Dale Jones is in his 16th season at Appalachian where he serves as ASU's defensive line coach.

Jones came to Appalachian in 1996 as the team's defensive line coach and special-teams coordinator before moving to work with the linebackers in 2005. During his 15 seasons with the Mountaineers, he has coached nine all-America defensive linemen and linebackers, including four two-time honorees, and 16 all-conference performers that have earned the recognition a total of 28 times. Three of his pupils — Josh Jeffries (2002), K.T. Stovall (2003) and Jacque Roman (2008) — have been named the Southern Conference's Defensive Player of the Year.

In his six seasons as linebackers coach, he has averaged nearly two all-SoCon honorees per season, with Mountaineer 'backers honored 11 times during that span. In 2008, all three starting linebackers — Roman, Pierre Banks and D.J. Smith — garnered all-conference recognition.

In his first season as ASU's defensive coordinator, the Mountaineers ranked third in the SoCon in scoring defense and led the league in sacks and third-down conversion defense.

Ten former Mountaineers coached by Jones have gone on to play in the NFL, including current six-year pro Jason Hunter (Denver Broncos), as well as Mark LeGree (Seattle Seahawks) and Smith (Green Bay Packers), who were drafted following Jones' first year as ASU's defensive coordinator.

In 2002, Jones was named the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year by American Football Monthly.

One of the most popular and decorated players in University of Tennessee history, Jones was an all-American and two-time all-SEC performer as a linebacker for the Vols from 1983-86. He is best known as the defensive leader of UT's 1985 squad, which won the Southeastern Conference championship and stunned No. 2 Miami (Fla.), 35-7, in the 1986 Sugar Bowl. Jones' fourth-quarter interception of Alabama's Mike Shula that sealed the Vols' 16-14 win over the Crimson Tide remains one of the most memorable moments of Tennessee's run to the 1985 SEC title.

Jones graduated from UT in 1988 and began his coaching career as an assistant under legendary head coach Johnny Majors at his alma mater in 1989. He went on to serve one-year stints with the Parma Panthers of the Italian American Football League (1990) and the University of Florida (1991) before a five-year tenure at Georgia Military College, including the final four seasons as defensive coordinator.

One of 13 children in his family (six brothers and six sisters), Jones is married to the former Donna Hall. The couple has a daughter, Brooke.

JONES AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
1989: Tennessee (Defensive Assistant)
1990: Parma Panthers (Defensive Coordinator)
1991: Florida (Defensive Assistant)
1991-95: Georgia Military (Linebackers and Defensive Backs)
1992-95: Georgia Military (Defensive Coordinator)
1996-2004: Appalachian State (Defensive Line/Special Teams)
2005-09: Appalachian State (Linebackers)
2010: Appalachian State (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2011: Appalachian State (Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers)
Playing Experience
1983-86: Tennessee (LB)
Alma Mater: Tennessee, 1988
Hometown: Cleveland, Tenn.
Wife: Donna (Hall)
Daughter: Brooke