NORFOLK, Va. – NSU interim men's basketball coach Anthony Evans announced Monday that Robert Jones has been hired as the Spartans' new assistant men's basketball coach. Jones responsibilities will include developing the Spartans' post players and recruiting.
"We're excited to have a coach of Robert's caliber on our staff. He will be an asset to our program," Evans said. "He has a proven track record of recruiting and developing top-notch players, and we know he will do an outstanding job."
Jones comes to NSU after spending the last two seasons as the head varsity boys basketball coach at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, N.Y. His teams compiled a 32-15 record competing in New York's highest classification (Class AA). Under Jones' direction, St. Mary's advanced to two consecutive Nassau-Suffolk Catholic League championship games. Jones sent several players into the college basketball ranks, including two to Division I institutions.
Jones was the head freshman team coach and an assistant varsity coach at St. Mary's in 2004-05. That year, the varsity team went 25-1 and finished the season ranked 10th nationally by USA Today. Jones helped tutor three future Division I recruits, including the University of North Carolina's Danny Green.
Prior to joining the high school ranks, Jones served for three seasons as an assistant coach at a pair of Division III schools. Jones was an assistant coach at Bard College in 2001-02 prior to serving a two-year stint at his alma mater, the State University of New York at New Paltz. There, Jones helped the Hawks reach the SUNYAC championship game in 2003.
Jones was a four-year letterwinner from 1997-2001 at New Paltz, where he played under Evans, who was an assistant from 1997-99. Jones was a three-time All-SUNYAC selection and an honorable mention Division III All-American in 2000. Jones is No. 6 all-time in school history in scoring (1,321 points) and second all-time in rebounds (878). He earned his bachelor's degree in business management from New Paltz in 2002.
As announced earlier, Evans' staff will also include Lonnie Blow, who will be entering his second year as an assistant coach in the program.
