End of an era: Joey Jones, last of 'Bear's Boys,' set to coach final game at South Alabama
Alabama wide receiver Joey Jones (4) stands on the sideline with head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, right, and assistant coach Mal Moore during the Nov. 28, 1981, Iron Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham. Bryant set the major college football record for coaching victories with No. 315 on that day. (Birmingham News file photo)
By Creg Stephenson
cstephenson@al.com
South Alabama football coach Joey Jones celebrates a big play against Louisiana-Lafayette earlier this year. (AL.com photo by Mike Kittrell)
An era in college football will end on Saturday in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in more ways than one.
Joey Jones will coach his final game at South Alabama, which faces New Mexico State in its season finale. The Jaguars are 4-7 and have no hope for earning a third postseason bowl appearance in four years.
"I just told the players, we need to play it for the seniors and we need to play it for next year's team," Jones said. "I think next year's team has some great possibilities -- 17 returning starters and both kickers coming back. They need to start next year on this last ball game. Our seniors have shown great leadership -- not many starters in that class. But they've been great young men and we want to send them out the right way."
Prior to getting into coaching, Jones was an All-SEC wide receiver at Alabama in the early 1980s under the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant. Following Mike Riley's dismissal at Nebraska last week, Jones is the last former Bryant player who is a head coach on the FBS level (Duke's David Cutcliffe attended Alabama during the Bryant era but did not play football, serving instead as a student assistant coach).
Jones on Wednesday recalled being recruited by Bryant out of Mobile's Murphy High School in 1980, when Jones was 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds -- undersized even for that time. He said Bryant took one look at the diminutive Jones, cut his eyes at assistant coach Bobby Marks and shrugged his shoulders.
Nevertheless, Jones signed with Alabama earned a starting role as a sophomore in 1981, when the Crimson Tide won the last of its 13 SEC titles under Bryant. He was one of the top players on Bryant's final team, which sent its coach out with a win in the 1982 Liberty Bowl.
"He had an influence on a lot of people, not only the players who played for him, but the South in general and the state of Alabama," Jones said. "He was a man's man, a tough guy. He loved his players and that's what resonated with me. He took a guy like me, a small guy who probably shouldn't even have been there and molded me into a man. Ended up being All-SEC and playing pro football. Because of him, I was able to move forward. I'll always remember that."
Jones is 52-49 in nine seasons at South Alabama, a program he started from scratch in 2008. A long-time high school coach in the state, Jones had coached one year at Birmingham-Southern before he was hired by the Jaguars.
South Alabama won its first 17 games during its pre-FBS period, then reached a bowl game in its third year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars have toiled at the .500 level in recent years, however, scoring some memorable wins -- such as over Mississippi State in 2016 and upsets of Troy and Arkansas State this season -- but not managed enough consistency to challenge for a conference title.
"It's sad in some ways," Jones said. "It's one of those deals where it's just time. It's time to do something different. It's time for South Alabama. We've done some good things here, and probably done better than most new programs. But we're still not where we need to be. We need to win conference championships, we need to win bowl games."
Joey Jones looks back on 1981 Iron Bowl, 35 years later
Paul "Bear" Bryant made college football history in the Iron Bowl 35 years ago, and Joey Jones got to share in the experience.
When Jones was hired at South Alabama nearly 10 years ago, the Jaguars didn't have a football building. Jones left the press conference announcing he was hired and walked onto the steps of the Mitchell Center, making cell phone calls to recruits and potential assistant coaches.
Defensive line coach Brian Turner has been with Jones since nearly the beginning, at nine years easily the longest-tenured assistant on the Jaguars' staff. He described the feeling around the USA program this week as "bittersweet."
"Coach Jones gave me an opportunity," Turner said. "I thank him every day for what he's done for me and my family, an opportunity to coach here. It's been a blessing.
"We've built a football program that's on the rise. I really believe that. We started from scratch -- coach Jones and the coaching staff that was here. And we built that into a program that can compete for the Sun Belt championship."
Jones' players also swear by him, and would like nothing better than to cap his career with a road victory over the Aggies. One Jaguar who identifies with Jones is junior linebacker Bull Barge, who at 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds is also a bit small for his position at the college level.
"Coach Jones has meant a lot," Barge said. "He got me here, he gave me an opportunity as an undersized linebacker. It's a blessing and I thank him for everything he's done for me. I'll always have love for that guy."
Because Jones announced his resignation on Nov. 20, USA athletic director Joel Erdmann has been able to publicly conduct the search for a replacement. Erdmann told AL.com earlier this week that the search was "moving," but had not yet reached the interview stage.
That's expected to change this weekend, as potential candidates for the USA job complete their seasons. Jones said he's confident the foundation he and his staff have built will serve his successor well.
"We've left a good legacy," Jones said. "The next guy's going to come in here and I think take it even further. We've kind of paved the way. We've blasted through a lot of rock and cut through a lot of trees to get here and I think it's time for somebody else to come along."
Kickoff Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. Central at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M. The game will be streamed live via espn3.
