I blogged about this as a rumor last night – it’s now official – Jonas Hayes has been promoted to assistant coach at Georgia. Here’s the release:
Jonas Hayes, 2004 UGA graduate and the Bulldogs’ Basketball Operations Coordinator for the past year, has been promoted to Assistant Coach, according to an announcement Monday by head coach Mark Fox.
Hayes joined the Georgia staff in May of 2012. As Operations Coordinator last season, he directed a number of tasks, including the players’ day-to-day schedules and their academic performance, as well as assisting with the program’s on-campus recruiting efforts, summer camps and community outreach.
"Jonas has done a terrific job for us and he has earned the opportunity to move up," Fox said. "His love of Georgia, connections in this region, and magnetic personality will be great assets in recruiting."
The Atlanta native returned to Georgia after five seasons as an assistant coach at Belmont Abbey in Belmont, N.C. Previously, he had also served brief stints as an assistant coach at South Carolina State, Morehouse College and his alma mater, Douglass High School in Atlanta.
"I’m just really excited and grateful for the opportunity," Hayes said. "This past year has been a valuable experience for me. I’ve learned so much from Coach Fox that it’s difficult to put into words how much it will help me going forward. And to be able to represent Georgia and help young people grow on and off the court; that’s an opportunity that I will cherish for a lifetime."
Hayes earned three letters as a prominent player on three successful Georgia teams between 2002-04. He started 41 of 88 games for the Bulldogs, scoring 759 points (8.6 avg.) and pulling down 435 rebounds (4.9 avg.). His career scoring high of 25 points came at a most opportune time, when the 2004 Bulldogs upended 3rd-ranked Georgia Tech 83-80 in double overtime. Among his other career highlights included his first collegiate 3-pointer, a 30-foot bank shot at the buzzer that won a game for the Bulldogs at Colorado on Dec. 3, 2002.
Two of the three teams on which Hayes played reached post-season play, including the 2002 NCAA Tournament and 2004 NIT.
Native Atlantans, Hayes and his twin brother Jarvis transferred to UGA after playing their freshman seasons at Western Carolina University. Jarvis earned 1st-team All-SEC honors in each of his years at Georgia before he entered the NBA Draft in 2003. He played seasons in the NBA and continues to play professionally overseas.
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