Coach Stan Jones spent five memorable seasons leading the Raiders basketball program. On Friday, he’ll spend a full day back on campus, from the morning pep rally to the Homecoming game broadcast.
Jones, JA’s head basketball coach from 1990 to 1995, will be the school’s featured guest for Homecoming on Oct. 9. His visit follows a Thursday night roast in his honor at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Jones will start the day at the 10:30 a.m. pep rally, then meet with the current Raider basketball team. After a tour of campus, he’ll have lunch with members of his former JA team.
That evening, Jones will serve as grand marshal of the Homecoming parade, which begins at 6 p.m. on Sheffield Drive. At the game against Magnolia Heights, he’ll be recognized on the field between the first and second quarters. After the third quarter, he’ll join Bryan Eubank as a guest commentator on the Raider Network broadcast.
Jones had an overall high school record of 353-91, including back-to-back state championships at JA in 1993–1994 and 1994–95. During his collegiate sports career, Jones spent 23 seasons as associate head coach at Florida State, where he was Leonard Hamilton’s first hire after Hamilton took over the Seminoles in 2002. The two also worked together at the University of Miami and with the NBA’s Washington Wizards, and Jones remained on Hamilton’s staff until Hamilton retired after the 2024–2025 season. Florida State’s athletics website calls Jones one of the top in-game strategists in college basketball and credits his ability to prepare players and teams. During his FSU tenure, he was the longest-tenured assistant coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the second-longest-tenured in college basketball. His career includes coaching 26 players who were selected as NBA draft picks and five other players who played in the NBA who were signed as free agents.
“Coach Jones built a legacy of winning at JA, and it was a great honor for all of us that had the privilege of playing for him,” said McKie Edmonson ’94, a member of his 1991–1994 teams. “His knowledge of and passion for the game was inspiring, and he helped all players develop into their full potential. Coach Jones taught us lessons that have lasted a lifetime and created memories we will always cherish.”
The Roast of Coach Stan Jones begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, 1152 Lakeland Drive. The Sherard Shaw Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research hosts the event, which is named for Sherard Shaw Jr., a longtime JA coach. Proceeds benefit the foundation and the McLean Fletcher Center. Buy tickets here.
