University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator
- Email:
- James.Jones@unco.edu
- Phone:
- 970-351-1734
James Jones returns to Northern Colorado to take over as the Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the 2016 season.
Jones brings over three decades of coaching experience to UNC. Joining the staff in January 2016, most recently, he was the defensive line coach at San Jose State.
Prior to SJSU, his first stint with the Bears in 2011 and 2012 where coached special teams. Jones also coached at Dartmouth (2005, 2008-10), Kentucky State (2007), Kansas State (2006), Prairie View A&M (2004), Texas Southern (1996 as a student assistant, 2003), Wagner (2000-02), Cornell (1999), Morehouse (1998) and Bowling Green (1997 as a graduate assistant).
Besides coaching defensive linemen, he was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Prairie View A&M University in Texas.
In 2003, Jones was the defensive line coach at Texas Southern University in Houston, following a three-year stint at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. Jones was the strength and conditioning coordinator while at Wagner (2000-02). He was also defensive line coach (2000, 2002), defensive coordinator (2001) and special teams coordinator (2000).
In 1999, Jones was the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Cornell after spending the 1998 season at Morehouse College in Atlanta as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. As a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 1997, Jones worked with the defensive line while also working with the defensive coordinator.
As an undergraduate at Texas Southern in 1996, Jones coached the defensive tackles. Jones received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas Southern in 1998 and completed a master’s degree in education at Wagner in 2002.
Jones completed National Football League coaching internships with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.
He and his wife, Shondrela, have two sons, James IV and Weslyn, and a daughter, Jzunie.
Coaching Experience
2016- Northern Colorado, Associate Head Coach/DC/Defensive Line
2013-15 San Jose State, defensive line
2011-12 Northern Colorado, special teams coordinator
2008-10 Dartmouth, defensive line
2007 Kentucky State, defensive line
2006 Kansas State, tight ends
2005 Dartmouth, defensive line
2004 Praire View A&M, defensive coordinator
2003 Texas Southern, defensive line
2000-02 Wagner, defensive line/strength and conditioning
1999 Cornell, special teams coordinator/OLBs
1997 Bowling Green, defensive GA Coach Shay
