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SPORTS HALL of FAME COACH
John D. Jack Jones

John D. Jack Jones Jack was a 1959 graduate of Taylor High School in Taylor, PA. He began his athletic career playing football and basketball in high school and in his senior year he was chosen to play in the "Dream Game" in both sports. In his senior basketball season, he averaged 23.5 points per game and helped lead his team to a league championship; the school's first in twentyfive years. He then attended East Stroudsburg State College and participated in four years of basketball and in 1963 he graduated from East Stroudsburg State with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education.

In the fall of 1963, Jack began his teaching/coaching career at Liberty Central School in Liberty, NY. He taught health and physical education in grades 7-12 and coached football, basketball, track and field and tennis. While at Liberty, he had championship teams in football, basketball and tennis. His 1967-68 basketball team won the League Championship and the Section IX Class 'C' Championship. He was also chosen Coach of the Year for this season.

Jack moved to the Sidney Central School system in the fall of 1968 and he taught physical education in grades K-6 and 9-12. He served as an assistant Varsity football coach and the Varsity boys basketball coach until 1979. As the basketball coach, he developed one of the strongest programs in New York State. Some of his teams' accomplishments included:


  • Overall record: 189 wins; 42 losses; 81%
  • Teams won 8 straight Susquenango league championships (1971-72 to 1978-79)
  • 4 Section IV Championships ('72-'73, '74-'75, '77-'78 and '78-'79)
  • 3 NYSPHSAA Regional Championships ('74-'75, '77-'78 and '78-'79)
  • 1 NYSPHSAA Class 'B' Championship ('78-'79)
  • "This '78-'79 team was also chosen #1 small school in New York State
  • 34 straight games won between '72-'73 and '73-'74 season
  • 46 straight league games won between '74-'75 and '77-'78 seasons
  • 112 out of their last 116 games that he coached were victories
  • He also won 4 Coach of the Year Awards -'72-'73, '74-'75, '77-'78 and '78-'79

He will also be inducted into the New York State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in March of 2005 for his success at Sidney High School.

In the 1979-80 school year, Jack became the Assistant High School Principal and Director of Physical Education and Athletics at Sidney. He also served as the Susquenango Athletic Secretary and the Susquenango League Representative to Section IV until 1987. He became the Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics at Vestal Central School from 198789. In 1989, he moved to Norwich City Schools as their Director of Physical Education and Athletics and he was chosen "Athletic Director of the Year" in 1996-97 by the New York State Athletic Administrators Association. After 37 1/2 years in the education field, Jack retired on August 30, 2000 from Norwich schools.

Jack remains involved in athletics as the Section IV Boys Athletic representative for the New York Public High School Athletic Association, a position that he has held since 1985. He serves on the Section IV Executive Committee, Appeals Committee, Chairman of Classification Committee and the Hall of Fame Committee. He was inducted into the Section IV Hall of Fame in 2001. He also serves on the New York State Public High School Athletic Association's Executive Committee, Classification of Non-Public Schools Committee and the Championship Advisory Philosophy Committee.

Jack has been married to his wife Judy for 41 years. They are the proud parents of three children - Kimberly, Gary and Derek. Jack and Judy are also the proud grandparents of five - Tommy, Ryan, Sean, Trevor and Baylee.