Coach Tyler Jones

Tyler Jones begins his second season as head coach of the Cougar men's basketball program.

Jones' impact on the program in his brief time at Concordia has been a substantial one. He guided a young team that had only one senior starter to 10 wins, a figure that doubled the team's total from the previous season. Jones coached two all-Northern Athletics Conference players in guard Ryan Young and forward James Morgan, and his team placed first in the NAC in rebounding despite not having a starter taller than 6'6". In addition, Concordia swept local rival Dominican University for the first time since the two teams have played in the same conference, and the Cougars put up 103 points against Wisconsin Lutheran College, their highest total since scoring 115 in a 1994 game.

Jones came to Concordia with a background that included coaching at the professional and the Division I levels, but his passion for the Division III philosophy of athletics was a springboard to the team's overall improvement. "I'm a product of a Division III program myself (Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut), and I appreciate the 'purity' at this level." says Jones. "Athletes at this level put everything they have into the game because they love to play, and seeing them approach basketball that way reminded me of my own experience. Being able to share that joy and that feeling with my players made my first season here a special time in my coaching career."

Jones' career in basketball began in 1995 with the Connecticut Pride of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He was hired as the club’s director of operations, but his experience in marketing and a rich background in community involvement earned him a promotion to general manager within a span of two months. Two years later, Jones became the Pride’s head coach and led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances that peaked with a league championship and a CBA Coach of the Year honor for the 1998-99 season. Jones remained at the helm until the franchise ceased operations in 2002, finishing with a career record of 118-85. He was one of 23 CBA coaches with 100 or more career wins, and he finished with one more win than the head coach of the Pride's predecessor, the Albany Patroons - current Los Angeles Lakers' coach Phil Jackson, who was 117-90 during the 1980s. Jones coached several players who went on to NBA careers, including Adrian Griffin, Kevin Ollie, Donny Marshall and Rick Brunson.

In 2002, Jones and his family moved to Chicago when Jones was offered a position on Dave Leitao’s coaching staff at DePaul University. His three seasons with Leitao included two NIT appearances and a 22-10 season in 2004 that culminated with the Blue Demons advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Jones credits Leitao for exemplifying the values of "discipline and structure" in his coaching and notes that "those concepts have been permanently ingrained in me and have given me a good model on which to base my collegiate coaching."

Jones opted to remain in Chicago after Leitao took the head coach’s job at the University of Virginia, and he moved on to Lane Tech High School where he coached the sophomore boys' team and served as the school's discipline coordinator. "I have been fortunate to experience basketball at so many different levels, and it's always been an enriching and totally fulfilling experience for me," says Jones. "It's a wonderful game that has opened a lot of doors for me, and this present opportunity at Concordia has already been more rewarding than I could ever have imagined. I am very happy for what is taking place at Concordia. and I am excited for what this coming season may bring."

Jones earned his B.A. in communications from Trinity College in 1984. He resides in Chicago with his wife Elise and their five children - Tyler Jr., Sterling, Sloan, Sydney and Hayden.

Contact Information:
E-mail - Tyler.Jones@CUChicago.edu
708-209-3569 (Office)
708-209-3154 (Fax)