Now I wish I had cable to watch this game!
Alabama wide receiver Joey Jones (4) stands on the sideline with head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, right, and assistant coach Mal Moore during the Nov. 28, 1981, Iron Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham. Bryant set the major college football record for coaching victories with No. 315 on that day. (Birmingham News file photo)
By Creg Stephenson
cstephenson@al.com
South Alabama football coach Joey Jones celebrates a big play against Louisiana-Lafayette earlier this year. (AL.com photo by Mike Kittrell)
An era in college football will end on Saturday in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in more ways than one.
Joey Jones will coach his final game at South Alabama, which faces New Mexico State in its season finale. The Jaguars are 4-7 and have no hope for earning a third postseason bowl appearance in four years.
"I just told the players, we need to play it for the seniors and we need to play it for next year's team," Jones said. "I think next year's team has some great possibilities -- 17 returning starters and both kickers coming back. They need to start next year on this last ball game. Our seniors have shown great leadership -- not many starters in that class. But they've been great young men and we want to send them out the right way."
Prior to getting into coaching, Jones was an All-SEC wide receiver at Alabama in the early 1980s under the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant. Following Mike Riley's dismissal at Nebraska last week, Jones is the last former Bryant player who is a head coach on the FBS level (Duke's David Cutcliffe attended Alabama during the Bryant era but did not play football, serving instead as a student assistant coach).
Jones on Wednesday recalled being recruited by Bryant out of Mobile's Murphy High School in 1980, when Jones was 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds -- undersized even for that time. He said Bryant took one look at the diminutive Jones, cut his eyes at assistant coach Bobby Marks and shrugged his shoulders.
Nevertheless, Jones signed with Alabama earned a starting role as a sophomore in 1981, when the Crimson Tide won the last of its 13 SEC titles under Bryant. He was one of the top players on Bryant's final team, which sent its coach out with a win in the 1982 Liberty Bowl.
"He had an influence on a lot of people, not only the players who played for him, but the South in general and the state of Alabama," Jones said. "He was a man's man, a tough guy. He loved his players and that's what resonated with me. He took a guy like me, a small guy who probably shouldn't even have been there and molded me into a man. Ended up being All-SEC and playing pro football. Because of him, I was able to move forward. I'll always remember that."
Jones is 52-49 in nine seasons at South Alabama, a program he started from scratch in 2008. A long-time high school coach in the state, Jones had coached one year at Birmingham-Southern before he was hired by the Jaguars.
South Alabama won its first 17 games during its pre-FBS period, then reached a bowl game in its third year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars have toiled at the .500 level in recent years, however, scoring some memorable wins -- such as over Mississippi State in 2016 and upsets of Troy and Arkansas State this season -- but not managed enough consistency to challenge for a conference title.
"It's sad in some ways," Jones said. "It's one of those deals where it's just time. It's time to do something different. It's time for South Alabama. We've done some good things here, and probably done better than most new programs. But we're still not where we need to be. We need to win conference championships, we need to win bowl games."
Joey Jones looks back on 1981 Iron Bowl, 35 years later
Paul "Bear" Bryant made college football history in the Iron Bowl 35 years ago, and Joey Jones got to share in the experience.
When Jones was hired at South Alabama nearly 10 years ago, the Jaguars didn't have a football building. Jones left the press conference announcing he was hired and walked onto the steps of the Mitchell Center, making cell phone calls to recruits and potential assistant coaches.
Defensive line coach Brian Turner has been with Jones since nearly the beginning, at nine years easily the longest-tenured assistant on the Jaguars' staff. He described the feeling around the USA program this week as "bittersweet."
"Coach Jones gave me an opportunity," Turner said. "I thank him every day for what he's done for me and my family, an opportunity to coach here. It's been a blessing.
"We've built a football program that's on the rise. I really believe that. We started from scratch -- coach Jones and the coaching staff that was here. And we built that into a program that can compete for the Sun Belt championship."
Jones' players also swear by him, and would like nothing better than to cap his career with a road victory over the Aggies. One Jaguar who identifies with Jones is junior linebacker Bull Barge, who at 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds is also a bit small for his position at the college level.
"Coach Jones has meant a lot," Barge said. "He got me here, he gave me an opportunity as an undersized linebacker. It's a blessing and I thank him for everything he's done for me. I'll always have love for that guy."
Because Jones announced his resignation on Nov. 20, USA athletic director Joel Erdmann has been able to publicly conduct the search for a replacement. Erdmann told AL.com earlier this week that the search was "moving," but had not yet reached the interview stage.
That's expected to change this weekend, as potential candidates for the USA job complete their seasons. Jones said he's confident the foundation he and his staff have built will serve his successor well.
"We've left a good legacy," Jones said. "The next guy's going to come in here and I think take it even further. We've kind of paved the way. We've blasted through a lot of rock and cut through a lot of trees to get here and I think it's time for somebody else to come along."
Kickoff Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. Central at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M. The game will be streamed live via espn3.
Now I wish I had cable to watch this game!
