U9 (3rd) BLACK

email: james.a.jones7@usmc.mil

Cell: 703-731-3719

James Jones hails from Washington DC. He joined the United States Marine Corps and during his military career he served in both the officer and enlisted ranks. His tours of duty included stints in North Carolina, California, Alabama, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Iraq, Kuwait, and Washington DC.  In 2013, he retired as an LtCol after 30 years of honorable and faithful service to our country.

Known as “Coach Red” to his players has been coaching for over 35 years. This includes stints as head coach or assistant coach with boys, men’s, girls and women’s teams. While in the Marine Corps he coached the 2003 gold medal winning Armed Forces championship team, and won Armed Forces silver medals in 2007, 2009, and 2012. In 2003, he was selected to coach the USA All-Armed Forces team in the Conseil International Du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Military Basketball Championships in Catania, Italy. Established in 1948, CISM is the second largest multi-sport discipline organization in the world after the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  His USA team placed 6th in the world during the tournament.  In 2007, his USA team defeated Croatia and won the bronze medal at the SHAPE International Basketball Championships. Locally, he coaches on the varsity level in the Washington Area Military Athletic Conference (WAMAC).  He has coached his teams to three WAMAC championships and has been selected All-Tournament Coach on three separate occasions.

Several of Coach Red’s former players have gone on to play in college or professionally.

Coach Red joined the Fairfax Stars program in 2016. Taking over a new team he led the 13U boys to championships in the Catoctin Challenge tournament and the Battle of NOVA tournament. His team also placed second in the “A” Game Super Shootout and the Potomac Valley Coaches Memorial Holiday Tournament. His goal is to prepare his players for higher level competition. Coach Red emphasizes that each of his players should display academic excellence, a healthy drug-free life style, consistent teamwork, and sincere respect for all people.  He relies on teaching the fundamentals of the game to improve his players, both on and off the court.

Coach Red’s motto is: “It’s all about WE, and not about ME”.