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Head Coach Robert Jones

Robert Jones

Robert Jones Coaching Record
Year University Record Pct. Conference Record Finish Postseason
2013-14 NSU 19-15 .559 MEAC 11-5 T-3rd MEAC Semis/CIT First Round
2014-15 NSU 20-14 .588 MEAC 12-4 2nd MEAC Semis/CIT First Round
2015-16 NSU 17-17 .500 MEAC 12-4 T-2nd MEAC Semis/CIT First Round
2016-17 NSU 17-17 .500 MEAC 12-4 2nd MEAC Final/CIT First Round
2017-18 NSU 14-19 .424 MEAC 11-5 T-4th MEAC Quarterfinals
2018-19 NSU 22-14 .611 MEAC 14-2 1st MEAC Final/NIT Second Round
2019-20 NSU 16-15 .516 MEAC 12-4 T-2nd N/A *
2020-21 NSU 17-8 .680 MEAC 8-4 T-1st North MEAC Champs/NCAA First Four & First Round
2021-22 NSU 24-7 .774 MEAC 12-2 1st MEAC Champs/NCAA First Round
2022-23 NSU 22-11 .667 MEAC 9-5 3rd MEAC Final
2023-24 NSU 24-11 .685 MEAC 11-3 1st MEAC Semifinals/CIT Champions
2024-25 NSU 24-11 .685 MEAC 11-3 T-1st MEAC Champs/NCAA First Round
Total NSU 236-159 .597 MEAC 135-45 .750 * No Postseason due to COVID-19
Robert Jones Instruction DVD 'Floppy Defense' for Championship Productions

Head coach Robert Jones sets out on his 13th season leading the Norfolk State men’s basketball program in 2025-26 and his 19th year overall with the Spartans. Over the course of his decorated career, Jones has racked up over 200 wins, secured three MEAC Tournament titles, and received three MEAC Coach of the Year awards.
 
Jones produced another exceptional season in 2024-25, sweeping the MEAC regular season and tournament titles to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth. The Spartans achieved the feat despite losing six letterwinners from the previous season.
 
Norfolk State produced a 24-11 overall record for the second consecutive season, going 11-3 to secure a share of the Spartans’ fifth MEAC regular season championship of Jones’ tenure. The Spartans came from behind in the MEAC Semifinal and Final, defeating South Carolina State 66-65 in a title game for the ages.
 
Jones continues to identify tremendous talent, bringing in the second consecutive MEAC Newcomer of the Year award winner for NSU: Brian Moore Jr. Moore averaged 18.1 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from behind the arc during the 2024-25 campaign, becoming just the second Spartan ever to win the College Insider Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year award.
 
Jones led Norfolk State to its first nonconference postseason championship in the program’s Division I history in 2024, defeating Purdue Fort-Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) title game. Christian Ings earned MVP honors for the event, helping the Spartans erase an 18-point deficit in the championship showdown.
 
Commanding NSU to a 24-11 overall record in 2023-24, Jones earned his third MEAC Coach of the Year accolade, as Norfolk State guard Jamarii Thomas took MEAC Player of the Year honors. Posting an 11-3 record in conference play, the Spartans earned their fourth MEAC regular season title of Jones’ tenure.
 
Norfolk State completed a nonconference slate that included a thrilling 63-60 win at VCU, the Spartans’ first victory over the Rams since 1972. NSU also secured took down Hampton 75-68 at Echols Hall, the team’s third consecutive triumph in the Battle of the Bay rivalry.
 
Jones has led NSU to a .747-win percentage in league play – fifth in the nation among coaches who have spent at least five years at their current institution – and made nine postseason appearances in 11 years of postseason play.
 
Jones led Norfolk State to the MEAC Final in 2023, finishing the year with a 22-11 overall record. The Spartans went 9-5 in conference play, earning the No. 3 seed in the MEAC Tournament. NSU defeated No. 6 seed Coppin State 73-56 in the quarterfinal round and won an overtime thriller 72-65 over North Carolina Central the next day to earn an appearance in the championship game. The Spartans nearly pulled off a third victory in three days, falling 65-64 to Howard in the title bout.
 
