Emmett Jones and His Impact on Texas Tech Football
Without using the Internet, describe what the Texas Tech Director of Player Personnel does.
Were his name not in the title of this post, I doubt most Red Raiders would even know who mans this job for Tech. However, Emmett Jones has become one of the most important members of Kliff Kingsbury’s football staff. So who is he and what does he do?
Who he is:
Jones has been a rising star in the high school coaching ranks. He guided South Oak Cliff high school in Dallas to three successful seasons amassing a record of 30-8. Jones took the Golden Bears to the playoffs in 2013 and 2014, both times making deep runs, to the regional semi-finals in 2013 and the regional finals in 2014.
Spending his entire 14-year high school coaching career in the talent-rich Dallas Independent School District, Jones has formed numerous relationships with coaches of North Texas schools that annually produce loads of top football talent.
After graduating from Seagoville High School, Jones earned a degree from the University of North Texas. Following his time in Denton, he returned to the familiar grounds of the DISD. From 2001-2004 Jones coached wide receivers at his alma mater. He then served in the same capacity at Dallas Lincoln High School for one season.
The next seven seasons are where Jones began to strengthen his reputation as a coach, serving as the receivers’ coach and Offensive Coordinator for perennial state power, Dallas Skyline Raiders. Jones was an integral part of the staff that turned Skyline into a college football recruiting Mecca for the state of Texas.
What He Does:
Skyline’s reputation no-doubt put Jones on the list for of candidates to take over the vacant South Oak Cliff head coach position, but more importantly Jones was also on the radar of Kliff Kingsbury and the Tech administration. It has become common for college programs to hire successful high school coaches to bolster the university’s presence in fertile recruiting grounds. Such was the case in 2013 when Mike Jenks left central Texas power San Antonio’s Cibolo Steele High School to be Tech’s running backs’ coach. Jenks then secured a commitment from star running back Justin Stockton.
Jones made an even larger immediate impact when he convinced two of his former players, 4-star wide receiver J.F. Thomas and 3-star cornerback Jamile Johnson to flip their commitments to Tech on National Signing Day. Still, one must wonder why Jones is such a powerful recruiter despite not being able to actively recruit on the road due the parameters of his position.
See Johnson’s and Thomas’ profiles below:
Johnson:
Thomas:
As the Director of Player Personnel, Jones is not allowed to visit prospects at their high schools, nor can he accompany coaches on in-home visits. But while the coaches are doing to recruiting legwork, Jones remains in Lubbock to help plan and organize important recruiting events such as official visits, junior days, and satellite camps.
Jones also helps Tech by maintaining the relationships he has developed with Dallas high schools. While not allowed to talk to recruits unless they are in Lubbock, he can speak to coaches about their current prospects. Being a former coach, Jones also helps Tech coaches break down film of targeted recruits and identify players on which Tech should focus.
Finally, the most important aspect of Jones’ job is being something akin to the athletic program’s guidance counselor. The Director of Player Personnel is whom the student-athletes turn to for help with academic, social, emotional, or even sports related concerns. Jones’ reputation and trusted name is a draw to many players that want the comfort of knowing that at least one person at a university of 30,000 or more people is concerned with the player’s overall well-being.
In an article about the trend of hiring respected high school coaches to organize schools’ recruiting efforts, Corbett Smith of The Dallas Morning News quotes current South Oak Cliff recruiting coordinator R.J. Bond when he says of Jones, “For those guys to leave home for four years, it’s like going back home … They’ve got a comfort level with Coach Jones… It’s a little special to have someone who can look out for you and keep you on that straight path when you are away from home so you can get that college degree.”
A quick Internet search on Emmett Jones reveals dozens of articles about Jones, and in each article, colleagues, peers, and young people speak wonderfully about Jones’ magnetic personality, high ethical standards, and heart for helping people live a better life. Thus, it is important that Tech fans get to know Jones and be thankful that he will be the person looking out for the best interests of each student-athlete.
Though he is not as famous as Kliff Kingsbury, Tubby Smith, or Tim Tadlock, an argument could be made that Jones might be more influential in the lives of Tech athletes than anyone else in Lubbock.