When the 2022 football season begins, Eddie Jones will begin his fourth season at Tarleton as an assistant coach, his first as the running backs coach. In 2021, Jones was the outside linebackers coach and assisting special teams coach. He spent his first two seasons coaching the defensive line.
Jones was a part of Tarleton’s first two NCAA Division I campaigns, helping the Texans go 6-5 in 2022 and 5-3 in 2021. The first Tarleton defense to take on Division I held opponents to 19.3 points per game and made 15.0 sacks for the spring of 2021.
In his debut season at Tarleton, Jones made an immediate impact by coaching a pair of defensive linemen to All-American status. He helped guide the Tarleton defense to its second straight undefeated regular season and LSC Championship. Under Jones’ leadership, Tarleton defensive lineman B.J. Jefferson was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Year and Jordan Wells was tabbed the LSC Defensive Lineman of the Year. Both went on to earn All-America accolades and Jefferson became the highest finisher in school history in the Gene Upshaw Award list. Jefferson was the national runner-up for the Gene Upshaw award. Jefferson and Wells were both named nominees to for the Cliff Harris Small College Defensive Player of the Year award.
In 2019, Tarleton led the LSC in tackles for a loss (4.67) and total defense (287.3). Jefferson ranked No. 2 in the nation and led the conference with 2.1 tackles for loss per game. As a team, Tarleton also boasted the conference’s best rushing defense (103.0).
Jones came to Tarleton with an impressive football resume, which began with a standout playing career at Kilgore High School. As a prep star, Jones was one of the top defensive linemen in the state of Texas and recorded over 300 tackles in his high school career, including 28 sacks, eight forced fumbles, and eight fumble recoveries.
At Kilgore, Jones was named a Parade All-American, All-USA First Team by USA Today, and an EA Sports All-American. He was a three-sport athlete – also starring on the basketball court and baseball diamond – and racked up numerous district accolades throughout his high school career, including 17-4A District MVP honors as a senior in football.
Following an All-American high school career, Jones earned a spot on the Texas Longhorns football team. He played for the Longhorns for five seasons, earning honorable mention All-Big XII status as a senior. He made over 110 tackles and 13.5 sacks in his career to go along with 24 tackles for a loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
As a junior, Jones played in 14 games at defensive end and special teams. He helped Texas reach the BCS National Championship game and made two tackles in that game. He was also a member of UT’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, as well as being heavily involved within the community.
From there, Jones went on to spend two seasons in the NFL between the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams. He was promoted to the active roster for the first time with the Jets on October 8, 2011.
Jones began his coaching career at Hyde Park Baptist High School in Austin, where he spent one season coaching the defensive and offensive lines and special teams. The following summer, Jones moved on to junior college powerhouse, Blinn, where he spent the last four seasons. The Buccaneers have won 23 games over the last four seasons with Jones on the sideline, including a 7-4 mark last year having improved their rushing defense over 60 fewer yards per game. Blinn’s defense last season with Jones as the Co-Defensive Coordinator led the nation in sacks with 55. His defensive line accounted for 42.
Jones graduated with two degrees from the University of Texas. He completed a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2009 and a bachelor’s degree in education in 2010. He returned to school recently and completed a master’s degree in sports medicine from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2018.
Jones is married to Jennifer, and they have two kids, Maliyah and Jackson.
