New Safeties Coach Jason Jones Meshing Well with Players and Coaches

Image: Ole Miss Athletics

Written by Andrew Walker

On January 19, head coach Tom Allen hired Jason Jones as safeties coach. Jones hopes to bring some new energy and physicality to the program, having spent over 10 years in the SEC and the Big 12. Jones and Allen spent two seasons together at Ole Miss on the staff. 

As for the 2020 Indiana Hoosiers, Jones is optimistic for the future with these guys he’s coaching. Jones, luckily, was able to get some quality time with the guys. Jones, on his few meetings with the guys, “We sat down and tried to get to know them as a person just outside of football. Even though we only had four practices, I was still able to spend one-on-one time with them” Jones said in a teleconference this week, “once I went through the whole group, then we had a second meeting where we just sat down and just talked.”

Jones has been enjoying working with the other coaches so far, especially the other defensive coaches Kasey Teegardin and Brandon Shelby. Jones, on the collaboration between them, “Being a new guy coming in, you're trying to get a feel for the guys in your room and also the guys that are players in the secondary. What's their strengths and what's their weaknesses and things like that,” Jones said of being the new guy.

“Brandon and Kasey, they've been great” Jones added, “they, for the most part, have just welcomed me with open arms. I can pick up the phone and call either one of them. They'll help me. I actually enjoy it. It's like three guys functioning as one. In the back end, we're the 4-2-5, so we have five DBs playing at the same time. I think what's going to help us take that next step from being good to great is now we have more eyes on those guys.”

The ability for some players to play different positions is the vital part of any defense. Jones recognizes that about the Hoosier defense and will take advantage of it as much as possible. “I think it actually helps them because when like Jamar (Johnson), Jamar was a husky for us, the husky. The husky most of the time plays aligned to the field. He's always working with the field corner and the rover and we moved him to free safety, so now he's on the other side of the defense. He's working with the sting linebacker and the boundary corner and things like that. I think it expands his football IQ and it helps him to understand the defense as a whole.”