultimate honor; they inducted him into their 1996 Sports Hall of Fame Class.
Jones’ coaching success took no one by surprise after his stellar background as an assistant. Before going to Co-Lin, Jones spent eight seasons as an assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi.
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Mississippi College in 1975, Jones served as a graduate assistant at MC and was responsible for all scouting and recruiting. He later received a Master of Education in School Administration in 1977.
Mike is the son of Juanita Bridges of New Hebron, MS, and is married to Jane Jones of New Hebron. They have two children, a son Michael and a daughter Mandy. Michael is married to their daughter-in-law Amy. Mandy is married to their son-in-law Taylor Sisson. Coach Jones has five grandchildren, Zach, Ansley Kate, Will, Charlotte and Rhett.
