Jeff Jones

Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Minneapolis, Minn.
High School:
Washburn HS

Jeff Jones is in his fifth season on the Minnesota staff and his third as the Gophers' Director of Player Personnel. He had previously served as an assistant coordinator of recruiting operations for two seasons.

In his current role, Jones oversees the day-to-day operation for the football student-athletes and works closely with the coaching, recruiting, academic and communication staffs.

Prior to joining the Gophers, he was the coordinator of academic support at Southern Illinois. Jones managed all academic support for the athletic department and hosted recruits during official visits for football, women's basketball, softball and track and field. Jones began working in academics with football at Southern Illinois as a graduate assistant in 2007.

Jones, who played defensive line, was a member of former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill's first recruiting class at Southern Illinois in 2001. Jones, who was a three-time captain at Southern Illinois, redshirted his freshman year when the Salukis went 1-10. He then helped lead Southern Illinois to records of 4-8, 10-2, 10-2 and 9-4, which included three straight conference championships from 2003-05.

Jones, who grew up in Detroit, Mich., attended St. Martin DePorres high school before receiving his bachelor's degree (2006) and master's degree (2008) from Southern Illinois.