DeMatha names Mike G. Jones III new boy's basketball coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

DeMatha Catholic High School has named Mike G. Jones III the third permanent coach in program history on Thursday.

Mike G. Jones III – no relation to former head coach Mike Jones, who is now an assistant coach at Virginia Tech – comes to the Stags from St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes, the Alexandria, Va. school which competes in the Interstate Athletic Conference. He has coached the Saints since the start of the 2016 season, amassing the 2019 Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) state championship and two runner-up finishes. 

Jones’ overall high school coaching record stands at 110-21, per DeMatha’s release. 

“I am honored and excited to lead this program. The rich tradition, culture and history of DeMatha makes this an unbelievable opportunity for me and my family,” Jones said in a release.

DeMatha commissioned a nationwide search spanning the course of a full year to target the St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes coach. The coveted job at DeMatha became open for the first time after his predecessor, Mike Jones, accepted a job with Virginia Tech before the 2021-22 season.

Pete Strickland served as the interim coach for the past season. The Stags were 21-7 (12-3 WCAC) placing third in the league standings before losing to Bishop McNamara in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference semifinals. 

Only two other coaches have guided DeMatha in the team’s history: Jones and Morgan Wootten (1956-2002), who led the school to 1,274 wins in his legendary career and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.