During the 2022-23 season, Norfolk State shined on some of the brightest stages, winning multiple games at showcase events. The Spartans defeated Alabama A&M 89-83 at the ATL Has Something to Say HBCU Challenge (Atlanta, Ga.), before besting Hampton 78-66 and North Carolina A&T (70-66) in the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge Hosted by Chris Paul (Las Vegas, Nev.). NSU beat Hampton a second time 83-71 on Feb. 4 for the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic (Newark, N.J.), hosted by Michael B. Jordan.
 
NSU guard Joe Bryant Jr. was named MEAC Player of the Year and BOXTOROW HBCU National Player of the Year for a second consecutive season in 2022-23, while senior Kris Bankston also earned All-MEAC First Team and BOXTOROW All-America First Team honors. Both players were also selected to participate in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT).
 
CollegeInsider.com named Jones a finalist for the 2022-23 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year and Skip Prosser Man of the Year awards. He was also selected to coach the 2nd Annual “Classic for Columbus” Basketball All-Star Game & Extravaganza, an all-star event that two of his players participated in as well (Bryant and Bankston).
 
Jones earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the second time of his career in 2022, leading the Spartans to a MEAC regular season title with a 12-2 conference record. The team finished 24-7 overall, its winningest season since the 2011-12 campaign, defeating Coppin State 72-57 in the MEAC Championship to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Jones was named MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach for the second consecutive year.
 
Norfolk State began the season 9-1, its best start in the program’s Division I history and the best-ever start at the Division I level for any MEAC program past or present. The Spartans defeated teams from the Ohio Valley, Mid-American, CAA, Big South, and SWAC during a dominant non-conference stretch. College Insider ranked NSU 16th in its final mid-major poll of the season.
 
During the historic season, three of Jones’ players received All-MEAC honors. Bankston and Jalen Hawkins landed on the conference’s second and third teams, respectively, while Bryant earned a spot on the first team. Bryant was named MEAC Player of the Year, the fourth recipient in Norfolk State program history,
 
In addition to his MEAC accolades, Jones was named the Ben Jobe HBCU Division I Coach of the Year and BOXTOROW Co-Coach of the Year, and was presented the College Insider Hugh Durham Award, presented annually to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball. He was also selected as the head coach of Team McLendon at the inaugural HBCU All-Star Game, leading the squad to a 79-75 victory.
 
Jones headed HBCUnited during an impressive run of The Basketball Tournament in July of 2022. The team defeated the region’s No. 1 and No. 5-seeded squads at Rucker Park in Jones’ hometown New York City.
 
After serving as an assistant coach on NSU’s first NCAA Tournament squad, Jones led the 2020-21 team to a share of the MEAC Northern Division title (8-4) in addition to the MEAC Championship. It marked the first time NSU won both the regular season and tournament titles in the same year. The Spartans went on to defeat Appalachian State, becoming the only current MEAC school to win two games in the NCAA Tournament. The program was named the HBCU Large School National Champion by the Black College Sports Network (BCSN).
 
Jones was named the MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach and the HBCU Co-Coach of the Year by HBCU All-Stars LLC/CBS Sports. He was a finalist for three CollegeInsider awards: Ben Jobe (top minority coach), Hugh Durham (top mid-major coach), and Skip Prosser (success on the court and integrity off the court). NSU went 17-8 overall in 2020-21, his seventh .500 or better overall record in eight years as head coach.
 
Jones led the Spartans to their second-ever regular season title in 2018-19 at 14-2, the second-most wins in the league in program history. NSU finished 22-14 overall for the most wins in Jones’ tenure and the second-most in the program’s Division I history. It also marked his second 20-win season along with the 2014-15 campaign. The Spartans capped it off by defeating No. 1 seed Alabama in the NIT first round, regarded as perhaps the biggest upset by point spread in NIT history.
 
In addition to earning the MEAC Coach of the Year Award, Jones was named the NABC District 15 Coach of the Year and the Skip Prosser Award winner. He later received the Norfolk Sports Club’s President’s Award for 2019, given in special acknowledgement and recognition of outstanding achievement.
 
He followed that campaign up with another strong season in 2019-20. NSU finished tied for second in the league standings at 12-4. They did the same in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, each year posting the same 12-4 record with a second-place finish. The Spartans have been no worse than tied for fourth in the league during his tenure, that coming in 2017-18 with an 11-5 MEAC record and 13 teams in the league. They finished 11-5 and tied for third in Jones’ first year in 2013-14 as well.
 
