Zeke Jones Promoted

April 22, 2004

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Zeke Jones has been promoted to Assistant Head Coach for the West Virginia University wrestling team, head coach Craig Turnbull announced today.

“Zeke has done a tremendous job in representing both the university and the wrestling program since his arrival,” says Turnbull. “He has contributed in all areas and has earned the distinction of a head coach. It is only fitting that he be rewarded with this title change.”

Jones recently completed his sixth season with the Mountaineers and is one of the finest wrestling coaches in the country. In his six years with the Mountaineers, WVU has produced 39 NCAA qualifiers, 11 EWL tournament champions, seven All-Americans and two individual national championships. West Virginia has also won two EWL dual meet championships and two tournament crowns.

In December, USA Wrestling named Jones to the Olympic Freestyle wrestling coaching staff for the 2004 United States Olympic team that will participate in Athens, Greece. Jones has also coached several U.S. men’s freestyle teams.

He has competed all over the world and is recognized as one of the top wrestlers at 114.5 pounds. His list of accomplishments include a silver medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a gold medal at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia, and a first-place finish at the 1991 World Freestyle Wrestling championships in Bulgaria. He is one of only two Americans to be honored as the “Most Technical Wrestler in the World” by FILA, the Federation for International Wrestling.

Jones came to WVU from Arizona State, but before his tenure with the Sun Devils, he coached two years as an assistant coach at Bloomsburg. He is currently a coach of the Sunkist Kids Club.

A 1990 graduate of Arizona State, Jones was a three-time All-American; his 134 wins rank third on the school’s all-time win list. He holds the ASU record for most dual match victories in a season with 22 (1989-90). While wrestling at ASU, Jones won three Pac-10 championships at 118 pounds and was runner-up at the 1990 NCAA championship after an undefeated season.

While a coach at Arizona State, Jones help lead the Sun Devils to a 60-37 record and four Pac 10 titles. He is one of the top 100 athletes of all-time as selected by The Arizona Republic. In July of 2003, Jones was named to the Amateur Wrestling News ASU's Modern-Era Mat Team. Amateur Wrestling News selected Arizona State's wrestling program for a continuing series that looks at the top competitors in a selected programs' history. Jones was selected among the first-team selections at 118/125 pounds.

A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., Jones wrestled to a 111-6 record while at Huron High and was a three-time prep All-American. He is a member of the Huron High hall of fame, the Michigan Wrestling hall of fame and was named to the “Dream Team” by Wrestling USA. Jones resides in Morgantown and is engaged to be married in June to Renee Campbell.


Return to the WV-Mat WVU Main Page