From Rider to Wildcat

By JEREMY SHORT
Press Sports Editor

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS July 02, 2009 09:46 pm

— Hulbert High School now faces replacing its third coach of the summer after head baseball and powerlifting and football assistant coach Mark Jones resigned on June 30.
Jones accepted a job as an assistant football coach at Chouteau, where former Riders coach Mark Vance took the job less than a week ago.
“I live in Pryor so it cuts my 45-minute commute down to about 10 minutes,” said Jones. “I’m sad to leave, but excited at the same time.”
Jones coached at Hulbert for one season where he led a rebuilding Riders baseball program to a 3-16 record.
The football team, where he assisted Vance, went 2-8 with wins over Okay and Keota.
“They’ve got some good young guys coming up that should be pretty good,” said Jones of the baseball and football programs.
Jones also hopes he left the foundation for a successful powerlifting program.
“Hopefully there’s a good starting block in the weight room to build on,” said Jones.
Jones, who graduated from Northeastern State in 1995, will teach history at Chouteau High School in addition to his coaching duties.