St. John Neumann coach Damon Jones steps down to watch his son Jensen lead Air Force
After 13 years as a head football coach in Southwest Florida, St. John Neumann's Damon Jones knew it was time to step away, especially with his son ready to take flight.
Jones' son Jensen won the starting quarterback job as a senior at Air Force, and Damon plans to be out in Colorado Springs watching. Jones will remain on staff as the school’s athletic director.
"He's worked his tail off and after being the backup last year as earned the starting quarterback spot this year," said Jones, who went 46-25 in seven seasons leading the Celtics and 79-52 overall with stops at CSN and Riverdale. "I had to wait until they finalized the kickoff times which they don’t do until late June. As a dad, I have to be at those games this season and after working on travel I would have had to miss at least five Fridays here. I decided it wouldn’t be fair to my players to miss.
"This program is my baby. Like I told the boys, I love them and want them to be the best. Our job is to teach them to be responsible men, good husbands, good teammates, and coworkers, and really important in this day of age, good fathers. They along with my parents completely understood why I needed to step back."
Taking Jones' place will be Rich Crosby, who coached with Jones at CSN from 2010-13. Crosby was the Seahawks' offensive coordinator last season for a program that averaged just under 20 points and 270 yards per game. Crosby will be one of 11 first-year head coaches entering fall camp locally.
"It's very exciting to get this opportunity to join the St. John Neumann family as both a teacher and coach and be part of such strong leadership which all starts with Sister Patricia," Crosby said. "And to be re-connected with Damon who I respect so much, it's truly a blessing for me and my family."
Jones expects the program to remain in good hands, placing his trust in a longtime friend during their time together at Community School. Crosby was brought on in the spring as associate head coach and offensive coordinator, along with overseeing strength and conditioning, all roles which Crosby had under Jones a decade ago.
"Rich is a great football coach and knows the game," Jones said. "He's passionate about it and more important to me, he is passionate about his players. I think that has been a key here is that our players know that not only me but our coaching staff is completely dedicated to them and put in hours and hours because we love them and it is about them, not us.
"I am still going to be there for Rich and the team, helping where I can help, being at every game I can be at… practice if he needs me. I still have a lot of coaching left in me, but this was just the right thing to do. I have a wonderful staff already. Adding Rich and his brother Bob really helped me feel confident that I was doing the right thing."
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: St. John Neumann's Damon Jones steps down after 13 seasons as a SWFL football coach
