Former Murray State University men's basketball player Rick Jones is the new head coach at Williamsburg High School in Williamsburg, Ky., the school announced earlier this week. Jones played two seasons for the Racers and graduated in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in education. He spent the 2005-06 season as an assistant at Murray High School.
In two seasons as a Racer, Jones averaged 8.8 points and 1.4 assists per game. He appeared in 62 games and started 25. Jones made 39.3 percent (133-of-338) of his three-pointers and knocked down 86.3 percent (69-of-80) from the free throw line.
In his first season as at Murray State, 2002-03, Jones averaged 10.6 points per game and made 77 three-pointers, fourth most in school history. He made seven-of-11 from three-point range and scored 23 points on March 1, 2003 against Tennessee-Martin.
Jones contributed 7.3 points per game his final season, 2003-04. A 26-point performance against Tennessee State on Feb. 19, 2004 highlighted his senior campaign. That night Jones connected on eight-of-12 shots from the field including seven-of-nine from beyond the three-point arch.
Last season, Jones helped Murray High School to a 9-16 record. Williamsburg is coming off a 2-18 season and has had just one winning season in the past six years.
The Corbin, Ky., native began his college career at Vanderbilt University where he played in all 30 games as a freshman (1999-00). He averaged 5.7 points per game and led the Commodores in three-point field goal percentage (48.2). In the first round of the 2000 Southeastern Conference Tournament, Jones torched Mississippi State for 24 points on eight-of-nine three-point shooting. His eight three-pointers tied a tournament record.
Jones is returning to an area he knows well. Williamsburg is less than 15 miles from Corbin, where Jones began his basketball career. He averaged 22 points and helped Corbin High School to the quarterfinals of the Kentucky Sweet 16 as a sophomore before transferring to Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky.
In two seasons, Jones led Scott County to a 67-5 record, a state championship title and a runner-up finish. He averaged 19 points as a junior while leading the Cardinals to a 32-3 record and the 1998 Kentucky State Championship. For his efforts he was named MVP of the state tournament.
He capped his high school career by scoring 19 points per game and leading Scott County to a 35-2 record and a runner-up finish in the Sweet 16. Following his senior season, Jones was named Kentucky's Mr. Basketball.
Jones was a three-time all-state and Sweet 16 all-tournament selection.
Williamsburg High School and Corbin High School compete in the same district, along with Whitley County High School and South Laurel High School. Jones will take his Yellow Jacket teams up against a number of familiar faces in the 50th District.
Mike Deaton, who was an assistant at Corbin during Jones' years as a Redhound player, is the head coach at Whitley County. Current Corbin head coach Tony Pietrowski is a former Redhound star and Jones' childhood hero. Lastly, Jones' brother Jason McDaniel is an assistant coach at Corbin.
