Story Courtesy Nick Rush | GoSycamores.com

Indiana State men’s basketball head coach Matthew Graves announced the newest member of his coaching staff, Byron Jones.

Jones joins the Sycamore staff most recently after being an assistant coach of the Texas Longhorns the previous two seasons. He has spent time as assistant coach at Troy (2020-23), Air Force (2019-20), Fresno State (2011-18), Winston-Salem State (2010-11), UNC Wilmington (2002-06), Denver (1997-2002), and Eastern Kentucky (1995-97). He served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, University of Central Oklahoma, from 1993-95.

“I am excited to add Byron Jones to our men’s basketball staff,” said Coach Graves. “He obviously has a wealth of knowledge and brings a lot of experience at various institutions. His ability to communicate and connect not only with the players and staff but also recruits will be an invaluable resource for all of us.”

Coach Jones is serving under Coach Graves for his 29th season of coaching, where has accrued 11 seasons with 20+ wins and made nine postseason appearances. Student-athletes under Jones have a 97% graduation rate, and four times has the staff earned a top 50 recruiting class ranking. At the end of the 2024-25 season, Texas was No. 25 in the final KenPom rankings.

In two seasons at Texas, the Longhorns posted a 40-29 record, making it to the NCAA Tournament in each season, including to the Round of 32 in 2023-24.

“I’m very excited to be here at Indiana State with the rich tradition that Indiana State has with their basketball program,” said Coach Jones. “I’m very humbled and honored to be a part of Coach Graves’ staff and it excites me because I think the potential of winning the Missouri Valley Championship is right in front of us. Being a part of this Terre Haute community and having an opportunity to play in front of his unbelievable fan base gives us a home court advantage to compete for a league championship.”

Last season, Texas amassed four wins against top 25 opponents (Missouri, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Mississippi State). They were inside the top 30 in fewest turnovers per game (NCAA) and inside the top 40 in offensive efficiency (KenPom). Jones in 2023-24 before Texas joined the SEC coached two players that garnered All-Big 12 honors, including one of those two being named Big 12’s Men’s Basketball’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The Longhorns’ season ended after two victories in the SEC Tournament (Vanderbilt, No. 14/16 Texas A&M) and a loss to the SEC Tournament Runner-Up, No. 8/6 Tennessee. Five Longhorns were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll

In his second most-recent stop as an assistant coach at Troy, his last two seasons saw back-to-back 20+ win seasons. In his final season, the Trojans won seven of its final nine games of the season, eventually falling the No. 4 seed James Madison in the tournament. In the season prior, Troy earned its first postseason bid since 2012 with an invitation to the CBI.

Jones played college basketball at Northern Oklahoma College and Eastern Kentucky. At Northern Oklahoma, he led the 1987-88 team to a 24-8 record and a Bi-State West Conference title while earning first-team all-conference and league Defensive Player of the Year honors, and in 1989-90 his team advanced to the league’s title game.

From his high school days, Coach Jones was a national Player of the Year and First-Team All-State recipient in Oklahoma from Ulysses S. Grant High School from his senior season. He won a national championship with the 1986 Oklahoma Rams Junior Olympics team.

Notes from previous positions:

• Fresno State
  • Three postseason appearances (NCAA, NIT, CBI)
  • 126-108 record
  • Finished second in the league in 2015-16 with a 13-5 league record and won the tournament championship
• Air Force
• Winston-Salem State
  • Won the league title to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament
• UNC Wilmington
  • 83-40 record, 61-22 in conference
  • NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2006 (league champions in each season)
• Denver
• Eastern Kentucky
• Central Oklahoma
  • Lead DII in scoring
  • Won the conference title and tournament championship

Coach Jones is a native of Oklahoma City, Okla. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with his bachelor’s in sports and recreation management in 1993, then he continued at UCO to earn his master’s degree in physical education in 1995.

Coach Jones and his wife, Sulpicia, have three children: Antigone, Tannah, and Bryton.