Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Richard Jones Named Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
08/18/2022 | 9:00:00 | Track and Field
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Richard Jones has been named Director of the Saluki Track & Field and Cross Country program, Saluki Athletics Director Tim Leonard announced Wednesday. Jones will begin his fifth year at Southern Illinois University. He spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Saluki Track & Field program and has served as the interim head coach since June 2022.
"We're really excited to name Richard Jones as our Director of Track & Field and Cross Country program," said Saluki AD Tim Leonard. "We both have high expectations for this program. I look forward to working with Coach Jones and bringing championships to Southern Illinois."Â
In his first season as a Saluki, Jones' sprinters won six MVC titles, tallied 12 top-3 finishes at conference meets and totaled an impressive 14 top-eight finishes. While doing so, his sprinters broke five school records and tallied an additional six top-10 school marks.Â
At the 2019 MVC Outdoor Championships, Bri'Anna Branch became just the second individual in program history to earn MVC Most Outstanding Athlete honors after she won the 100m and 200m dashes. Under Jones' leadership, Branch went on to clock the first sub-23 second 200m in school history at 22.74 and became the first Saluki women's sprinter since 1986 to qualify for the national meet in the 200m dash. Southern's women's 4x100 relay team also made school history, as it broke the school record with a time of 44.27 at the NCAA West Regional to become the first Saluki women's 400m relay team to qualify for the national meet. It was SIU's first appearance in a relay event of any distance at a national meet, men's or women's, since 1986.
Prior to SIU, Jones spent five seasons at Ohio State University where he helped coach the Buckeyes' sprinters. During that time, his athletes won 15 Big 10 titles, earned 46 All-Big 10 accolades and he had 42 student-athletes qualify for national meets.
Prior to returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach, Jones spent 10 years as head coach at Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio, where his teams rewrote the state Division II record books in all sprint events. Over a four-year stretch, Bishop Hartley's girls team was either state champion (2009, 2011) or state runners-up (2008, 2010). He coached 16 state champions, six high school All-Americans and helped 14 student-athlete to college level track programs. During the 2010 season, Bishop Hartley's girls 4x200 meter relay team won a national title in the event.
As a student-athlete at Ohio State, Jones was a seven-time Big Ten Champion and a four-time All-American, which included winning a national title as part of Ohio State's 4x400 outdoor relay team in 1993. A seven-time national qualifier, Jones went on to serve as captain of the 1996 Guyanese Olympic Team and competed in both 400-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay. Jones held the Guyanese national record in the 400-meter dash for nearly 18 years before Winston George broke it in 2014.
A 1996 graduate of Ohio State with a degree in telecommunications and electronic media, Jones and his wife, Latika, share four children together.
"We're really excited to name Richard Jones as our Director of Track & Field and Cross Country program," said Saluki AD Tim Leonard. "We both have high expectations for this program. I look forward to working with Coach Jones and bringing championships to Southern Illinois."Â
The five-year contract will keep Jones in Carbondale though 2027. During Jones time at SIU, the Salukis have produced 41 Missouri Valley Conference champions, 16 national qualifiers and three All-Americans. Southern's teams have had 121 All-Conference selections and set 13 school records.
"I am extremely excited for the direction this team is heading," said Richard Jones. "With the foundation created by Coach Joseph and the new leadership and direction of the athletic department, I am pleased to lead this team to a championship level. The support from Saluki Nation will be an extra factor to the success of this team moving forward."In his first season as a Saluki, Jones' sprinters won six MVC titles, tallied 12 top-3 finishes at conference meets and totaled an impressive 14 top-eight finishes. While doing so, his sprinters broke five school records and tallied an additional six top-10 school marks.Â
At the 2019 MVC Outdoor Championships, Bri'Anna Branch became just the second individual in program history to earn MVC Most Outstanding Athlete honors after she won the 100m and 200m dashes. Under Jones' leadership, Branch went on to clock the first sub-23 second 200m in school history at 22.74 and became the first Saluki women's sprinter since 1986 to qualify for the national meet in the 200m dash. Southern's women's 4x100 relay team also made school history, as it broke the school record with a time of 44.27 at the NCAA West Regional to become the first Saluki women's 400m relay team to qualify for the national meet. It was SIU's first appearance in a relay event of any distance at a national meet, men's or women's, since 1986.
Prior to SIU, Jones spent five seasons at Ohio State University where he helped coach the Buckeyes' sprinters. During that time, his athletes won 15 Big 10 titles, earned 46 All-Big 10 accolades and he had 42 student-athletes qualify for national meets.
Prior to returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach, Jones spent 10 years as head coach at Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio, where his teams rewrote the state Division II record books in all sprint events. Over a four-year stretch, Bishop Hartley's girls team was either state champion (2009, 2011) or state runners-up (2008, 2010). He coached 16 state champions, six high school All-Americans and helped 14 student-athlete to college level track programs. During the 2010 season, Bishop Hartley's girls 4x200 meter relay team won a national title in the event.
As a student-athlete at Ohio State, Jones was a seven-time Big Ten Champion and a four-time All-American, which included winning a national title as part of Ohio State's 4x400 outdoor relay team in 1993. A seven-time national qualifier, Jones went on to serve as captain of the 1996 Guyanese Olympic Team and competed in both 400-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay. Jones held the Guyanese national record in the 400-meter dash for nearly 18 years before Winston George broke it in 2014.
A 1996 graduate of Ohio State with a degree in telecommunications and electronic media, Jones and his wife, Latika, share four children together.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_TrackXC, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiTrackAndField and on Instagram at  @SIU_TrackXC. Fans can also receive updates on Saluki Athletics by downloading the "Salukis" app from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
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