Shawn Jones Named Senior Deputy AD/Chief Operating Officer
11/14/2023 1:51:00 PM | General
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain announced Tuesday the addition of Shawn Jones to his senior staff as Senior Deputy AD/Chief Operating Officer.
Jones comes to Southern Miss from Henderson State University where he served as Director of Athletics since January of 2014.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Shawn Jones and his family to Southern Miss!" said McClain. "Shawn is an outstanding administrator and brings a wealth of knowledge to this role. Having served as an athletics director for the past decade, he understands the challenges and complexities of our daily work. He will have a significant, positive impact on the future of our department, and I am excited to get to work with him every day to improve opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fans."
As Henderson State's Director of Athletics, Jones worked extensively to provide HSU student-athletes with all the tools necessary to become champions on and off the various fields of play. His teams captured 15 Great American Conference championships, 23 NCAA team appearances, NCAA regional championships in baseball and women's golf, two Top-10 finishes in women's golf at the national championships, a Top-10 national finish for men's swimming and diving, three individual national titles in swimming and Henderson's first-ever NCAA football playoff victory.
With Jones' commitment to creating competitive success across the board, four of those titles — baseball, softball, women's golf, and men's golf — were the first for their respective programs in the NCAA era, and one — men's basketball — was the first championship for the school in 17 years. As of 2023, Henderson State is the only school in the GAC that has won league championships in football, men's basketball and baseball — all of which have occurred in Jones' tenure.
Aside from the success on the field, enormous progress was made by student-athletes in the classroom. Henderson's overall departmental grade point average of its student-athletes has improved tremendously under Jones. The departmental GPA, which includes all of HSU's athletic teams and 400-plus student-athletes, has been 3.0 or better for each of the last 12 semesters under Jones' watch, which included a school record departmental GPA of 3.33 in the spring of 2020. More than 500 student-athletes earned Academic All-GAC recognition with 35 achieving Academic All-American honors during Jones' time at HSU.
Eleven of the 14 athletic programs at Henderson State are currently led by a head coach hired by Jones. Of Jones' hires, men's basketball coach Jimmy Elgas has won a conference championship, head volleyball coach Phil McDaniel has played for a league title, swimming and diving head coach Scotty Serio has coached a three-time national champion and secured a Top-10 team finish at NCAA Nationals, and head golf coach Colton Cowan has won four GAC titles and an NCAA Regional Championship. His most recent hires were Serio, Cowan and tennis and cross country coach Annabel Harvey, who were all brought to Henderson in the summer of 2021. All three were named conference Coach of the Year less than two years later in the spring of 2023.
In addition to leading HSU through their most successful period of the NCAA-era, Jones has orchestrated the most extensive athletic facilities improvements in school history. In total, these projects combine for over $10 million worth of renovation and expansion that has taken place during his tenure.
Most recently, Jones raised $600,000 in private funds to install a new turf football field at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in the spring of 2022. In 2020, Jones secured a lead gift of $1,250,000 to construct the Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center. This transformational academic resource provides Henderson student-athletes with a 4,230 square foot facility that features a computer lab, classroom, group study area and private study carrels. Additionally, a 1,500 square foot weight room expansion and complete renovation of the existing weight room space has given the Reddies a modern and state of the art strength training area. The Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center was officially opened for use on April 8, 2021.
Other improvements under Jones' tenure at HSU included baseball and softball venue overall, as well as seeing construction come to fruition with the Ken Duke Golf Center. Other work included locker room renovations for HSU swimming and diving, resurfacing of the school's tennis courts, along with a revamping of the school's natatorium.
New lighting and addition of an artificial surface to the current field practice field also helped in football preparations, as well as assisting the school's band and intramurals.
Several additional facility improvements have taken place since his arrival. Jones was instrumental in obtaining all new equipment for the Formby Athletic Center weight room in 2014. In 2020-21, Jones raised the funds to expand and upgrade the weight facility once again with new equipment, flooring and a 1,500 square foot expansion, giving the Reddies an outstanding training venue. Also, Don Dyer Court in Wells Gymnasium was resurfaced and received a new floor design.
The Reddie Club, HSU's athletic booster program, has tripled its membership since Jones' arrival, establishing new fundraising records each of the last seven years. The Reddie Club provides support for Henderson's 450-plus student-athletes.
During Jones' tenure, Henderson State has seen its relevance in the national DII landscape increase in a dramatic way. In 2022, Henderson was recognized as a national finalist for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence for its Military and First Responders Appreciation Day on Sept. 11, 2021. The award recognized initiatives in the past year that exemplified the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership. In June of 2015, Henderson was awarded with the NACMA "Best of Awards" - Gold level in NCAA Division II for its student promotion of the nationally televised home opener for Reddies football in 2014 that aired on the CBS Sports Television Network. Additionally, Jones led a brand enhancement at HSU in the summer of 2015 which updated the iconic H-Reddies logo and other marks for the first time in 16 years.
