Amos
Jones enters his third season as the
assistant special teams coach for the Steelers after being hired on Jan. 29,
2007.
Jones, 49, teamed with special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky to
provide the Steelers with the NFL’s top kick coverage unit during the 2008
season. The units were led by gunner Anthony Madison, who led the team with 25
special teams tackles, and rookie Patrick Bailey, who was named the Steelers’
Rookie of the Year for his outstanding work on special teams.
Jones spent the previous three years at Mississippi
State as the special teams/linebackers coach (2004-05) and outside linebackers
coach (2006). Under Jones’ guidance, three linebackers earned Freshman All-SEC
recognition and two punters earned all-conference honors.
In 2006, Jones coached the 10th-rated punt
returner (Derek Pegues) and the 13th-ranked punt return unit in the
NCAA.
A coaching veteran with over 27 years of experience
under his belt, Jones, 48, arrived at Mississippi State from James Madison
University. He spent the 2003 football season as the Dukes’ tight ends and
special teams coach.
Prior to going to James Madison, Jones coached the running backs and
special teams for four years at theUniversity of Cincinnati (1999-2002). During his stay in
the Queen
City, Jones’ handiwork
helped all-American place-kicker Jonathan Ruffin earn the Lou Groza Award as the
nation’s top kicker in 2000. During that same time, his punter, Adam Wulfeck
earned all-Conference USA honors, and he coached a pair of
1,000-yard rushers. Jones helped the Bearcats to three postseason bowl berths,
the 2000 and ‘01 Motor City Bowls and the 2002 New Orleans
Bowl.
Jones, who has coaching experience on the high school,
collegiate and professional levels, coached the linebackers at Tulane University in 1995-96. He spent the 1992 season at the University of Pittsburgh as the kicking game
coordinator.
Jones had two stints of duty
at his alma mater, the
University of
Alabama
. He worked with the Crimson Tide
special teams in 1990-91 under head coach Gene Stallings. In 1990 under his
guidance,
Alabama
had the nation’s top-rated percentage
placekicker (Philip Doyle). A decade earlier, Jones began his coaching career as
a graduate assistant under the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant from
1981-82.
Between his two assignments
in Tuscaloosa, Jones coached first the tight ends (1983-85) and then the
defensive line (1986-88) under current Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce
Arians when he was the head coach at Temple University from 1983-88. During his
stint in
Philadelphia
, he worked with the Owls special
teams as well.
Jones worked one season with
the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League (1997), helping guide
them to a Western Division playoff berth, and has worked in the high school
ranks in Alabama, Florida and Louisiana.
A 1982 graduate of the
University of
Alabama, Jones played
safety and running back for Bryant. He was a member of the 1978 and ‘79 Tide
teams that went 23-1 and earned back-to-back SEC titles, national championships,
and Sugar Bowl crowns. He lettered on the ‘80 team that finished 10-2 with a win
in the ‘81 Cotton Bowl. Jones later earned his master’s degree from Alabama.
Jones, born Dec. 31, 1959,
and his wife Stacey have four children, daughter Samantha (20) and sons Joshua
(16), Nathan (8) and Jeremy (5).
