Mike Jones on UNCG Defensive Identity (EP393)

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, UNC Greensboro head coach Mike Jones joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on their defensive identity.Mike Jones is the head coach at UNC Greensboro, where he has continued his winning tradition with three consecutive 20-win seasons. Prior to joining UNCG in 2021, Jones spent a decade as the head coach at Radford University, leading the Highlanders to 174 wins, two Big South regular season championships in 2019 and 2020, and a Big South tournament title in 2018. That same season, he guided Radford to its third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and was named both Big South Coach of the Year and NABC District 3 Coach of the Year. He earned a second Big South Coach of the Year honor in 2020 and was a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award in 2019.Under Jones, Radford made postseason appearances in the College Basketball Invitational in 2014 and 2015, and recorded five seasons with at least 20 wins. His teams earned notable victories over programs such as Northwestern, Richmond, Notre Dame, and Texas. Before his head coaching tenure, Jones served as an assistant at VCU under Shaka Smart, helping the Rams reach the Final Four and compiling 55 wins over two seasons—the most in any two-year span in program history.Earlier in his career, Jones was an assistant coach at Georgia under Dennis Felton, where he contributed to the Bulldogs’ 2008 SEC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. His coaching journey also includes assistant roles at West Virginia, Richmond, Furman, and Howard, as well as a head coaching stint at Sidwell Friends School. With an overall record of 252–199, Jones has built a reputation for competitive success, player development, and leadership rooted in integrity. His mentors include George Felton and Shaka Smart, both of whom helped shape his approach to coaching at the highest level.