Rodney Jones was introduced as Broken Arrow's head wrestling coach on MondayBroken Arrow Public Schools announced today the resignation of head wrestling coach Shawn Jones after a decorated 14 years at the helm. Jones has accepted a job in the private sector; one that he sees as a new challenge and exciting opportunity for his family. He will finish out the year as a teacher at Broken Arrow High School.
"I came to Broken Arrow in 2005 to lead this wrestling program to a state championship," Jones said. "To be a part of nine state titles in fourteen years, and to accomplish that alongside such great student-athletes, coaches and administration is honestly a dream come true. This new opportunity was one that as a husband and father I couldn't pass up, but I couldn't be any more proud of the future of the Broken Arrow wrestling program and this great school district moving forward."
Under Jones' leadership, the Tiger wrestling program reached new heights. From 2005-2019, Broken Arrow wrestling won four dual state championships, five team state championships, crowned 36 individual state champions, won 12 straight district titles, and amassed a 148-30 dual record: all records for the prestigious program. The Tigers have also been ranked nationally nine times during Jones' 14 years as the head coach.
"We appreciate all that Shawn has meant to Broken Arrow Athletics over the years and, we wish him and his family the very best in this new adventure," said executive director of athletics Steve Dunn. "We didn't have to look very far to identify the next head wrestling coach. In fact, he has been interviewing for the job for the past fourteen years."
Associate head coach Rodney Jones has been named as his older brother's successor. Rodney Jones has spent all 14 years on his brother's staff at Broken Arrow and has been pivotal to the success of the program on the mat. Like his brother, Shawn, Rodney is a social studies teacher on the high school campus.
Rodney Jones was a state champion wrestler at Webster High School where his father, Ernie, was the head coach. The Warriors won back-to-back dual and team state championships his junior and senior seasons. From there, he went won to earn All-American status three times including a runner-up finish as a finalist in the 1998 NCAA National Championship.
Following his collegiate career, Rodney Jones was an assistant coach at OU for five years before spending one year at Mustang High School and then joining the BA staff in 2005.
"I don't have the words to properly explain how excited and grateful I am for this opportunity," Rodney Jones said. "There is absolutely no place like Broken Arrow. The opportunities this district provides our students and teachers is unmatched. It's an honor to be chosen to lead this great program's legacy and championship tradition."
Rodney Jones inherits a Broken Arrow team that returns 81 points and seven state qualifiers from the 2019 state championship team.
"We have ramped up our freestyle wrestling this spring and will spend a lot of time in the weight room this summer in preparation for next season," said Jones.
The Broken Arrow wrestling program is open to 7th through 12 graders and has produced 18 total state championships in its history.
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