Football
Jones, Jason
vs
Illinois
Sep 20 (Sat)
7:30 p.m.
Jason Jones
- Title:
- Safeties
- Email:
- football@indiana.edu
- Phone:
- (812) 855-9618
• Jason Jones enters his third season as Indiana’s safeties coach in 2022.
• Jamar Johnson (1st team) and Devon Matthews (3rd team) each collected 2020 All-Big Ten recognition.
• Johnson became the first IU safety to earn first-team honors since Eric Allen in 1996. He tied for third in the conference and eighth nationally with four interceptions.
• Coached nine first-team all-conference honorees and 20 all-league selections.
• Johnson was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the first Hoosier safety drafted since 1996 (Eric Smedley).
• The Hoosiers led the league and finished second nationally with 17 interceptions, five of which were accounted for by safeties (Johnson – 4, Matthews – 1).
• Owns 19 years of experience, including eight in the SEC and five in the Big 12.
• “I have so much respect for Jason,” Indiana head coach Tom Allen said. “I was fortunate to work with him for two seasons at Ole Miss. Jason’s a great football coach and is the kind of husband, father, and man I want in this program.”
• Mentored four Jim Thorpe Award semifinalists and a Bronko Nagurksi Award finalist.
• On the staff of five conference championship teams and has coached in 14 bowl games, including two New Year’s Six games and a Fiesta Bowl championship.
• In 2019, he served as the cornerbacks coach at Florida Atlantic University.
• Meiko Dotson earned first-team all-conference honors and shared the national lead with nine INTs. The Owls led the nation in takeaways (33) en route to Conference USA and Boca Raton Bowl championships.
• During his time at Ole Miss, Jones served as co-defensive coordinator and coached in the secondary. He was on staff with Allen in 2013 and 2014.
• Under his tutelage, current Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Senquez Golson was a consensus first-team All-American and a Nagurski finalist. Cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Senquez Golson were also Thorpe semifinalists.
• The Rebels went 10-3 in 2015 and defeated Oklahoma State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and they posted a 9-4 mark and ranked No. 9 with a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl appearance in 2014.
• Oversaw cornerbacks at Oklahoma State University from 2008-12, where he led six different Cowboys to first-team All-Big 12 honors.
• Justin Gilbert was the eighth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, and Perris Cox (2009) and Brodrick Brown (2011) were Thorpe semifinalists.
• OSU shared the Big 12 championship in 2010 and won the league outright in 2011. The 2011 team led the nation in takeaways and claimed a victory over Stanford in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
• Assisted Tulsa to a pair of Conference USA championships in 2005 and 2007. In between, he helped Rice University break a 45-year bowl drought. Jones oversaw corners all three seasons and added special teams coordinator to his resume in 2007.
• Started his career as a graduate assistant in 2003-04 at the University of Alabama, where he was a two-year starter at defensive back, a member of three bowl teams, and an SEC champion in 1999.
• Earned his bachelor’s degree from Alabama in financial planning in 2001 and his master’s degree in sport management in 2005.
• Jason is married to Kysha and they have four children: Andrew, Jace, Jarah, and Jathan.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Alabama
2003-04: Graduate Assistant
Tulsa
2005: Cornerbacks
Rice
2006: Cornerbacks
Tulsa
2007: Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks
Oklahoma State
2008-12: Cornerbacks
Mississippi
2013-16: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks
2017: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
2018: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
Florida Atlantic
2019: Cornerbacks
Indiana
2020-: Safeties
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Alabama
1996-2000: Defensive Back
• Jamar Johnson (1st team) and Devon Matthews (3rd team) each collected 2020 All-Big Ten recognition.
• Johnson became the first IU safety to earn first-team honors since Eric Allen in 1996. He tied for third in the conference and eighth nationally with four interceptions.
• Coached nine first-team all-conference honorees and 20 all-league selections.
• Johnson was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the first Hoosier safety drafted since 1996 (Eric Smedley).
• The Hoosiers led the league and finished second nationally with 17 interceptions, five of which were accounted for by safeties (Johnson – 4, Matthews – 1).
• Owns 19 years of experience, including eight in the SEC and five in the Big 12.
• “I have so much respect for Jason,” Indiana head coach Tom Allen said. “I was fortunate to work with him for two seasons at Ole Miss. Jason’s a great football coach and is the kind of husband, father, and man I want in this program.”
• Mentored four Jim Thorpe Award semifinalists and a Bronko Nagurksi Award finalist.
• On the staff of five conference championship teams and has coached in 14 bowl games, including two New Year’s Six games and a Fiesta Bowl championship.
• In 2019, he served as the cornerbacks coach at Florida Atlantic University.
• Meiko Dotson earned first-team all-conference honors and shared the national lead with nine INTs. The Owls led the nation in takeaways (33) en route to Conference USA and Boca Raton Bowl championships.
• During his time at Ole Miss, Jones served as co-defensive coordinator and coached in the secondary. He was on staff with Allen in 2013 and 2014.
• Under his tutelage, current Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Senquez Golson was a consensus first-team All-American and a Nagurski finalist. Cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Senquez Golson were also Thorpe semifinalists.
• The Rebels went 10-3 in 2015 and defeated Oklahoma State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and they posted a 9-4 mark and ranked No. 9 with a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl appearance in 2014.
• Oversaw cornerbacks at Oklahoma State University from 2008-12, where he led six different Cowboys to first-team All-Big 12 honors.
• Justin Gilbert was the eighth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, and Perris Cox (2009) and Brodrick Brown (2011) were Thorpe semifinalists.
• OSU shared the Big 12 championship in 2010 and won the league outright in 2011. The 2011 team led the nation in takeaways and claimed a victory over Stanford in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
• Assisted Tulsa to a pair of Conference USA championships in 2005 and 2007. In between, he helped Rice University break a 45-year bowl drought. Jones oversaw corners all three seasons and added special teams coordinator to his resume in 2007.
• Started his career as a graduate assistant in 2003-04 at the University of Alabama, where he was a two-year starter at defensive back, a member of three bowl teams, and an SEC champion in 1999.
• Earned his bachelor’s degree from Alabama in financial planning in 2001 and his master’s degree in sport management in 2005.
• Jason is married to Kysha and they have four children: Andrew, Jace, Jarah, and Jathan.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Alabama
2003-04: Graduate Assistant
Tulsa
2005: Cornerbacks
Rice
2006: Cornerbacks
Tulsa
2007: Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks
Oklahoma State
2008-12: Cornerbacks
Mississippi
2013-16: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks
2017: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
2018: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
Florida Atlantic
2019: Cornerbacks
Indiana
2020-: Safeties
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Alabama
1996-2000: Defensive Back
FB: Curt Cignetti Media Availability (9/15/25)
Monday, September 15
FB: Omar Cooper - ISU Postgame Press Conference (09/12/25))
Friday, September 12
FB: Fernando Mendoza - ISU Postgame Press Conference (09/12/25)
Friday, September 12
FB: Week 3 (Indiana State) - Curt Cignetti Postgame Press Conference
Friday, September 12
