Jones Seeks to Bring Winning Edge

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jason Jones gets it, what it takes to win at the major college football level, how to get the most out of those he coaches.

Indiana is set to reap the reward.

Jones is the Hoosiers' new safeties coach because he brings all the experience and intangibles you'd expect from a guy who has coached in 14 bowls during his 17 college seasons (including 8 years in the SEC and 5 in the Big 12), who has directed four Jim Thorpe Award semifinalists and a Bronko Nagurski Award finalist, and who was once a two-year starter for powerhouse Alabama.

Another plus -- Jones worked with IU head coach Tom Allen for a couple of years at Mississippi, and familiarity breeds this:

"I have so much respect for Jason," Allen said. "He has worked in the SEC and the Big 12, and he was a part of one of the top defenses in the country last year (at Florida Atlantic). He's a great coach, and the kind of husband, father and man I want in this program."

Allen's quest for long-term success, combined with the departures of Kalen DeBoer and William Inge to Fresno State, required a staff reshuffling that resulted in hiring Jones and new tight ends coach Kevin Wright.

Jones brings a winning edge that should boost a program coming off an 8-5 record, its first winning season since 2007.

Ask him what's the secret to consistent winning, and he says, "It's about the team and everybody buys into the team. You don't have a lot of guys chasing individual goals. If you put team first, you'll get your individual goals.

"That's the biggest thing of teams I've been a part of that have been successful. That's what I've seen (at Indiana).

"Talking to the guys here, there aren't any egos. Nobody is trying to push himself ahead of the others. They're more concerned about the team. That's because of the foundation that Coach Allen has created.

"That's why we'll be successful."

As far as recruiting responsibilities, Jones says his focus will be Orlando and Nashville, Tenn.

Under Allen, IU has recruited Florida hard, Nashville not so much.

"Coach has done a great job in Orlando," Jones says. "I was there last week. When you go through state of Florida, every high school player and coach knows about Indiana. Especially with the season they had (capped by playing in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville), it was a huge advantage. Players can't wait to visit Indiana.

"Nashville is only five hours away. You can hop in a car and be back the same day if you want to. That's an area that Coach Allen wants to get into it.

"At Ole Miss, we had players from there, good players."

Jones' top priority is finding good safeties. What does he look for?

"We want athletic guys who can run; guys who are physical, who don't mind coming down, mixing it up and making tackles.

"Length is always good -- 6-foot or better, 190 to 200 pounds. A guy with a high football IQ.

"Safeties are like the quarterbacks of the defense. They line up and help everybody else line up. They make the checks. They direct traffic. They make all the adjustments. Those are the things we're looking for."

Jones says he first met Allen in 2012 when he was at Oklahoma State and Allen was at Mississippi.

"We both recruited the Dallas area, and we'd bump into each other at the same high schools. I got the chance to get to know him.

"He's an outstanding coach, but he's a better man. He really cares about his players. He was one of the reasons why I left Oklahoma State and came to Ole Miss.

"I think the world of him. He's never changed. He's the same guy. In the coaching world, that's what you appreciate."

Allen sets a high-energy example, Jones says, that can't be matched.

"The biggest thing you learn when you work for Coach Allen is that he's passionate. Every day when he comes to work, he's full of energy. You see him on the practice field, he's bouncing around. He'll get excited. I've seen him grab guys, tackle them, jump on their backs.

"He brings that energy every day. I've seen him really pull into the lives of his players."

Specifically, Jones says, "When we were at Ole Miss, we had a linebacker who was a good player, but was struggling with some things. I saw Coach Allen put his arm around him, bring him into his office, and work with that young man. His life changed from the time he came as a freshman until he left as a senior. That's one of the biggest things I will always remember."

Jones has plenty of other memories, most of them with winning endings.

As a defensive back at Alabama, he played on three bowl teams and was part of the Crimson Tide's 1999 SEC title squad.

Then he moved into coaching. Jones guided cornerbacks at Tulsa and Rice, plus special teams for the 2007 season at Tulsa. During his tenure, Tulsa won a pair of Conference USA championships. Rice qualified for a bowl for the first time in 45 years.

Then he spent four years at Oklahoma State, which included a pair of Big 12 titles. In 2011, the Cowboys led the nation in takeaways and beat Stanford in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Then it was off to Mississippi, where he coached with Allen. Jones was the co-defensive coordinator and coached in the secondary under defensive coordinator Dave Wommack. Current IU defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, Dave's son, also was on that staff.

In 2014, Mississippi went 9-4 and was ranked No. 9. In 2015, the Rebels were 10-3 and beat Oklahoma State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Then it was off to Florida Atlantic. The Owls led the nation in takeaways (33) last year, won the Conference USA title, won the Boca Raton Bowl and had a superstar defensive back in Meiko Dotson, who shared the national lead with nine interceptions.

Along the way, Jones coached Senquez Golson, an All-American and Nagurski Award finalist who now plays for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, plus Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist Mike Hilton.

Jones wants to develop those kind of players at Indiana, but mostly, he wants to win the right way.

As never before, he's found the right place.

"We have the opportunity to win a lot of games, work in a family atmosphere where (the coaches' children are) allowed to come to practice and be around the players.

"For me, it's a win-win situation."

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