Jones hired as new WU women’s basketball coach
Recently, Waynesburg University Director of Athletics Rudy Marisa announced the hiring of Sam Jones as the new head women’s basketball coach. Jones is the fifth head coach in program history, following Terry Acker, who completed his ninth year with the team in 2007-08. “Sam was chosen from a deep and talented group of applicants,” said Marisa. “He impressed us with his character and experience in Division III.”
Jones takes over the women’s basketball program after four years as an assistant coach on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. Two years ago, he was the top assistant for the women’s team when the Purple Raiders upset two nationally ranked opponents.
“I am absolutely ecstatic about this opportunity,” Jones said. “I’ve been dreaming of this for 10 years, and Waynesburg offers the perfect jump start to what hopefully is a long and successful career.”
Prior to joining the women’s staff at Mount Union, Jones was a three-year member of the men’s basketball coaching staff under head coach Lee Hood, who enters his 17th season in 2008-09.
While with the Purple Raiders’ men’s team, Jones helped coach five all-conference players and two 1,000-point scorers, including forward Kyle Karpinski, who ranks fifth in school history with 1,348 career points.
Jones started his basketball coaching career in 1995 at Grenville Christian College, a high-school level institution located in Brockville, Ontario, approximately 70 miles south of Ottawa.
He served the next six years as head junior varsity boys’ basketball coach before accepting the varsity coaching job in 2000.
One year earlier, Jones also assumed the head coaching job of the varsity girls’ basketball team at the school.
In addition to his basketball duties at Grenville Christian, Jones coached men’s volleyball and track adn field while serving as an assistant athletic director and physical education teacher.
He is a graduate of Mount Union with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education and minors in education and exercise science.
Jones and the Yellow Jackets open the 2008-09 season at the Allegheny College Invitational in Meadville, Pa., on Friday, Nov. 21.