MBB | Gael Basketball Alumnus Rob Jones ’12 Returns to Moraga to Join Coaching Staff
4/28/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — While Saint Mary's head men's basketball coach Mickey McConnell is hard at work building his 2026-27 roster, he has also been putting together his first coaching staff while at the helm in Moraga. The latest addition to that staff is a familiar face to many Gaels fans as former standout Rob Jones will make his return to Saint Mary's as an assistant coach.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rob and his family back to Moraga. He has a proven ability to develop and connect with our players and brings an abundance of experience both as a player and as a coach to our program." said Coach McConnell, "Rob's passion for teaching and building relationships makes him a perfect fit for our program. We are excited for his return to Moraga."
Jones spent the past four seasons on Eran Ganot's staff for the University of Hawai'i, helping the Rainbow Warriors to an 81-50 record in that time, including the 2026 Big West Tournament Title and NCAA Tournament appearance. While at UH, Jones worked with the Rainbow Warrior wing and post players, while also concentrating on the team phases of rebounding and defense, both long time staples in Moraga.
Prior to his stop in the Aloha State, Jones spent one year working under Mike Magpayo at UC Riverside, helping the Highlanders to a 16-12 record that featured a then program-record nine Big West Conference wins. With UCR, Jones had both recruiting and coaching responsibilities, helping continue the program's rich success recruiting from the Bay Area, and working both on and off the court with the program's bigs, focusing on skill development and academic success.
"I'm incredibly excited to be back home at Saint Mary's and join this staff. Moraga has always meant so much to me and my family, so this opportunity is truly special," Jones said. "Mickey is an outstanding leader, and I'm looking forward to working alongside him as we continue to build this program to the next level."
After a five year professional career that spanned through Poland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Luxembourg and Australia, Jones returned to his alma mater to begin his coaching career. He spent both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns as a Graduate Assistant, completing his post grad studies while helping the Gaels to a 52-18 record in that span, before being promoted to Director of Player Development, where he served for two more seasons (2019-20, 2020-21). In his time on staff in Moraga, Jones worked with some of the all-time Gael greats, including Jordan Ford, Jock Landale, Logan Johnson, Tommy Kuhse and Alex Ducas.
A graduate of Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, Jones began his collegiate career at the University of San Diego, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG over 67 contests, and helping the Toreros to the 2008 WCC Tournament Title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, upsetting fourth-seeded UConn in the opening round.
He transferred to Saint Mary's ahead of the 2009-10 season, sitting out the mandatory one year at the time, before bursting onto the scene in the 2010-11 season. Jones finished as the Gaels' second-leading scorer (behind only McConnell) and led the squad in rebounding, en route to a share of the 2011 WCC Title. His encore performance in 2011-12 was even more impressive, averaging a double-double with 15.0 PPG and 10.8 RPG, leading the WCC in rebounding, and finishing second on the team in scoring, behind only Matthew Dellavedova. The Gaels won both the WCC Regular Season and Tournament Titles in 2012 for the first time since 1997 that year, and made their seventh NCAA Tournament in program history. He earned first team All-WCC honors in both of his seasons in Moraga, paired with a WCC All-Freshman nod while at San Diego to cap off a brilliant collegiate resume.
A native of San Francisco, Jones returns to the Bay for the first time since his first stint with the Gaels. He and his wife Nicole have two daughters, Skye and Shay.
#GaelsRise
"We are thrilled to welcome Rob and his family back to Moraga. He has a proven ability to develop and connect with our players and brings an abundance of experience both as a player and as a coach to our program." said Coach McConnell, "Rob's passion for teaching and building relationships makes him a perfect fit for our program. We are excited for his return to Moraga."
Jones spent the past four seasons on Eran Ganot's staff for the University of Hawai'i, helping the Rainbow Warriors to an 81-50 record in that time, including the 2026 Big West Tournament Title and NCAA Tournament appearance. While at UH, Jones worked with the Rainbow Warrior wing and post players, while also concentrating on the team phases of rebounding and defense, both long time staples in Moraga.
Prior to his stop in the Aloha State, Jones spent one year working under Mike Magpayo at UC Riverside, helping the Highlanders to a 16-12 record that featured a then program-record nine Big West Conference wins. With UCR, Jones had both recruiting and coaching responsibilities, helping continue the program's rich success recruiting from the Bay Area, and working both on and off the court with the program's bigs, focusing on skill development and academic success.
"I'm incredibly excited to be back home at Saint Mary's and join this staff. Moraga has always meant so much to me and my family, so this opportunity is truly special," Jones said. "Mickey is an outstanding leader, and I'm looking forward to working alongside him as we continue to build this program to the next level."
After a five year professional career that spanned through Poland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Luxembourg and Australia, Jones returned to his alma mater to begin his coaching career. He spent both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns as a Graduate Assistant, completing his post grad studies while helping the Gaels to a 52-18 record in that span, before being promoted to Director of Player Development, where he served for two more seasons (2019-20, 2020-21). In his time on staff in Moraga, Jones worked with some of the all-time Gael greats, including Jordan Ford, Jock Landale, Logan Johnson, Tommy Kuhse and Alex Ducas.
A graduate of Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, Jones began his collegiate career at the University of San Diego, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG over 67 contests, and helping the Toreros to the 2008 WCC Tournament Title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, upsetting fourth-seeded UConn in the opening round.
He transferred to Saint Mary's ahead of the 2009-10 season, sitting out the mandatory one year at the time, before bursting onto the scene in the 2010-11 season. Jones finished as the Gaels' second-leading scorer (behind only McConnell) and led the squad in rebounding, en route to a share of the 2011 WCC Title. His encore performance in 2011-12 was even more impressive, averaging a double-double with 15.0 PPG and 10.8 RPG, leading the WCC in rebounding, and finishing second on the team in scoring, behind only Matthew Dellavedova. The Gaels won both the WCC Regular Season and Tournament Titles in 2012 for the first time since 1997 that year, and made their seventh NCAA Tournament in program history. He earned first team All-WCC honors in both of his seasons in Moraga, paired with a WCC All-Freshman nod while at San Diego to cap off a brilliant collegiate resume.
A native of San Francisco, Jones returns to the Bay for the first time since his first stint with the Gaels. He and his wife Nicole have two daughters, Skye and Shay.
#GaelsRise
MBB | Highlights from Mickey McConnell's Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, March 25
MBB | Mickey McConnell Introductory Press Conference, 3-25-26
Wednesday, March 25
MBB | Liam Campbell, Joshua Dent and Randy Bennett Postgame Interview vs Texas A&M, 3-19-26, presented by University Credit Union
Thursday, March 19
MBB | Harry Wessels, Joshua Dent and Rory Hawke Featured on ESPN Australia
Wednesday, March 18