Jones’ overall head coaching mark now stands at 236-159, including 135-45 in MEAC play.
 
NSU took part in the CollegeInsider.com tournament for four seasons from 2014-17, before returning to the event in 2024. The program has made 10 postseason berths at the Division I level altogether, including eight under Jones and one each in 2012 (NCAA) and 2013 (NIT) during his last two years as an assistant coach.
 
Only once in Jones’ 17 seasons as either an assistant or head coach has NSU finished outside the top 4 in the regular season standings. In fact, Norfolk State is currently fourth in the nation in D-I basketball for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records, now at 26 years and counting heading into the 2024-25 campaign. Every other team in the MEAC has had at least one losing conference record since 2017-18. NSU is also tied for fifth for most consecutive top 4 conference finishes (13th) in the nation.
 
Jones has been named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award a total of nine times, winning the award 2022. He was a finalist in 2019 for the Hugh Durham Award and in 2014 for the Joe B. Hall Award, presented by CollegeInsider to the most outstanding first-year D-I head coach.
 
He has coached numerous outstanding players during his time at NSU, including 34 All-MEAC honorees as head coach. NSU had a first-team player nine times out of 10 years from 2008-17, and at least one all-conference honoree every year except one from 2004 until now. In 2018-19, the Spartans had a program record five players earn All-MEAC honors.
 
In Jones’ first year in 2013-14, meanwhile, senior Pendarvis Williams was named AP All-America honorable mention and also earned a spot on the Lou Henson All-America Team for mid-major players. He later competed in the Reese’s College All-Star Game at the 2014 Final Four and with the Houston Rockets Summer League team in Las Vegas before going on to a professional career in the NBA G League and Europe.
 
Williams is also one of numerous players Jones has coached at Norfolk State who have gone on to play professionally, including eight-year NBA veteran Kyle O’Quinn. Just during his head coaching tenure, a total of 20 players have finished their NSU careers and competed professionally.
 
Under Jones, NSU has set D-I program records for best scoring margin and turnover margin (four times), rebounds per game, fewest turnovers per game, best turnover margin, points, field goals, 3-pointers, 3-point field goal attempts, and 3-point field goal percentage (three times each); rebounds, assists, assist-turnover ratio, field goal attempts, and fewest losses (all twice); and field goal percentage, steals, assist average, defensive field goal percentage, best rebounding margin, free throws made and free throw percentage (all once). In 2022-23, NSU averaged 75.8 points per game, the program’s most since 1999-2000.
 
Jones was named the interim head coach of the NSU basketball team on April 15, 2013, following the departure of former head coach Anthony Evans. A former assistant coach with the Spartans, Jones’ interim title was removed in February of 2014 during that first year leading the program.
 
During the 2012-13 season, Jones served as the associate head coach. It marked his sixth straight year as an assistant coach with the program, all under Evans. It was the last two years of that tenure, though, that the Spartans really began to flourish.
 
After capturing the MEAC tournament title in 2012 and upsetting No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans captured the conference’s regular season title in 2013 with a 16-0 record and earned the league’s automatic bid to the NIT. It marked just the fourth time ever a MEAC school ran the table during the regular season, a remarkable accomplishment considering NSU lost four of its five starters from that 2012 championship team.
 
The Spartans won their first regular-season title since finishing in a tie for first in the CIAA Northern Division in 1994-95. They were also one of three schools nationally in 2012-13 to go undefeated in conference play along with Gonzaga and Memphis. Heading into the MEAC tournament, NSU’s 15-game win streak stood as the second-longest in the nation at the time.
 
NSU went 21-12 overall in 2012-13, the second 20-win season in two years after its 26-10 campaign during the 2011-12 campaign.
 
During his six-year tenure as an assistant coach, two of Jones’ primary responsibilities included developing the perimeter players and serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator. His prowess on the recruiting trail was key to NSU making a turnaround beginning in 2011-12, and the story of his biggest catch was played out in the national media during NSU’s 86-84 upset of Missouri that season.
 
The star of the game, senior center O’Quinn, was one of Jones’ first recruits at NSU. Making the story headline-worthy was the fact O’Quinn, an unheralded high school player who only really played his senior year, received one D-I offer in high school – that from the Spartan basketball program.
 
