Coker Names Jones Head Women’s Soccer Coach

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College has named Thom Jones as its head women's soccer coach, Dr. Lynn Griffin, vice president of athletics and athletic facilities announced today. 

"We are excited to welcome Thom and his family to Coker," stated Griffin. "He has been very successful at Campbellsville building a solid program and we look forward to watching him continue to build our women's soccer program." 

Jones comes to Coker after spending the last 11 years as the head coach at Campbellsville University. During his time at Campbellsville, Jones recorded a career record of 132-82-12. In 2015, Jones led the Lady Tigers to their eighth-consecutive winning season by recording the most wins in program history (19), highest win percentage (.863), shutouts (15), assists (47) and goals (75). Jones also led Campbellsville to their first NAIA National Tournament appearance in school history in 2015. In just a two-year span, Jones picked up Campbellsville's first three NAIA All-Americans between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Jones was also named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year in 2010. 

In all, Jones coached 50 Mid-South Conference All-Conference selections, 39 NCCAA Mid-East All-Region Team selections, two MSC Athlete's of the Year, three NCCAA Mid-East Regional Player's of the Year and two NCCAA All-Americans. 

Student-athletes under Jones have not only excelled on the field, but in the classroom as well. Under Jones, the Campbellsville women's soccer team was selected as an NSCAA Scholar Team (3.5 or higher team cumulative GPA) through the 2012-2016 seasons. Additionally, Jones developed two Academic All-Americans, two Capital One Academic All-Americans, 93 MSC Academic All-Conference selections, and 51 NAIA Academic Scholar-Athletes. 

"I first want to thank Dr. Wyatt and Dr. Griffin for giving me this opportunity to be a part of the Coker family," said Jones. "My family and I are excited for this new chapter in our lives.  I can't wait to start working with my team and getting them prepared for the 2018 season. I believe with the group that is already in place and with the recruits that I will bring in, this team will make an instant impact within the Coker, Hartsville, and soccer communities." 

Prior to Campbellsville, Jones coached eight years at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA), in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He began his head coaching career as the boys' and girls' varsity soccer coach at Hilton Head Christian Academy (HHCA) in South Carolina. 

Jones most recently earned his M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Campbellsville in 2013. He graduated from Cedarville University in 1992 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Biblical Studies. At Cedarville, Jones was a four-year varsity player for the men's soccer team. He was named team captain and Most Valuable Player for the 1991 season.