Report: Wichita State assistant to join Grant’s staff at Dayton

Donnie Jones has long with history with Dayton’s head coach

Credit: Al Messerschmidt

Credit: Al Messerschmidt

Donnie Jones, who worked with Anthony Grant at Marshall and Florida, will join Grant's staff as an assistant coach with the Dayton Flyers, according to a report by Jeff Goodman on Monday. Dayton has not officially announced the hiring.

Jones would replace James Kane, who left Dayton in June after one season for Iowa State.

Jones and Grant worked together at Marshall on Billy Donovan’s staff in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons and followed Donovan to Florida when he got the job in Gainesville in 1996. Grant remained at Florida through the 2005-06 season, when the Gators won their first national championship, and Jones stayed on Donovan’s staff for another season as the Gators won their second title.

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Dayton assistant coach Darren Hertz was also on Donovan's staff during the time Grant and Jones were there.

Jones spent last season at Wichita State. The previous year, he worked as a scout for the Los Angeles Clippers.

From 2010-16, Jones was the head coach at Central Florida, compiling a record of 100-88 in six seasons. Central Florida fired Jones in March 2016 after a third-straight 18-loss season.

Prior to coaching at Central Florida, Jones spent three seasons as the head coach at Marshall. He was 55-41.

Jones is a native of Point Pleasant, W.Va. He played basketball at Pikeville College in Kentucky and was inducted into the Pikeville Hall of Fame in 2004. He finished second in the NAIA in assists as a senior with 10.7 per game.

Jones started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Pikeville for two seasons and then spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Marshall (1990-96).

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