Former Seventy-First basketball coach Tony Jones tries to rebuild another program
The last 100 days have taught Tony Jones to be patient.
After being relieved of his coaching duties March 23 at Seventy-First, where he led the boys basketball team to three championships and a state runner-up finish in his debut season, Jones is set to take over the program at Village Christian Academy.
“It’s a great sense of relief. Everything happens for a reason, I just had to be patient,” Jones said.
“This whole process has taught me to be patient. It’s definitely exciting to have the opportunity to try to build something there. Definitely relieved, but it taught me a few things in the process.”
Village Christian athletic director Harold Morrison announced the hiring Friday afternoon.
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Jones has led a pair of programs – Seventy-First and UNC Pembroke – to conference championships as a head coach. He aims to continue that trend with the Knights, who have struggled after an impressive run from 2010-20.
“We’re super excited about having Tony as our next coach at Village. He brings a ton to the table in terms of experience with his college background, as well as the success that he had at Seventy-First last year,” Morrison said.
“We’re excited about him and the leader that he is, both with his Christian faith and with the knowledge that he has in the game of basketball. We think he can help take our program to the next level and build on the success we’ve had.”
Kurtis Darden, who coached at Village from 2010-20, led the team to consecutive state championships in 2016-17 and averaged 22.4 wins per season. The Knights have won nine games in two seasons under two coaches since Darden's departure.
“In the past, they’ve had a prominent basketball program. In recent years it’s kind of changed, but I’m trying to get them back to their old ways,” Jones said.
“Being home is nice, but them just having faith in giving me the opportunity has been the best part. The people reminded me of when I was at Pembroke. Everybody there greeted me with a smile.”
Jones was hired in April 2021 at Seventy-First and, in his first season as a high school coach, led the program to United 8 Conference regular-season and tournament titles and an appearance in the state championship for the first time since 2002.
Jones, who was named the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in District 4, led the Falcons to 27 wins.
After the season, in a statement released by Cumberland County Schools, former Seventy-First principal Myron Williams said he and Jones “did not share the same vision.” Soon after he was relieved of his coaching duties, Jones shared his vision and experience at Seventy-First in an exclusive interview with The Fayetteville Observer.
Prior to taking the Seventy-First job, Jones was associate head coach at UNC Pembroke, where he spent six years. As the interim head coach in 2020, Jones led UNCP to its first outright Peach Belt Conference regular-season title and 24 wins.
With a string of chaotic months behind him, including a 100-day job search, Jones is ready to move forward.
“Maybe I was a little too eager at Seventy-First at times, but everything was always for the kids – I’ll never waver from that,” Jones said.
“Throughout this process it’s just been patience and letting things fall where they may. It’s all in God’s hands. It’s all gonna work out in my favor.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Former Seventy-First basketball coach Jones hired at Village Christian
