Former head baseball coach Rick Jones was named National Coach of the Year by Baseball America magazine June 30. Jones, in his 12th season as head coach at Tulane University, led the Green Wave to a school-record 56 wins in 2005 and its second College World Series appearance. Tulane was the top-ranked team in Baseball America’s preseason poll and earned the top national seed in postseason play.
Jones has led Tulane to eight straight NCAA postseason appearances and five Conference USA tournament championships.
A native of nearby Bennett, N.C., Jones compiled a 174-64 record as Elon’s head coach from 1985-89. He was named NAIA National Coach of the Year after leading Elon to the NAIA World Series in 1989. His 1985 team stole a school-record 164 bases, and the 1986 squad hit .364 for the season, still a school record.