The 47-year-old native of Moberly, Missouri has also added assistant coaching positions in baseball, softball, swimming and diving, and volleyball. In 2018, cheer and pom squads were added to the athletic department. In total, the number of student-athletes at Henderson has increased by 56% during Jones' tenure.
Utilizing his sports broadcasting background, Jones made significant improvements to the Reddies' presence on radio by entering into a partnership with Southwest Arkansas Media to carry the Henderson State Sports Network on multiple stations in the region. In addition, Jones secured a Little Rock affiliate for football with the addition of 920 AM The Sports Animal. The former play-by-play announcer has also donned the headset from time to time to call a game as he travels extensively to show his support for Reddie student-athletes and coaches as they compete on the road.
Jones is a member of the D2 Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors, the NCAA Division II/Athletic Directors Association Regulatory Advisory Group, the NCAA Division II Regionalization Task Force, and serves on the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Regional Advisory Committee. He recently completed a two-year term as Chair of the Great American Conference Council of Athletic Administrators.
Jones came to Henderson from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, where he served 13 years in the athletics department. Most recently, Jones served as the senior associate athletic director for external operations. He earned a bachelor's degree in organizational communication from the University of Central Missouri in 1997 and a master's degree in physical education/exercise and sport science with a specialization in athletic and sports business administration in 2011.
Originally hired by UCM in 2000 as Manager of Athletic Marketing/Broadcasting, Jones served as the Assistant A.D. for Marketing and Broadcasting from 2003 to 2005. He then spent six years as Associate Athletic Director for External Operations before being elevated to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations in 2011.
Jones served as the Voice of UCM Athletics and was the host and coordinating producer of UCM's weekly one-hour television show, Central Missouri Sportspage. A member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Directors, Jones began UCM's highly successful corporate sponsor program. He played a major role in the success of UCM's biggest fund raising event, the Celebrating Central Missouri Athletic Auction, which raised over $1.4 million in net profits for UCM Athletics in his 12-year association with the event.
In 2012, UCM was honored as both the NCAA Division II and MIAA Game Environment Award winner for promotional and community engagement efforts surrounding the football home opener. Jones also holds membership in the International Collegiate Licensing Association and nearly doubled licensing royalty revenues for UCM during his time in charge of the program.
Jones served a four-year term on the NCAA Division II Football Committee, as the co-chair of Super Regional Four. He was twice elected to serve as National Chair, serving in that role from Sept. 1, 2009, to Sept. 1, 2011, the longest allowable tenure under NCAA regulations. Jones was one of the youngest chairs in NCAA Division II football history.
In January of 2009, Jones served as a featured panelist at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., speaking on the topic of "Building Relationships and Telling Stories: Engaging the Local Media." In January of 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia, Jones once again served as a panelist at the NCAA Convention, speaking on the topic of "Fans: How to Find and Keep Them."
Prior to his time at UCM, Jones worked for ESPN Regional in the University of Kansas Athletics Department. He served on the broadcast team for Jayhawk Baseball. As an Account Executive for ESPN Regional, he sold sponsorships for KU Athletics on the Jayhawk Radio and Television Networks. Jones also provided radio play-by-play for UMKC women's basketball during the 1999 season.
In 1998, Jones was Business Development Manager for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, where he created new revenue streams for the 20,000-member organization.
While a student, he worked at KOKO Radio in Warrensburg as assistant sports director covering Warrensburg High School and UCM sports. He also worked as a student assistant in the sports information office.
Jones and his wife Jessica were married in August of 2017. Together they have four children, Kirby, Lauren, Whit, and Hayden.
Here is what they are saying about Shawn Jones:
Willie Fritz, Football Coach, Tulane University
"Shawn Jones is an extremely talented person and one of the very best administrators I've ever worked with. I've watched him wear many hats in his career and he has done it all at an elite level! He's a competitor, he cares deeply, and he's got a gift with people. This is a big time get for Southern Miss...Shawn will make a difference for the Golden Eagles! I applaud Jeremy McClain for getting this done and recognizing what I've always known...Shawn is one of the best administrators in intercollegiate athletics!"
Wren Baker, Vice President and Director of Athletics, West Virginia University
"Shawn will be an incredible addition to the athletics leadership team at Southern Miss. He has great knowledge of every aspect of athletic programs and has a long track record of making the programs he works with better. I'm excited for Shawn to get the opportunity to join the Southern Miss family and work closely with Jeremy McClain. Great things are ahead for the Golden Eagles!"
