Jones will coach the girls basketball team next season after leading the Viking boys for eight years. Jonathan Hines, who has been the boys basketball varsity assistant for six years, was promoted to head coach of the boys team.
Jones, who has five children, previously coached his son, Dion, a Bryan graduate who lettered in basketball and cross country. His youngest daughter, Carmella, will be in the eighth grade next school year.
“I would never have been able to see her games had I continued to coach the boys,” Jones said, citing the fact that boys and girls basketball teams play at opposite sites during district play. “It’s a great opportunity to continue to coach and continue to be a Viking.”
Jones led the Vikings to the playoffs the last two seasons, reaching the Class 5A Region III tournament in 2018 for Bryan’s best finish since 2003. The Vikings went 22-11 last season, their first in 6A.
Jones served as an assistant at Bryan from 2001-08 before serving as Rudder’s first head coach from 2008-11. He returned to Bryan as head coach for the 2011-12 season.
The Lady Vikings went 3-22 under former head coach Beth Jesurun last season. Jesurun and her husband, former Bryan powerlifting and offensive line coach Robert Jesurun, recently left Bryan for Huntsville.
Jones, who has yet to meet with his new team, said he will have to adjust to the girls game but is ready for the challenge.
“We’re going to move forward with the program and build with what’s already in place,” he said.
Bryan recently made several other head coaching hires.
Chelsie Lemley was promoted from assistant to head volleyball coach, replacing Ashley Davis, who left for the head coaching job at Hays Consolidated. Jordan Kazmierski was promoted to head tennis coach after longtime tennis coach Randy Stewart retired at the end of the season. Matt Hamilton also was named head golf coach.
“We’re glad that we have the people on staff that can move into key positions, that we can reward them for their loyalty, so... Click here to read full article
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