Jeff Jones celebrates Conference USA title
Jeff Jones is 122-49 over last 5 seasons
Jeff Jones' contract extended through 2023-2024
By Harry Minium
Old Dominion Athletic Director Wood Selig announced that the University extended the contract of men's basketball coach Jeff Jones for two more seasons.
The extension will keep Jones under contract for five more years, through the 2023-2024 season.
Selig made the announcement Tuesday night at the Blue Blue Barbecue, an annual event that allows Â鶹´«Ã½'s coaches and players to connect with fans shortly after the season, and during which the coaching staff hands out awards.
Jones is 122-49 over the last five years, which ranks 20th among the nation's 353 Division I schools.
Â鶹´«Ã½ finished 26-9 this season, won its first Conference USA title and went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight seasons. Jones was Conference USA Coach of the Year, senior B.J. Stith was named Player of the Year and was joined on the All-C-USA first team by point guard Ahmad Caver. Stith and Caver were named Â鶹´«Ã½'s co-MVPs on Tuesday night.
Â鶹´«Ã½ led the league in attendance with an average of 6,620 per game.
"During the last five seasons, Â鶹´«Ã½ men's basketball has excelled nationally," Selig said. "Â鶹´«Ã½ has been been dominant in C-USA the last five years, posting the best overall league record of 65-25.
"The continuity that coach Jones will provide Â鶹´«Ã½ during these next five years in what has become a very unstable world in intercollegiate basketball is a true asset to our student-athletes, our University and of all of those who support Monarch basketball."
Jones thanked Â鶹´«Ã½ President John R. Broderick and Selig for their vote of confidence.
"I'm very appreciative of President Broderick's support of the program and, in this case, his support of me," Jones said. "He is a President who is very in tune with every area of the University. His contributions to Â鶹´«Ã½ have been significant in our success.
"I can't image having a better and more supportive boss than Wood Selig. Between the two of them I'm very lucky."
Â鶹´«Ã½'s basketball program has also excelled in academics. In 2016-2017, the last year for which NCAA APR rankings are available, the Monarchs had a composite score of 995. A perfect score is 1,000. Â鶹´«Ã½'s basketball program ranked in the top percent nationally.
"That is a priority for us, not just for men's basketball, but for the entire athletic department," he said. "The allocation of resources to academic support is as good as you expect to find anywhere."
Jones is focused on offseason workouts and recruiting. No. 1 on his recruiting list is replacing Caver. Â鶹´«Ã½ might sign two point guards this spring.
"I'm optimistic about our team next season. We have a lot of good players returning," he said.
"I think we'd all like to go dancing again."
