Greg Jones is in his second season as the Mules’ Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach in 2024.
In his first season as the Mules’ defensive coordinator, he helped UCM to a school record-tying 11-2 overall record, MIAA Co-Championship and a second round NCAA-II playoffs appearance.
Jones’s UCM defense ranked second in the MIAA in interceptions with 20 in 13 games and were in the top-five in the conference in total defense, limiting teams to an average of 369.5 yards per game. UCM was also in the top-five in passing defense, holding adversaries to 221.3 passing yards in 13 contests.
Defensive back Wyryor Noil garnered First Team All-American honors and set a new Central Missouri single season record with 17 pass breakups during the season. In addition, Noil compiled a team-best six interceptions.
Noil, defensive linemen David Olajiga (first team), Weston King (second team) and Joshua Bean (honorable mention), linebacker Cale Miller (second team), defensive back Curtis Appleton II (second team) and defensive back Noah Blair (honorable mention) all received All-MIAA accolades.
Jones joined Central Missouri after serving as a defensive analyst for the University of Oregon football program in Eugene, Ore., in 2022.
As a defensive analyst for the Oregon Ducks, Jones served as the assistant safeties coach and recruited the states of Iowa, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.
Prior to his time in Eugene, Jones was a standout high school head coach throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area from 1997-2021, serving as the head coach for Park Hill High School from 1997-1998, Park Hill South High School from 1998-2002, Odessa High School from 2004-2006, Kearney High School from 2006-2017 and Liberty North High School from 2017-2022. He also spent 2002 as the head coach at Van Buren High School in Van Buren, Ark.
In his 11 years as the head coach at Kearney High School, Jones led the Bulldogs to two state championships in three championship game appearances while winning nine district titles and six conference championships. He compiled an overall record of 119-23 (.838) at Kearney.
At Liberty North, Jones led the Eagles to two conference and district championships and three Missouri State Runner Up finishes and went an impressive 31-6 (.838) in his final three seasons as head coach.
Overall, as a high school head coach, Jones went an impressive 212-71 (.749) in 24 seasons.
Jones is a member of the Missouri Football Coaches’ Hall of Fame and was named the Missouri State Football Coaches’ Association Class 4 Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2015. He was the 2019-20 Liberty North High School Teacher of the Year as an athletic weight training instructor and a seven-time Suburban Coach of the Year and six-time KMZU Coach of the Year.
Jones received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo., in 1991 before earning his master’s degree in education from Northwest Missouri State in 1993 and an education specialist degree from William Woods University, located in Fulton, Mo., in 2012.
He served as a graduate assistant for the Northwest Missouri football program from 1991-93, coaching the linebackers and defensive line for the Bearcats.
