A veteran coach with 46 years of experience, Keith Jones enters his first season on staff at The Citadel. Jones will serve as head coach Maurice Drayton’s Chief of Staff.
Jones returns to coaching after stepping away from the game following the 2018 season. He most recently served as the defensive backs coach at South Carolina State in 2017-18. During his time in Orangeburg, Jones helped develop Decobie Durant into a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams. Durant received the Carroll Rosenbloom Memorial Award, given to the team’s rookie of the year, as determined by the players and coaches.
Prior to his time at SC State, Jones served as the secondary coach at the United States Naval Academy from 2002-15.
Originally hired at Navy by Paul Johnson, Jones began his tenure working with the secondary before moving over to coach the outside linebackers for seven seasons. He returned to coaching the secondary in 2011.
He played a key role in helping the Midshipmen return to the national spotlight by posting over 100 victories, including 12 bowl games, 10 Commander-in-Chief’s Trophies and a perfect 14-0 record against Army.
During his time, he helped develop standouts such as Wyatt Middleton and Parrish Gaines.
Jones began his coaching career at Bishop England High School (1975-78) under Jack Canty before going to work with the legendary Willie Jeffries at South Carolina State. Jones spent one season working at North Carolina A&T before going to work with Frank Beamer at Murray State (1981-86).
Jones would serve as the secondary coach for the Racers for five seasons before taking over as the defensive coordinator in 1986, helping MSU capture the Ohio Valley Conference championship.
His first stop in Orangeburg, and time in Murray, helped produce several players who went on to play in the NFL and the CFL.
Following the 1986 season, Jones followed Beamer to Virginia Tech where he coached the secondary for six seasons. Jones left the collegiate ranks after the 1993 season to spend three seasons as the head coach at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Virginia. He returned to NC A&T in 1996 to serve as the defensive coordinator for one season.
A 1975 graduate of The Citadel, Jones returned to his alma mater in 1997 to coach the secondary. He was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2000. He helped three Bulldogs – Deedrick Reese, Kevin Smith and Chris Webb – earn All-Southern Conference honors, while helping the Bulldogs rank eighth in the nation in passing efficiency and 14th in pass defense.
Jones earned his undergraduate degree in physical education from The Citadel in 1975, and a master's degree in counselor education from South Carolina State. He and his wife, Pamala, have four daughters, Kristin, Tiffany, Kourtney and Brittany, as well as four grandchildren.
