BU Officially Introduces New Head Coach Joe Jones
BOSTON (AP/CBS) -- Joe Jones was ready to enter his second season as the associate coach at Boston College when something happened a few miles away that sparked his interest.
Now, just three weeks later, Jones is the 25th coach at Boston University, replacing old friend Patrick Chambers, who ended a successful two-year run with the Terriers by taking the same position at Penn State earlier this month.
"I'd like to thank Pat Chambers, a dear friend, who I think did a tremendous job here," Jones, 45, said Monday at his BU welcoming press conference, "and we're really looking to build on the excitement that Pat brought to this program."
It won't be easy. The Terriers, who won 21 games in both seasons under Chambers, will lose America East Player of the Year John Holland, but will return the rest of last season's team that advanced to the NCAA tournament.
Dan Roche with new BU head coach Joe Jones:
Included in that crop is forward Jake O'Brien, who missed much of last season with a foot injury. He will play his senior season, and will finish his career having served under three different coaches.
O'Brien was recruited by, and played his first year under, Dennis Wolff, who was fired after the 2008-09 season. Chambers took over, and led the Terriers to the CBI in his first season, and the America East title last season. BU dropped a 72-53 decision to Kansas in the second round of the NCAA, as a No. 16 seed. It was the Terriers' first tournament appearance since 2002.
Now the Boston baton is passed to Jones, a former Villanova assistant and former coach at Columbia from 2003-10.
"Fortunately for me," O'Brien said, "I can say I played for three great coaches."
"For some of these guys to have three or four coaches in their careers, that is really tough," said Jones. "I think the big thing is to start the relationship the right way. Express to them that this is their team. I'm here to help them to get to where they want to go as a team."
Jones, who worked last year under Steve Donahue at BC, will bring an up-tempo style of play to the America East.
"We will play fast and we will play very hard," he said. "It's important that we will play unselfishly. I'm really looking forward to being on the floor and working with these young men."
Athletic director Mike Lynch said the coaching search attracted interest from "roughly 50 coaches." He talked to 12 and interviewed seven.
"I talked to many people in college sports, inside basketball and out, and I couldn't find one thing I didn't like about Joe Jones," Lynch said. "Everything that I learned about Joe was positive. It was enthusiastic. Everybody that I talked to was enthusiastic about Joe. They practically came through the phone at us about what a great guy he would be to bring to Boston University. And that's exactly the type of person that I want to bring into this program."
After Chambers left, Lynch said he didn't want BU to continue to be a stepping-stone job for a coach on the way up.
Clarifying Monday, he said the goal is to elevate the program to the point where coaches wouldn't want to move on. Long known as a hockey school, Lynch is committed to establishing his basketball program as a mid-major power in the mold of Gonzaga.
"At the end of the day," he said, "we got the perfect guy to lead us."
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
