Indiana will hire Florida Atlantic defensive backs coach Jason Jones as its next safeties coach, a source confirmed with TheHoosier.com on Thursday.
Of Jones' 13 seasons coaching at the FBS level, 12 of his teams have made bowl appearances.
Indiana will hire Florida Atlantic defensive backs coach Jason Jones as its next safeties coach, a source confirmed with TheHoosier.com on Thursday. Current safeties coach Kasey Teegardin will shift to special teams coordinator.
Jones has coached at the FBS level for 13 seasons, the bulk of his time being spent at Mississippi, where he worked with Indiana head coach Tom Allen for the 2014 season when Allen was the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator for the Rebels. Dave Wommack, the father of Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, was the defensive coordinator for Ole Miss in 2014 as well. The trio formed part of the 2014 Ole Miss defense that led the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 16 points per game.
Jones eventually coached Ole Miss for five seasons, as the team's cornerbacks coach for four seasons and then the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 2018.
In total, he has spent time at Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Rice, Alabama and Florida Atlantic.
His relationship with Florida Atlantic defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer during their days together under Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State brought him to Lane Kiffin's former program, where in 2019, Jones' secondary recorded 22 interceptions – both the nation's highest total and a program record.
Also included in Jones' resume is Rice's first bowl appearance in 45 years, when he was the cornerbacks coach in 2006. The Tulsa defense he contributed to as cornerbacks coach in 2005 was third in the nation in takeaways (36), and 13 came via interceptions by cornerbacks.
The defenses he contributed to at Oklahoma State in 2010 and 2011 ranked No. 1 and No. 5 nationally, respectively, in turnovers forced, as well. In the three-year span he coached at Oklahoma State (2009-11), the Cowboys recorded the second-most takeaways in the nation, with 130.
In the 13 seasons he's coached at the FBS level, 12 of Jones teams have made bowl appearances.
Teegardin's move to special teams coordinator comes after former special teams coordinator William Inge was hired onto Fresno State's staff by Kalen DeBoer as the team's defensive coordinator.
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