O’Quinn became the centerpiece of the 2011-12 team that won its first-ever MEAC title and finished with the most wins (26) in 17 years. His stock continued to rise following a very successful senior year, including his 26-point, 14-rebound effort against the Tigers, as well as through his MVP performance at the Portsmouth Invitational. The Orlando Magic later selected O’Quinn with the 49th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, NSU’s first draft pick since 1988.
 
O’Quinn made his regular season debut with the Magic on Nov. 2, 2012 against Denver, becoming the first NSU player to appear in a regular season NBA game since David Pope during the 1985-86 campaign. That same year back at NSU, Pendarvis Williams followed in O’Quinn’s footsteps by being named the 2013 MEAC Player of the Year one season after O’Quinn captured the award.
 
After arriving at NSU following the promotion of Evans to the head coaching position in 2007, Jones became an essential part in the Spartans’ continued rise during Evans’ six-year head coaching stint.
 
In his first year as assistant coach in 2007-08, Jones helped the Spartans secure their second winning record as a D-I program with a 16-15 overall record. NSU also notched what at the time was its best-ever MEAC record at 11-5, tying for second place in the regular-season standings. A year later in 2009, the program made its first MEAC Tournament title game appearance. Three years after that in 2012, the Spartans finished second in the regular season standings at 13-3 and won the MEAC Championship.
 
Jones came to NSU after spending two seasons in 2005-07 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. As head coach, Jones sent three of his players to D-I institutions. One of those was former Spartan forward Marcos Tamares, a key member of the 2012 MEAC Championship team.
 
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 four more future D-I players, including University of North Carolina graduate and 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers draftee Danny Green and former West Virginia University star and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers draftee Devin Ebanks.
 
Between stints as a high school and AAU coach, 13 of Jones’ players earned D-I scholarships, including former Spartans Tamares, Aleek Pauline, and Quasim Pugh.
 
Prior to joining the high school ranks, Jones served for three seasons as an assistant coach at a pair of D-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.
 
In 2020, Jones gave his support to ABIS, the Advancement of Blacks in Sports. The organization presented him with the Eddie Robinson Award in 2025, celebrating a current or former coach who exemplifies excellence in their sport and has made a lasting impact on their athletes, the game, and the broader community.
 
Jones was a four-year letterwinner from 1997-2001 at New Paltz. He played under Evans, who was an assistant at New Paltz from 1997-99. Jones was a three-time All-SUNYAC selection and an honorable mention D-III All-American in 2000. Jones ranks No. 9 all-time in school history in scoring with 1,321 points, first in blocks with 140 and second in rebounds with 875. He was inducted into the Hawks Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
 
Jones earned his bachelor's degree in business management from New Paltz in 2002. In 2011, he was also selected to attend the NCAA’s Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) program, a professional development workshop for college coaches administered by the NCAA Student-Athlete Affairs department in partnership with the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA).

 
Robert Jones Coaching Experience
2007-12 NSU Assistant Coach
2012-13 NSU Associate Head Coach
2013-Feb. 2014 NSU Interim Head Coach
Feb. 2014-Present NSU Head Coach
Robert Jones Coaching Awards
2018-19 MEAC Coach of the Year
2018-19 NABC District 15 Coach of the Year
2018-19 Skip Prosser Man of the Year (CollegeInsider)
2018-19 President's Award (Norfolk Sports Club)
2020-21 MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach
2020-21 HBCU Co-Coach of the Year (HBCU All-Stars LLC/CBS Sports)
2021-22 BOXTOROW Co-Coach of the Year, Ben Jobe HBCU D-I COY
2021-22 Hugh Durham Award
2021-22 MEAC Coach of the Year
2021-22 MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach
2021-22 Tom Ferguson Memorial Award (Norfolk Sports Club)
2023-24 MEAC Coach of the Year
2023-24 BOXTOROW Coach of the Year
2024-25 Eddie Robinson Award (Avancement of Blacks in Sport)
Robert Jones Conference Championships
2018-19 MEAC Regular Season
2020-21 MEAC Northern Division
2020-21 MEAC Championship,
2021-22 MEAC Championship, MEAC Regular Season
2023-24 MEAC Regular Season
2024-25 MEAC Championship, MEAC Co-Regular Season
 
Robert Jones Postseason Championships
2023-24 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT)