Bluegrassrivals

Harlan County Sports: Basketball: Jones steps down as HCHS basketball coach
Wednesday, May 16
Jones steps down as HCHS basketball coach

By JOHN HENSON

Harlan County Sports.com

After watching his Harlan County Black Bears increase their win total in each of his four years as boys basketball coach at Harlan County High School, Mike Jones has apparently decided to step down with his team expected to be ranked first heading into the 2012-2013 season.

Sources indicated that Jones turned in his resignation on Tuesday and the job was posted at the Harlan County Schools Central Office on Wednesday

Jones ranks among the state's top coaches with a record of 574-231 in 26 seasons as a head coach in stops at Cawood, Jackson County, Todd Central, Harlan, Clay County and Harlan County. With a record of 369-128 at three Harlan County schools, Jones appears to be the all-time leader in wins in the county. Joe Gilly won 310 games in the 1940s and 1950s at Harlan.

Jones was not available for comment on Wednesday.

A 1970 Clay County graduate who went on to play at Cumberland College, Jones began his high school coaching career in the fall of 1980 at Cawood High School. He was an assistant for three years under Kirk Chiles. The 1981 team was led by Kentucky Mr. Basketball Phil Cox and finished as 13th Region runner-up to Clay County.

The 1983 team was a senior-dominated squad featuring David Hensley, Everly Eads, Kevin Hatfield, Tony Sanford and Keith Hensley. The Trojans knocked off Clay County in the regional semifinals but lost in overtime to Middlesboro in the regional finals.

Jones was one of the busiest coaches in the state during that time as he took over the Cawood girls program in the 1982 and 1983 seasons, leading the Trojanettes to 49 wins, district titles both years and a regional runner-up finish in 1983 while still helping Chiles with the boys team and coaching the freshman and junior varsity squads.

When Chiles left after the 1983 season, Jones took over as head coach. The Trojans were among the region's top teams all four years Jones was there and lost another heartbreaker to Clay County in the 1986 regional finals when all-state forward Nick Sanford starred for the Trojans before going on to an All-American career at Lincoln Memorial University.

Jones left Cawood after the 1987 season and spent three years at Jackson County. The Generals quickly improved under Jones but could not break Clay County's stranglehold on the 49th District and finished second all three seasons.

He moved on to Todd Central in Western Kentucky for one year and led his team to the 4th Region semifinals, but he was soon on his way back to Harlan County where Harlan was building a basketball powerhouse.

In what was almost a perfect storm of talent, coaching and community support, the Dragons became a state contender in only two years. After being upset by Evarts in the first round of the 52nd District Tournament in Jones' first season, the Dragons moved to the top of the 13th Region in his second season of 1993. The Dragons lost to Cumberland in the district finals that season and had to run the table against Bell County, Clay County and Corbin in the regional tournament to earn the first trip to the state tournament for a Harlan County team in 24 years.

The 1993 team featured four future all-staters, guards Charles Thomas, Michael Jones and Casey Lester and center Todd Cox.

The 1994 team may have been Jones' best, but the Dragons were upset by Clay County in the regional semifinals at Clay County in the last game of Michael Jones' career.

WIth Thomas, Cox and Lester leading the way, Harlan was among the state's top teams in 1995 and won another regional title and advanced to the state semifinals before falling to Pleasure Ridge Park. Thomas and Cox were members of the Kentucky All-Star team that summer and Thomas earned Mr. Basketball honors.

Harlan won its third regional title in four years in 1996 with Lester, Nathan Blanton and Jeremy Simpson providing senior leadership in a lineup that also included junior Joel Kauffman and freshman Kyle Jones, the youngest son of the Harlan coach.

Harlan won All "A" Classic state titles in both 1994 and 1995 and captured district titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999 under Jones. The 1999 squad made it back to the regional finals before falling to Clay County in Bobby Keith's last year as coach.

Jones returned home to Clay County in the summer of 1999 to take over for Keith. He led Clay back to the state tournament in 2001 as the Tigers fell in the quarterfinals to Russellville. In six years at Clay, Jones led Clay to five district titles and two regional runner-up finishes.

After the 2005 season, Jones decided to leave coaching and returned to Harlan County where he served two years as an assistant principal and then took over as principal the 2007-08 school year, the final year before consolidation brought together Cawood, Cumberland and Evarts to form Harlan County High School.

Jones was selected as the first boys basketball coach at HCHS and led the Black Bears to a 79-41 mark in four years, including four trips to the regional tournament and a district championship in 2010. The Bears improved each year, going from 13-15 in 2009 to 19-10 in 2010, 20-10 in 2011 and 27-6 last year.

With four starters and all their key reserves returning, including an unbeaten freshman team that won the regional title and a 16-1 junior varsity squad, the Bears will likely be ranked No. 1 in the 13th Region when the preseason polls come out next fall.

Good luck to Coach Jones!!
I don't believe this was a surprise to the team.

I wish Coach Jones the best of Luck. He has been one of the best for a long time.

Best of luck to Coach Jones.
He could still get it done but there comes that time in all of our lives when we decide we are ready to retire.

Good luck to the Black Bears in the future and hopefully we can get a game with the Commodores scheduled soon.

No name change in the coaching seat. There will still be a Coach Jones at HC. Just a younger age.

Good luck to Coach Mike Jones. He is one of the best ever in the 13th region. His son was a great player and I believe has been coaching with him for several years. I would say his son is more than ready for this job.

Was this a total surprise to HC fans or did you all see this coming?

Im surprised. Obviously i hadnt heard anything about it, but he was poised to have a GREAT team this coming year.

RunItUpTheGut Wrote:Im surprised. Obviously i hadnt heard anything about it, but he was poised to have a GREAT team this coming year.

That is probably one reason for the timing. To allow the younger Jones to start out with success.

All accounts I have gotten up 25-E says a succession plan was already in place.

Has his son ever attained a degree to teach??

Does one have to have a degree to be a head coach? just saying, I am not sure of the educational status of Michael but he has served as the drug prevention director at HC since the school opened it's doors. This young man has more than paid his dues to be ready to take this step, if some feathers get ruffled along the way, sorry but he is ready and I think best suited to get this group over the top.

Mountain pride 10 Wrote:Does one have to have a degree to be a head coach? just saying, I am not sure of the educational status of Michael but he has served as the drug prevention director at HC since the school opened it's doors. This young man has more than paid his dues to be ready to take this step, if some feathers get ruffled along the way, sorry but he is ready and I think best suited to get this group over the top.

:Thumbs:

This a shock to me.

A good shock is sometimes just what the system needs to get things right.

Harlan County's Superintendent is also stepping down, effective June 30th

Greg Coldiron???

^ I thought he stepped down at Lafayette due to Health issues?

Strikeout King Wrote:Harlan County's Superintendent is also stepping down, effective June 30th

I just saw this too. Wow interesting things going on in HC country.

Strikeout King Wrote:^ I thought he stepped down at Lafayette due to Health issues?

If I remember correct he stepped down a few days before the district. The medical issues much have been pretty bad to not finish out maybe the last game of the year. I believe Little Mike should and will get the job. Good Luck to the Bears next year.

Tim Saylor is the superintendent. He is retiring effective June 30th according to local news.

Billy Hicks returns to his roots???

I have to kind of wonder out loud if this job had been posted earlier if Hicks or Happy Osborne would have had an interest.

OutsideLookingIn Wrote:Billy Hicks returns to his roots???

I don't think he would. Scott Co is competing for State Titles every year.

Hicks may have called to use that for more help from Scott Co. just like the Knott Co. situation a few years ago.

Been hearing rumors for a while about this happening. Lots of problems with money and poor academics in Harlan Co. They are about to see a switch from sports to academics.

From what I have heard there is a ton of support for Girls coach Anthony Nolan to take over the Boys, after all he accomplished as much with Cawood with less talent than Jones has with HC. This move would save the district money and be a good move. Seems like Jones stepping down is a just a move to save his son's job???

William Muney Wrote:Been hearing rumors for a while about this happening. Lots of problems with money and poor academics in Harlan Co. They are about to see a switch from sports to academics.

From what I have heard there is a ton of support for Girls coach Anthony Nolan to take over the Boys, after all he accomplished as much with Cawood with less talent than Jones has with HC. This move would save the district money and be a good move. Seems like Jones stepping down is a just a move to save his son's job???

I have to disagree with this statement. Nolan has had a good amount of talent while at Cawood High School. He should have won the region during a couple of seasons. One that sticks out in my mind, is the year it was at Cawood.

I have been following 13th and 14th region basketball for several years. Harlan Co. basketball has not been over loaded with talent, but the talent does seem to be improving. Cawood was as good or better than any 13th or 14th region team talent wise for 3 or 4 years I am not sure, but I believe he was the Coach two of the years Cawood hosted the region. That is not to say Nolan is not a solid coach, but he has had some very good players at Cawood. One year that comes to mind is when Cawood had the Hubbs kid, he was a great player. Good Luck to Harlan Co. in all sports in the future.

Michael Jones would be a great coach in my opinion. He is a Christian, family man who has a load of basketball knowledge. Coach J has become a leader in that school to these kids. Before you all who don't know him bash him for lack of experience, please keep in mind EVERY Head Coach at any level or any sport, had to be hired for the first time with ZERO head coaching experience. I support HC in all sports and with any decision they make in those sports. Best of luck Bears!

William Muney Wrote:Been hearing rumors for a while about this happening. Lots of problems with money and poor academics in Harlan Co. They are about to see a switch from sports to academics.

From what I have heard there is a ton of support for Girls coach Anthony Nolan to take over the Boys, after all he accomplished as much with Cawood with less talent than Jones has with HC. This move would save the district money and be a good move. Seems like Jones stepping down is a just a move to save his son's job???

You haven't a clue about Harlan County. Money, academics and Nolan?????????
You need to find someone else to hear rumors from your dog doesn't hunt!

William Muney Wrote:Been hearing rumors for a while about this happening. Lots of problems with money and poor academics in Harlan Co. They are about to see a switch from sports to academics.

From what I have heard there is a ton of support for Girls coach Anthony Nolan to take over the Boys, after all he accomplished as much with Cawood with less talent than Jones has with HC. This move would save the district money and be a good move. Seems like Jones stepping down is a just a move to save his son's job???

Anthony Nolan wasted more talent than anyone in a long time. I think that he would be a terrible hire. He has now choked in girls and boys basketball.