Kalamazoo College Athletics

Eugene Jones IV joined the Kalamazoo College football coaching staff as defensive coordinator in April of 2018.

In just his first two seasons Jones has accomplished the following:

• Recorded the program’s first shutout in 21 years (Sept. 7, 2019 at Oberlin), and then followed it up with a second shutout against Finlandia University (Oct. 12, 2019).
• Coached seven defensive players to All-MIAA honors representing all defensive position groups in first two seasons.
• Led a defense that recorded 56 sacks in two seasons.
• Primarily coached the secondary where we finished ranked in the top-25 nationally at 163.5 passing yards per game over two seasons.
• Led our punt return unit which has produced eight blocked punts - 4 of them being returned for a touchdown - as well as an over 10-yard return average over the past two seasons.
• Helped lead one of the largest turnarounds in all of college football from a 1-9 record in 2017 to a 7-3 record in 2018, with the best start to a season since 1962 and the second-highest win total in school history.

Jones came to Kalamazoo from Mercyhurst University where he served as secondary coach and special teams coordinator from 2013–2018. His secondary hauled in 57 interceptions over the course of five seasons and set a school record with seven interceptions in one game. Six Mercyhurst defensive backs earned all-conference honors during his time with the program, including 2014 All-American Colin Kimball who intercepted 13 passes over two seasons and set the school career mark with 15. Jones’ punt return unit blocked 11 punts and scored five touchdowns over the past four seasons. The 2016 unit finished second in the country with five blocked punts while scoring three touchdowns.

While serving at Mercyhurst, Jones also worked one season with the Cleveland Browns breaking down film and charting play information.

Prior to joining Mercyhurst Jones worked a season (2012) as linebackers coach and video coordinator at Widener University where he coached three all-conference players. In 2011 Jones was a defensive graduate assistant at Ithaca College where he led the secondary, certain punt units and defensive coordinator of the junior varsity team.

Jones is a 2010 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he majored in psychology and African studies. Following graduation, he served a year as an academic graduate assistant for the Pitt football team while also breaking down film and producing scouting reports. Jones anticipates earning a master’s degree in sports psychology in the fall of 2018.