Wichita native Grier Jones is in his 24th season as head coach of the Wichita State men’s golf program.
In October 2010, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted Jones not only for his impressive coaching resume at Wichita State but also for his significant accomplishments as a player.
Jones has molded WSU into the top golf program in the Missouri Valley Conference and leaves the conference having won 15 of the last 18 Valley titles (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017). He has led the Shockers to 13 NCAA Regional appearances (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017), advancing twice to the NCAA Championship following WSU’s 10th place team finish in 2003 and an eighth place team finish in 2004.
He has captured the MVC Coach of the Year award in nine of the past 10 seasons and 13 times overall (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017). His players have reached All-MVC status 60 times and have earned eight of the ten MVC Golfer of the Year awards since its inception in 2007.
In May 2007, Jones was the lone coach named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team, as were two of his former players (Judd Easterling and Ryan Spears).
During his 21 seasons coaching Shocker student-athletes on the links, 11 different WSU players have won individual medalist honors at The Valley Championship: Brad Golden (2000), Nick Underwood (2001), Ty Cline (2003), Ryan Spears (2006), Connor McHenry (2008), McHenry and Dustin Garza (2009), Hunter Sparks (2012), Rafael Becker (2013), Chandler Rusk (2014) and Louis Cohen Boyer (2015).
Jones, a member of the Professional Golfers Association, taught golf at Willowbend Golf Club in Wichita, while playing part time on the Nike and PGA Tour. Prior to coaching at WSU, he also was the head golf professional at Terradyne Country Club in Wichita from 1987-1992 where he managed the entire golf operation and was active in conducting tournaments and teaching golf.
An All-American at Oklahoma State University, Jones won Big Eight titles in 1967 and 1968 before taking medalist honors at the 1968 NCAA Championships in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He also won the 1966 Kansas State Amateur Championship held in Topeka, Kan.
A 1964 graduate of Kapaun-Mount Carmel High School, Jones played both football and golf for the Crusaders, winning the 1963 and 1964 Kansas State High School golf championships prior to beginning his collegiate golf career at Oklahoma State.
Jones spent 14 years on the PGA tour, beginning in 1969, when he was named the PGA Rookie-of-the-Year. His titles include the 1977 Disney World Team Championship, the 1972 Robinson Open Tournament and the 1972 Hawaiian Open Tournament. In August, 1995, Jones was honored as the Kansas Chapter PGA Teacher-of-the-Year.
Jones and his wife Janie have five children who are all active in athletics: sons Carey, Corey, Grier II, Brian, and daughter Casey.