Jones comes to Southern Miss from Henderson State University where he served as Director of Athletics since January of 2014.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Shawn Jones and his family to Southern Miss!" said McClain. "Shawn is an outstanding administrator and brings a wealth of knowledge to this role. Having served as an athletics director for the past decade, he understands the challenges and complexities of our daily work. He will have a significant, positive impact on the future of our department, and I am excited to get to work with him every day to improve opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fans."
As Henderson State's Director of Athletics, Jones worked extensively to provide HSU student-athletes with all the tools necessary to become champions on and off the various fields of play. His teams captured 15 Great American Conference championships, 23 NCAA team appearances, NCAA regional championships in baseball and women's golf, two Top-10 finishes in women's golf at the national championships, a Top-10 national finish for men's swimming and diving, three individual national titles in swimming and Henderson's first-ever NCAA football playoff victory.
With Jones' commitment to creating competitive success across the board, four of those titles — baseball, softball, women's golf, and men's golf — were the first for their respective programs in the NCAA era, and one — men's basketball — was the first championship for the school in 17 years. As of 2023, Henderson State is the only school in the GAC that has won league championships in football, men's basketball and baseball — all of which have occurred in Jones' tenure.
Aside from the success on the field, enormous progress was made by student-athletes in the classroom. Henderson's overall departmental grade point average of its student-athletes has improved tremendously under Jones. The departmental GPA, which includes all of HSU's athletic teams and 400-plus student-athletes, has been 3.0 or better for each of the last 12 semesters under Jones' watch, which included a school record departmental GPA of 3.33 in the spring of 2020. More than 500 student-athletes earned Academic All-GAC recognition with 35 achieving Academic All-American honors during Jones' time at HSU.
Eleven of the 14 athletic programs at Henderson State are currently led by a head coach hired by Jones. Of Jones' hires, men's basketball coach Jimmy Elgas has won a conference championship, head volleyball coach Phil McDaniel has played for a league title, swimming and diving head coach Scotty Serio has coached a three-time national champion and secured a Top-10 team finish at NCAA Nationals, and head golf coach Colton Cowan has won four GAC titles and an NCAA Regional Championship. His most recent hires were Serio, Cowan and tennis and cross country coach Annabel Harvey, who were all brought to Henderson in the summer of 2021. All three were named conference Coach of the Year less than two years later in the spring of 2023.
In addition to leading HSU through their most successful period of the NCAA-era, Jones has orchestrated the most extensive athletic facilities improvements in school history. In total, these projects combine for over $10 million worth of renovation and expansion that has taken place during his tenure.
Most recently, Jones raised $600,000 in private funds to install a new turf football field at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in the spring of 2022. In 2020, Jones secured a lead gift of $1,250,000 to construct the Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center. This transformational academic resource provides Henderson student-athletes with a 4,230 square foot facility that features a computer lab, classroom, group study area and private study carrels. Additionally, a 1,500 square foot weight room expansion and complete renovation of the existing weight room space has given the Reddies a modern and state of the art strength training area. The Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center was officially opened for use on April 8, 2021.
Other improvements under Jones' tenure at HSU included baseball and softball venue overall, as well as seeing construction come to fruition with the Ken Duke Golf Center. Other work included locker room renovations for HSU swimming and diving, resurfacing of the school's tennis courts, along with a revamping of the school's natatorium.
New lighting and addition of an artificial surface to the current field practice field also helped in football preparations, as well as assisting the school's band and intramurals.
Several additional facility improvements have taken place since his arrival. Jones was instrumental in obtaining all new equipment for the Formby Athletic Center weight room in 2014. In 2020-21, Jones raised the funds to expand and upgrade the weight facility once again with new equipment, flooring and a 1,500 square foot expansion, giving the Reddies an outstanding training venue. Also, Don Dyer Court in Wells Gymnasium was resurfaced and received a new floor design.
The Reddie Club, HSU's athletic booster program, has tripled its membership since Jones' arrival, establishing new fundraising records each of the last seven years. The Reddie Club provides support for Henderson's 450-plus student-athletes.
During Jones' tenure, Henderson State has seen its relevance in the national DII landscape increase in a dramatic way. In 2022, Henderson was recognized as a national finalist for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence for its Military and First Responders Appreciation Day on Sept. 11, 2021. The award recognized initiatives in the past year that exemplified the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership. In June of 2015, Henderson was awarded with the NACMA "Best of Awards" - Gold level in NCAA Division II for its student promotion of the nationally televised home opener for Reddies football in 2014 that aired on the CBS Sports Television Network. Additionally, Jones led a brand enhancement at HSU in the summer of 2015 which updated the iconic H-Reddies logo and other marks for the first time in 16 years.
