COACH SPOTLIGHT: ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY’S ZEKE JONES

As found on Arizona State University’s website, below is Zeke Jones’s bio. Learn about this coach’s career:

The seventh coach in ASU wrestling history, Zeke Jones was hired in April 2014.

Jones earned his third Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor in four years in 2020 after leading the Sun Devils to it’s highest conference tournament point total (141.5) since 1993 while winning the program’s 19th Pac-10/12 title. He becomes the first ASU wrestling head coach to win the conference award three times since Thom Ortiz did so in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

An Olympic silver medalist for the United States, Jones was the 1991 World Champion at 52kg, a four-time World-Cup Champion, and coached United States’ Olympians in the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2012 Olympic Games.

A member of ASU’s 1988 NCAA Wrestling Championship team, Jones was a three-time All-American and Pac-10 Champion for the Sun Devils. A national runner-up at 118, Jones sits at No. 4 in ASU’s career record book in both overall victories (134) and dual victories (59). He also holds the school record for dual match victories in a season with 22 during the 1989-90 campaign.

As Olympic head coach, Jones’ athletes earned two gold medals and one bronze at the London Games in 2012. His athletes in the 2004 Athens Games, where he was the freestyle coach, earned a gold and two silvers.

In the four World Championships during Jones’ tenure, USA placed third in the 2011 World Championships, fifth in 2013, and seventh in 2009. He also led USA to five individual World Champion medals, including two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs.

The United States competed in three Freestyle World Cups during the Jones era, placing third in 2012 and 2013, and sixth in 2010. During the Jones staff era, USA won eight Junior World medals, five University World medals and four Cadet World medals.

Jones came to USA Wrestling after coaching at the University of Pennsylvania from 2005-07, where he amassed a record of 33-17-1. Following the 2006 campaign that saw an NCAA Champion, two All-Americans, two Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) champions, and a third-place finish at the EIWA Championships, Amateur Wrestling News named Jones the Rookie Head Coach of the Year.

Prior to coaching at Penn he served on the coaching staffs at West Virginia, Arizona State, and Bloomsburg University. Jones coached teams that have finished in the NCAA Final Four twice, in the top-10 four times and won six conference team championships. Individually his wrestlers have won six NCAA titles, eight NCAA finalists, 36 individual conference champions, 29 All Americans, 74 NCAA Qualifiers, and 11 wrestlers have competed in the NWCA All Star Meet. 

Originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., Jones is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, member of the Arizona State University Hall of Fame, and Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Jones and his wife, Renee, have four children, Jessica, David, Rebecca, and Jacob.

Coaching Accomplishments

  • 2017, 2018, 2020 Pac-12 Coach of the Year
  • Head Coach, United States Freestyle Wrestling Team
  • Head Coach, 2004 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team
  • Head Coach, 2003 Pan-American Games Team
  • 2001 National Freestyle Coach of the Year, USA Wrestling
  • Head Coach, 2001 World Championship Team
  • Head Coach, 2000 World Cup Team
  • Assistant Coach, 2001 World Cup Team
  • Coaching Staff, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games
  • Coach, 2000 Pan-American Championships
  • Head Coach, 2000 NCAA International All-Star Team
  • Assistant Coach, 1999 NCAA International All-Star Team
  • Head Coach, 1998 World Cup Team Champions

Wrestling and Leadership Accomplishments

  • Winner of FILA’s “World’s Most Technical Wrestler” – 1 of 3 American’s to win the award (also: John Smith and Chris Campbell)
  • 1991 World Champion
  • 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist
  • Four-time World Cup Champion
  • Six-time National Champion
  • Pan-American Games Gold Medalist
  • Goodwill Games Gold Medalist
  • 1995 World Bronze Medalist
  • NCAA Division I National Team Champions member, 1988
  • NCAA Division I National Team Runner-Up member, 1989, 1990
  • World Championships Team Champions member, 1993, 1995
  • Eight-time World and Olympic Team member
  • Espoir National Champion and Outstanding Wrestler
  • Espoir World Silver Medalist
  • NCAA Finalist and three-time NCAA All-American
  • Three-time Pac-10 champion
  • Midlands Champion
  • Pac-10 Tournament Grand Marshall
  • Distinguished Member, National Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Arizona State University Hall of Fame
  • Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Runner-up, Man of the Year, Amateur Wrestling News
  • USOC Board of Directors
  • USA Wrestling Board of Directors
  • Chairman, Athlete Advisory Council, USA Wrestling”

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