Donnie Jones begins his second season at Wichita State in 2018-19.
Jones brings a long track record of success to Wichita State, having taken part in more than 600 wins in 29 seasons at the collegiate level. He joined Gregg Marshall’s staff in April, 2017 as an assistant coach, following a year of scouting for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
In nine seasons as a Division I head coach -- three at Marshall University (2007-10) and six more at the University of Central Florida (2010-16) – Jones amassed 158 victories. Prior to that, he helped the University of Florida to three Final Fours and back-to-back national championships (2006 & 2007) during an 11-year run as an assistant coach under Billy Donovan.
Marshall said: “I’ve known Donnie for over 20 years. He’s not only one of the great coaches, but one of the great people in our business. We have talked about potentially working together for many years. He will bring his wonderful family to Wichita and will quickly become a strong, active member of our community. We are getting a very qualified, professional college basketball coach.”
Jones has had a hand in the recruitment and development of 13 NBA Draft picks, most recently seven-footer Hassan Whiteside, who led the NCAA in blocks during the 2009-10 season at Marshall. Currently a member of the Miami Heat, Whiteside was the NBA’s 2016 blocks leader and captured the league’s rebounding crown in 2017.
In addition, Jones signed Tacko Fall – the American Athletic Conference’s 2017 Defensive Player of the Year – as part of his final UCF recruiting class.
Jones also excelled on the recruiting trail as an assistant. During his 11 years at Florida (1996-2007), the program signed 11 McDonald's High School All-Americans and boasted top-five national recruiting classes on five occasions. Following Florida’s second national title in 2007, five of Jones’ pupils -- Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Chris Richard - were selected in the draft.
Beyond basketball, Jones is a sought-after motivational speaker in the corporate world, with messages that mirror his core coaching values of positivity, humility, love, communication and unity.
As Assistant Coach at Wichita State (2017-Pr.):
WSU spent the entire 2017-18 campaign in the national rankings, reaching as high as No. 3 in the AP Poll. The Shockers finished runner-up in their inaugural American Athletic Conference season and their No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament was the second-highest in school history.
Sophomore point guard Landry Shamet and senior center Shaquille Morris each earned first team all-conference honors. Shamet was also an honorable mention AP All-American.
As Head Coach at UCF (2010-16):
In six years at UCF, Jones led the Knights to three 20-win seasons and a pair of postseason appearances (the program’s first at-large bids of any kind). A 14-0 start to the 2010-11 campaign resulted in the Knights’ first-ever national ranking. Jones’ signature win -- also one of the biggest in UCF history – came during the 2011 Battle 4 Atlantis when the Knights rallied from a 17-point second half deficit to defeat fourth-ranked and defending national champion, UConn. Midway through his term, UCF transitioned to the newly-formed American Athletic Conference.
As Head Coach at Marshall (2007-10)
At Marshall, Jones turned around a program that had struggled since its move to Conference USA. In his first year, the Thundering Herd finished with a winning record for the first time in seven years. In year No. 3, helped by impact freshman Hassan Whiteside (C-USA’s freshman and defensive player of the year), Marshall finished 24-10 and qualified for the postseason for the first time in 22 years. A 90-88 win over Western Carolina was the program’s first postseason victory since 1967. Whiteside’s 182 blocks was the fourth-highest single-season total in NCAA history, and he was selected 33rd overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2010 NBA Draft.
At Florida (1996-2007)
In 11 years as an assistant under Billy Donovan, Jones played a key role in the program’s recruitment and player development efforts, helping Florida to nine-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, four SEC Eastern Division titles and three SEC tournament crowns. In 2000, the Gators defeated North Carolina in the Final Four before falling to Michigan State in the national championship game. It took another seven years, but Florida returned to the title round in 2006 as a No. 3 seed and defeated UCLA, 73-57, to capture the school’s first NCAA basketball championship. A year later – with all five starters back – the Gators defeated Ohio State, 84-75, to earn a second-straight national title.
At Marshall (1990-96)
Jones broke into Division I basketball in 1990 as a graduate assistant at Marshall. Two years later, he was elevated to full-time assistant status. A 28-year old, Donovan was named head coach in 1994 and retained Jones, which turn out to be a wise decision. The pair worked together for the next 13 seasons. In their first year together (1994-95) Marshall doubled its win total and captured the SoCon North Division title. Led by future NBA first round pick Jason Williams, The Herd posted a 17-11 record in 1995-96.
At Pikeville (Ky.) College (1988-90):
Jones began his coaching path with two years as an assistant at his alma mater, Pikeville College in Kentucky. As a senior point guard in 1987-88, Jones ranked second nationally in NAIA at 10.7 assists per game. He set program record with 513 career assists and was later inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame.
Personal
The Point Pleasant, W.Va. native is a 1988 graduate of Pikeville College with a degree in business education. He earned his master’s in sports management from Marshall University in 1992. Jones is married to the former Michelle Gibson, and the couple have three children: Madisyn, Isaac and Sophie.
Donnie Jones’ Coaching Resume:
2016-17 – Los Angeles Clippers -- College Scout
2010-16 – University of Central Florida -- Head Coach
2007-10 – Marshall University -- Head Coach
1996-07 – University of Florida – Assistant Coach
1992-96 – Marshall University – Assistant Coach
1990-92 – Marshall University – Graduate Assistant
1988-90 – Pikeville College – Assistant Coach
Education:
Bachelors: Business Education, Pikeville College (1988)
Masters: Sports Management, Marshall University (1992)
Playing Career:
1984-88 – Pikeville College
Donnie Jones' NBA Draft Picks:
Jason Williams (Florida)/Sacramento/1st round, 7th overall/1998
Mike Miller (Florida)/Orlando/1st round, 5th overall/2000
Donnell Harvey (Florida)/New York/1st round, 22nd overall/2000
Matt Bonner (Florida)/Chicago/2nd round, 45th overall/2003
Christian Drejer (Florida)/New Jersey/2nd round, 51st overall/2004
David Lee (Florida)/New York/1st round, 30th overall/2005
Al Horford (Florida)/Atlanta/1st round, 3rd overall/2007
Corey Brewer (Florida)/Minnesota/1st round, 7th overall/2007
Joakim Noah (Florida)/Chicago/1st round, 9th overall/2007
Chris Richard (Florida)/Minnesota/2nd round, 41st overall/2007
Taurean Green (Florida)/Portland/2nd round, 52nd overall/2007
Marreese Speights (Florida)/Philadelphia/1st round, 16th overall/2008
Hassan Whiteside (Marshall)/Sacramento/2nd round, 33rd overall/2010
