Jones starting new chapter as Science Hill cross country coach

As Wes Jones enters his 30th year of coaching, he's ready to embrace a new challenge. Jones became Science Hill's new cross country coach earlier this week and is excited about the opportunity to coach a new sport. As the school's track & field coach, Jones hopes to provide some continuity for distance runners who compete in cross country in the fall and track in the spring. "It was a good opportunity to get all the running under one umbrella, so to speak," Jones said. "We had a lot of the same kids running cross country who'd run track for us. I just thought it would be a good opportunity to step in and have some stability and a familiar face." The move will require a sacrifice on Jones' part. Since cross country is a fall sport, he will not be able to serve as an assistant coach on Science Hill's football team, and that will be a huge adjustment for a guy who played the sport through college and served as a head coach on the high school level for two decades. "That's the hard part for me," he said. "It's my first year since I was 5 years old that I won't have a football season. My son (Marcus Jones) is a junior on the team and a returning starter. I talked to a lot of folks that are in my position who are 30 years into it, and they said 'You're going to enjoy it in a different kind of way.' I'm going to cross that bridge." Jones has helped track & field athletes find a lot of success during his time running the track & field program at Science Hill. This spring was particularly fruitful with 22 athletes qualifying for the state meet. They combined to bring 20 medals back to Johnson City. But once upon a time, track & field was an unknown for Jones. When he took his first coaching job after earning his degree and wrapping up his football career at ETSU, the principal called him in and asked him what he knew about the sport. "'Run hard, turn left," Jones responded. "He said, 'Great, you're hired. You're going to start a men's and women's track program.' That's how my career started out," Jones said. "I can't say turn left in cross country. They'll get lost." Jones said he was blessed to work alongside Bryan Brown when they started a track & field program at the school back in 2008. He spent 11 seasons assisting Brown in track while also serving as Hardin Valley's head football coach. As a head coach at Hardin Valley, Brown won a combined 11 state championships in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field. "I consider Bryan one of the best track & field and cross country coaches I've ever been around," Jones said. "I've been very, very fortunate to have been around some of the people I've been around in track & field." Jones has not yet been a cross country coach for a week, but he hit the ground running. He said he's leaned on a lot of good people and is ready to give his runners a summer training plan when he meets with them for the first time on Monday. "We've got a really nice plan in place to get the kids training," Jones said. "We're excited with the opportunity. We're going to do like we've done in track. We're focusing more on the essentials, less on the fluff, and building a team for them. I'm pretty excited for the challenge." Of course, Jones will have to adjust when the Friday night lights coming on without him this fall, but he's excited to feel the adrenaline that comes through helping his cross country athletes reach their potential. "I'm sure I'll be a little antsy on Friday nights, and I'll probably be sneaking down some after practice to watch a few periods," he said. "(Cross country) may be something that is new to me, but I'm going attack it with the same excitement and vigor."