The 47-year-old native of Moberly, Missouri has also added assistant coaching positions in baseball, softball, swimming and diving, and volleyball. In 2018, cheer and pom squads were added to the athletic department. In total, the number of student-athletes at Henderson has increased by 56% during Jones' tenure.
Utilizing his sports broadcasting background, Jones made significant improvements to the Reddies' presence on radio by entering into a partnership with Southwest Arkansas Media to carry the Henderson State Sports Network on multiple stations in the region. In addition, Jones secured a Little Rock affiliate for football with the addition of 920 AM The Sports Animal. The former play-by-play announcer has also donned the headset from time to time to call a game as he travels extensively to show his support for Reddie student-athletes and coaches as they compete on the road.
Jones is a member of the D2 Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors, the NCAA Division II/Athletic Directors Association Regulatory Advisory Group, the NCAA Division II Regionalization Task Force, and serves on the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Regional Advisory Committee. He recently completed a two-year term as Chair of the Great American Conference Council of Athletic Administrators.
Jones came to Henderson from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, where he served 13 years in the athletics department. Most recently, Jones served as the senior associate athletic director for external operations. He earned a bachelor's degree in organizational communication from the University of Central Missouri in 1997 and a master's degree in physical education/exercise and sport science with a specialization in athletic and sports business administration in 2011.
Originally hired by UCM in 2000 as Manager of Athletic Marketing/Broadcasting, Jones served as the Assistant A.D. for Marketing and Broadcasting from 2003 to 2005. He then spent six years as Associate Athletic Director for External Operations before being elevated to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations in 2011.
Jones served as the Voice of UCM Athletics and was the host and coordinating producer of UCM's weekly one-hour television show, Central Missouri Sportspage. A member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Directors, Jones began UCM's highly successful corporate sponsor program. He played a major role in the success of UCM's biggest fund raising event, the Celebrating Central Missouri Athletic Auction, which raised over $1.4 million in net profits for UCM Athletics in his 12-year association with the event.
In 2012, UCM was honored as both the NCAA Division II and MIAA Game Environment Award winner for promotional and community engagement efforts surrounding the football home opener. Jones also holds membership in the International Collegiate Licensing Association and nearly doubled licensing royalty revenues for UCM during his time in charge of the program.
Jones served a four-year term on the NCAA Division II Football Committee, as the co-chair of Super Regional Four. He was twice elected to serve as National Chair, serving in that role from Sept. 1, 2009, to Sept. 1, 2011, the longest allowable tenure under NCAA regulations. Jones was one of the youngest chairs in NCAA Division II football history.
In January of 2009, Jones served as a featured panelist at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., speaking on the topic of "Building Relationships and Telling Stories: Engaging the Local Media." In January of 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia, Jones once again served as a panelist at the NCAA Convention, speaking on the topic of "Fans: How to Find and Keep Them."
Prior to his time at UCM, Jones worked for ESPN Regional in the University of Kansas Athletics Department. He served on the broadcast team for Jayhawk Baseball. As an Account Executive for ESPN Regional, he sold sponsorships for KU Athletics on the Jayhawk Radio and Television Networks. Jones also provided radio play-by-play for UMKC women's basketball during the 1999 season.
In 1998, Jones was Business Development Manager for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, where he created new revenue streams for the 20,000-member organization.
While a student, he worked at KOKO Radio in Warrensburg as assistant sports director covering Warrensburg High School and UCM sports. He also worked as a student assistant in the sports information office.
Jones and his wife Jessica were married in August of 2017. Together they have four children, Kirby, Lauren, Whit, and Hayden.
Here is what they are saying about Shawn Jones:
Willie Fritz, Football Coach, Tulane University
"Shawn Jones is an extremely talented person and one of the very best administrators I've ever worked with. I've watched him wear many hats in his career and he has done it all at an elite level! He's a competitor, he cares deeply, and he's got a gift with people. This is a big time get for Southern Miss...Shawn will make a difference for the Golden Eagles! I applaud Jeremy McClain for getting this done and recognizing what I've always known...Shawn is one of the best administrators in intercollegiate athletics!"
Wren Baker, Vice President and Director of Athletics, West Virginia University
"Shawn will be an incredible addition to the athletics leadership team at Southern Miss. He has great knowledge of every aspect of athletic programs and has a long track record of making the programs he works with better. I'm excited for Shawn to get the opportunity to join the Southern Miss family and work closely with Jeremy McClain. Great things are ahead for the Golden Eagles!"
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