Jay Jones enters his 27th season as Rhode Island College's head wrestling coach. The two-time Hall of Famer is inducted into both the New England Division III Wrestling Conference (NEWA) and the Rhode Island Wrestling Association Halls of Fame. He owns a 289-248-1 (.538) career record. Coach is now 30th all-time in the history of NCAA DIII Wrestling and became the winningest coach in program history during the 2016-17 season.
Rhode Island College has the second most NCAA Champions in both the New England Conference (17 teams) and NCAA Region 1 (18 teams). Most recently Nate Lackman won back to back titles at 157 and 165 in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Michael Bonora in 2008 and Billy Cotter in 1994 also reached the top of the NCAA podium.
In a conference dominated by private colleges, Rhode Island College Wrestling is the only state sponsored collegiate institution to win the New England title in over 25 years. Jones’ 2008 team was the last to accomplish this feat. That year he coached NCAA National Champion Michael Bonora, NCAA qualifier Mike Martini, and had 8 all-New England wrestlers make the podium en route to a team championship.
Nine years of tireless work and dedication culminated in RIC’s first New England Championship in 16 years in 2007-08. Jones’ Anchormen wrestlers posted a 16-4 overall record, an 11-3 mark against NEWA opponents. The Anchormen won the New England Championship (NEWA), placing first among 14 teams, which included two individual champions.
Under his tutelage, Mike Bonora won the NCAA National Championship at 141 lbs., only the second RIC grappler to achieve that feat, and only 3rd ever from New England at that time. RIC is tied in the NEWA for most NCAA champs. Rhode Island College finished the season No. 14 in the nation. For his efforts, Jones was named the New England Wrestling Association's Coach of the Year.
RIC finished the 2008-09 season with a 17-6-1 overall record, a 12-3-1 mark against NEWA opposition. The Anchormen finished third at the New England Championships. Two RIC grapplers won their respective weight classes and a total of six Anchormen attained All-New England status.
The Anchormen were close in 2005 and in 2009 earning the third place trophy in New England in those respective campaigns. Coach Jones’ finishes in the NEWA Duals Championships include seven top 5 finishes, including back to back finals appearances in ‘08 & ‘09.
In a career that has surpassed two decades, Jones has coached three National Champions, four NCAA finalists, nine All-Americans, 28 NCAA All-Regional wrestlers, three NCAA Regional Champions along with eight New England Champions, 66 All-New England wrestlers, 24 national qualifiers and 38 Academic All-Americans. He also led the Anchormen to two Pilgrim League Championships (now defunct) in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
During the three-season span from 2014-2016 , Coach Jones’ Anchormen earned four All-American honors out of five qualifiers (80% success rate making the podium at the NCAA’s), including a national finalist. In 2016, Rhode Island College came back from Iowa with two all-Americans as the Anchormen finished 29th at the NCAA Div. III National Championships after finishing 22nd in 2015.
From 2003-2012 Jones’ teams went ten straight seasons with winning records. The best dual meet year was 2004-05; he led the Rhode Island College wrestling team to a 16-3 overall record and was 11-1 in the NEWA. At the NEWA Championships the Anchormen took home third place. It was the highest finish for the RIC grapplers since the 1992-93 squad also placed third. In addition, RIC had seven wrestlers attain All-New England status.
As recently as 2017, the Anchormen had two NCAA National Championship Individual qualifiers, who were only seeded 6th at the regional, yet both made the top 3 earning a trip to Wisconsin.
In 2013-14, Jones helped RIC send two qualifiers to the NCAA National Championships. Four Anchormen placed in the top five in their respective weight classes and earned All-NCAA Northeast Regional honors at the 2014 NCAA Regional Championships in Middletown, Conn. Rhode Island College finished seventh overall (18 teams) with a score of 59.5. Earlier in the year, RIC took first place (15 teams) with a score of 128.0 at the 2014 Mt. St. Vincent Dolphin Invitational on Jan. 18, while also placing fourth (17 teams) with a score of 117.5 at the Doug Parker Invitational on Nov. 23.
In 2003, Jones was named the Rhode Island Man of the Year by Wrestling USA Magazine, earning the award for taking RIC wrestling from the bottom to the top. He was also named the NEWA's Rookie Coach of the Year in '99-00 when he inherited a team that was 0-13 overall and finished 14th in New England in 1998-99.
Prior to coming to RIC, Jones was the Head Wrestling Coach at Barrington High School in 1997-98 and 1998-99. The team placed eighth at the State Championships, tying a school record, in ‘98-99. Before taking the Head Coach’s position, Jones was an Assistant Coach at BHS from 1992-95 and again in 1996-97. During his seven-year stint at Barrington High School, he coached a total of four State Champions, four New England place-finishers and one New England Champion. The team won several league championships and BHS placed fifth at the New England High School Championships in 1997.
He graduated from Rhode Island College with a bachelor of arts degree in communications in 1994. He earned an additional bachelor’s degree in secondary education from RIC, graduating magna cum laude with honors in teaching, in 1999.
While an undergraduate at RIC, Jones was a four-year letter-winner for the Anchormen as a wrestler from 1988-92. He competed at 118 pounds as a freshman and sophomore, 126 pounds as a junior and 142 pounds as a senior. He was a member of four straight New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Championship squads at RIC in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992. Jones also played four years on the RIC baseball team as a second baseman.
In addition to his coaching duties, Jones is an English and Media Studies teacher at Cranston West High School.
Jones is the proud father of a daughter Haley and he resides in Saunderstown with his wife Francine and son Brady.
