Patrick Fergus
@Fergus5Fergus
DeMatha Catholic High School has had just four head coaches in the last 68 years.
When head coach Mike K. Jones left his position to become the top assistant coach at Virginia Tech in 2021 after 19 seasons, there were massive shoes to fill. After all, he had won over 500 games and eight conference championships, all while churning out Division I and NBA talent.
The change was needed to usher in a new era, but it needed to maintain the winning tradition.
The answer came in the form of a serendipitous change of a middle initial.
Enter Mike G. Jones III.
Jones III, a proven leader with 31 years of experience in the game and now in his second year at the storied school, fit the bill. When accepting the job, he knew there was a legacy to preserve.
“It’s an opportunity that’s unmatched in my opinion,” Jones III said. “It’s all about consistency, and the practices are going to be hard because we want to execute at a high level.”
A man who exudes composure and professionalism, Jones III patrolled in front of the DeMatha bench as they took on Imhotep Charter at Blake Arena on Sunday afternoon. A tough battle, the Stags trailed most of the game, and when senior forward and Villanova commit Malcom Thomas went down with an injury in the second half, Imhotep ran away with the game.
Ahmad Nowell, a future UConn Huskie, led the way for the Panthers with 17 points, nine assists and three steals.
As a player, Jones III is the leading scorer in Oklahoma high school basketball history and played 11 seasons professionally, with multiple stints in the summer league and overseas, stopping in Turkey, France and China.
But, his time as a horned frog at Texas Christian University is what heavily impacted his coaching philosophy.
As a player, he holds the program record for steals and is in the top 10 in points and assists, but the rapid pace and intuitive flow of coach Billy Tubbs’s offensive scheme stuck with him.
As did the influence of former NBA head coach Lionel Hollins. Jones III first met Hollins when he served as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets in 2015.
“He’s been a wonderful mentor,” said Jones III. “I can always bounce some ideas off him…and he kind of helped me figure out that I wanted to be a coach.”
Coaching was always in the cards for Jones III after his playing career, and he finally got his shot in 2016 at St. Stephens and St. Agnes in Alexandria, Virginia.
In just a few seasons, Jones III had elevated the program, cruising to a 30-4 record and multiple Interstate Athletic Conference titles – thanks to the breakneck pace and intense training that he implemented.
“It’s a run-run-run kind of style that we take in practice,” said Jones III, saying that the drills get highly competitive. “It’s all predicated on different variables; everyone is playing heart and energy.”
The DeMatha main job is one that usually stays in the ranks. With a profound and passionate alum network, the prospect of an outsider taking charge was not likely.
After a widely discussed coaching search, the Stags turned to that outsider, and straight away, Jones set out to distinguish his play style and the work ethic he expects from his players.
“One of our sayings is ‘It’s you vs. you,'” said Jones III. “You can improve and achieve great things, but you have to be willing to put in the work.”
The Maryland powerhouse currently sits at 14-4 and is the eighth-ranked team in the state and top 50 across the country according to MaxPreps.
The Stags are a young team but a confident one. An undaunted belief that they share with their even-tempered basketball savant of a coach, who doesn’t plan on halting the program’s train of success under his watch.
“Our goal is to win every league game, and that’s going to be tough because the league is good,” said Jones III. “They’re well-coached, and we have to be ready every night to compete at the highest level.”
Photo Courtesy of Patrick Fergus/SpringfieldStudent