DeMatha head coach Mike Jones joins staff at Virginia Tech originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
After nearly two decades coaching one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, DeMatha head coach Mike Jones is heading to Blacksburg to become an associate head coach at Virginia Tech.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
“DeMatha Catholic High School is so proud of and happy for Coach Jones. His tenure as head coach these past 19 years has been marked by his grace and his commitment to the mission of the school and his devotion to our students,” read a statement from the school on Monday via Twitter. “At all times he has been a model of the DeMatha Man, a faith-filled gentleman and scholar. DeMatha will begin a search for a replacement in the coming weeks; but for now we celebrate with Coach Jones this opportunity.”
Jones, who graduated from DeMatha in 1991, has been a pillar of the men’s varsity program since he took the job 19 years ago from the legendary Morgan Wooten, who coached Jones and so many others for 46 years en route to the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Jones himself led the Stags to nine Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships during his time at the helm in Hyattsville, including a stretch from 2005-11 in which the team won six of seven titles.
Jones will join a Hokies program led by Mike Young, who will enter his third season as head coach of Virginia Tech in 2021-22. The Hokies finished this past season 15-7 overall, good enough for third in the ACC and No. 25 nationally. Virginia Tech lost a heartbreaker to Florida 75-70 in overtime of the first round of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Jones leaves a tremendous legacy in the nation’s capital as he embarks on a new journey. He coached a wealth of talented NBA players during his time at DeMatha, including Markelle Fultz, Jerami and Jerian Grant, Quinn Cook, Victor Oladipo and many current and former college stars. DeMatha will hire just its third head basketball coach in 65 years.
