Scott Springer with Anderson coach Adam Jones The Enquirer/Scott Springer
UPDATED: After leading Anderson High School’s boys soccer program to unprecedented heights, Adam Jones is ready for his next challenge.
The reigning Eastern Cincinnati Conference Coach of the Year was introduced Thursday, Jan. 11, as the new head coach of Thomas More College’s men’s soccer program.
More: Anderson soccer tops St. Xavier in double overtime to reach regional final
“I’ve gotten into coaching because I want to impact kids and help them any way I can. I look at the transition from high school to college as being a really difficult time. People don’t talk about that difficulty of going from home to this strange new place,” Jones said. “People need that mentor, that guidance. I’d love to try to be a transformative coach in the college game like I was in the high school game. If I can do that and build a culture that revolves around brotherhood, commitment, and hard work, where we have people that care about each other, I can continue to make a big impact in the community.”
Jones earned Coach of the Year honors following each of his three seasons at the helm of the Redskins program. He guided the squad to 47 wins, four ties, and nine losses. Anderson improved each season, winning the ECC in 2016 and 2017. The Redskins advanced to the state quarterfinals this past season, falling to eventual state champion Beavercreek, 3-2.
“His amount of passion and his success that he’s had at a Division I high school level in Cincinnati (set him apart),” Saints athletic director Terry Connor said. “He brings a ton of energy. His passion really came through in the interview.”
The wins and records are impressive, but Jones’s impact on the Anderson community extended far beyond the soccer field. The English teacher created a culture of brotherhood and family that helped foster the success on the pitch.
“I think he’s got a lot to offer not just soccer-wise, but outside of soccer,” Connor said. “I think he’s got a lot to offer to these young men.”
Those bonds formed on and off the field made this a difficult day for Jones to say goodbye to his team at Anderson.
“It was gut-wrenching. You build these strong ties and strong relationships,” he said. “Even though I’m not going far, it’s different. It’s going to be a change for them.”
One of his players Matt Fickenworth, a Xavier University commit, said he was like a brother to them.
"I don't know if I'll meet another coach as passionate and caring as he is. He instilled this relationship-driven coaching style, which set our team apart. We were suddenly a family, a brotherhood. He taught me countless life lessons, and how to grow off the field, especially as a leader. He poured his heart into working with and for us, and for that I'm grateful of him."
Jones orchestrated a dramatic turnaround of a program that won just nine matches in the three years prior to his arrival. He led Anderson to top 10 rankings in the state in 2016 and 2017, and a national top 25 ranking in 2017. The Redskins will have big shoes to fill on the sideline, but have plenty of momentum. During Jones’s three-year tenure, the Redskins were the winningest program in Cincinnati. He created a culture, and now it is on the returning players he led to maintain it.
“He has been a huge help in the transformation of our culture, not just of our boys soccer program, but our whole school. We’ve got a lot of pieces of the puzzle, and he’s been a huge one,” Anderson athletic director Chris Newton said.
“The reason why Adam has this opportunity and chance to move to this next level is because of (our players). If it wasn’t for their work effort and success rate, he wouldn’t have this opportunity. We’re going to have somebody that is incredibly lucky because they’re going to come into a program that is ready to go.”
Taking this leap and challenging himself is Jones’s way of practicing what he’s been preaching to his Anderson players for the past three years. He hopes that this decision is seen as an example that his players can be proud of.
“We constantly need to be looking to put ourselves in uncomfortable positions. We need to put ourselves in positions that challenge us,” said Jones. “If I didn’t take this opportunity, I’d be hypocritical. They know that I’m going to be their coach forever. That’s something that I can be proud of and makes me feel better during a difficult day like today.”
Said Newton, “We’re sad in one way, but I’m excited for the opportunity Adam has as a young coach. We want our coaches to always strive to be better and better and better. Once he interviewed, there was no doubt in my mind he was going to get the job. I knew from the first five minutes that I interviewed him (three years ago) that we were going to do everything we could to make him our head coach. It’s that kind of personality he has. Kids want to surround him and be successful for him.
“Thomas More is getting a huge hire right there. They are incredibly lucky.”
While he had to rebuild a program and create a culture at Anderson, Jones now takes over a program already on solid footing. The Saints won their seventh PAC championship last season and made their eighth NCAA tournament appearance.
“What I told the boys today at Thomas More is I’m not coming here and fixing what isn’t broken. They’ve had a lot of success, they have a tradition of excellence and an administration that supports a culture of winning,” said Jones. “We’re going to try to continue to create a culture in which the kids continue to work hard. We hope this becomes more than a sport and more than a team to them. It’s about winning and building relationships, and those are intertwined.”
While this will be just his second head coaching job and first at the collegiate level, Jones has strong ties to the Greater Cincinnati soccer community. His tenure as a trainer and coach in the Cincinnati United Premier program will give him a leg up in recruiting.
“I look for him to continue the success that we’ve had here,” Connor said. “He hasn’t recruited before, but we think those ties will help him in recruiting.”
The Mason High School alum becomes the latest Saints coaching hire with roots in the area. Conner grad Trevor Stellman was recently named the program’s new head football coach, while Anderson grad Chris Norwell was elevated to associate head football coach. Jones fits the pattern of a young, energetic coach who is directly invested in the community.
“Our coaches are ingrained in this community. I think that’s very important with what we do,” said Connor. “We’re not only here to win games. We’re here to be a part of the community and that’s something our coaches are very successful at. They really enjoy being a part of the community here.”
Soccer’s popularity is at an all-time high in this area, and Jones is excited to bring his energy to the college level. Rather than just focusing on one high school program, he can now impact and work with all of the local high school and club teams in region.
“We see what soccer is like in Cincinnati right now with FC Cincinnati, the great club teams and local universities that we see. I already have great relationships with the Cincinnati high school soccer coaches,” Jones said. “Those are all things that will help benefit Thomas More.”