ELSAH, IL – Rusty Jones is retiring after nine years as head coach of the Principia College Men's Tennis team.
Jones had incredible success with the program, beginning his tenure by winning five consecutive SLIAC championships from 2016-2021. After the team came up just short in 2022 and 2023, Jones ended his career on top once again by leading the Panthers to the UMAC championship this spring. He took home conference Coach of the Year honors six times, and the SLIAC named Jones and his predecessor, Casey Reynolds, Coaches of the Decade for 2010-2019.
Jones' athletes won conference Player of the Year six times and conference Newcomer of the Year four times. Two of his teams qualified for the NCAA DIII National Tournament in 2019 and 2024, and he coached three-time conference Player of the Year Daniel Gomez to the NCAA DIII Singles Tournament in 2021, when Gomez was regionally ranked.
Prior to his time at Principia College, Jones served two stints on the Principia School campus. From 1984-1988, he was the boys varsity tennis coach at the Upper School and led them to their first ever Missouri state championship in 1985. The team finished third in the state tournament in 1987 and won three district titles under Jones, while he was also serving as a house parent in the boys dormitory.
After becoming certified as a Tennis Professional and then an Elite Professional by the USPTA in the 1990s, Jones coached USTA men's and women's club teams in New England for several years. In 2011, he returned to the Principia School campus so that his daughters could attend Principia. He worked in the advancement office and coached JV girls tennis until taking the job as head men's coach at the College in 2015.
Reflecting back on his time at Principia, Jones says, "The opportunity for tennis to become a vehicle to make a difference in the lives of our student athletes over the years has been the one thing that's motivated this work. I would like to express my deep gratitude for the three athletic directors under whom I served: Dr. Lee Ellis, Dr. Pete Paciorek, and Ann Pierson. All three taught me many things, promoted my professional growth as a coach, and supported this highest point of my tennis career in countless ways."
"Rusty will be missed dearly," says Pierson. "He is an amazing coach and an even better person. We were so blessed to have him in our department and wish him, his wife Pam, and their daughters well as they move forward to new adventures."
"My gratitude for the countless blessings that resulted from my time served in this role knows no bounds; they are gifts and memories I will always treasure," says Jones. "Thank you, Principia, for everything you contributed to my life."
Longtime assistant for the men's tennis program, Todd Zimmerman, will take over as interim head coach for the 2024-25 season.
