March 30, 2010
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By UCF Athletics Communications Staff
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - New UCF men's basketball head coach Donnie Jones was introduced to the UCF community and the Orlando media Tuesday afternoon at the UCF Arena. Jones, who was tabbed to lead the Knights' program Monday, spoke to a spirited crowd inside the arena.
Jones was joined by UCF President Dr. John C. Hitt and director of athletics Keith Tribble.
President Dr. John C. Hitt
"Keith Tribble has done a very good and fast search. There are some things we do in life that are going to be judged by their outcome. The outcome so far is that we had a tremendous outpouring of interest in this position and we had a number of very qualified candidates who wanted the chance to come and work with our student-athletes and be a part of this great university."
"I had the privilege on Sunday of interviewing the three finalists, and let me tell you we had three outstanding finalists, but there was a clear choice, Donnie Jones. I want to congratulate Keith on doing a wonderful job on getting great talent for us and concluding in a very good and rapid manner an agreement that brought Donnie here as coach of the UCF men's basketball team. We are thrilled to have a coach with his achievements and stature come here, along with his great Florida contacts."
Director of Athletics Keith Tribble
"This is a very special day for the entire UCF community and our athletics program. Just over two weeks ago we set out to hire a new basketball coach. We interviewed several candidates, and set out to find the person to make the best fit for UCF. It is all about the best fit for UCF, and I am pleased to announce that the search is completed."
"Donnie Jones comes on with a plan for success at UCF that impressed me the most. With great vision, great work ethic, moral character and someone who can recruit and coach this game of basketball, that's when you know you have someone special."
Head Coach Donnie Jones
"First of all I would like to give God the glory for this opportunity and all the praise. I appreciate the humbleness to have this job. I had the chance to meet with the basketball team a few moments ago and speak with these young men. I'm excited to coach these young men next year."
"I come here in a very tough situation coming from a special place at Marshall. There was a lot of emotion, but I feel very fortunate to be able to come into a place that a few months ago there were about 9,000 people here screaming when we walked into this arena. I thought to myself what an unbelievable atmosphere this place is."
"I spent 11 great years here in this state, and recruited for a program we tried to turn around at the University of Florida. We came in with a vision that I see very similar to what we can do here at UCF. A couple of things come to my mind that I know of. Why not us, why not now? Why can we not be a program that is on the national stage year in and year out with the commitment and vision that Dr. Hitt and Mr. Tribble have for this program, for the incredible facilities we have here, the incredible amount of students that continue to build this great university. Why can't we do that? I think that is the vision I bring here. I have been fortunate and blessed to have been around some great people, coaches and mentors. I look out into the stands and see a lot of faces that have been a part of my success, one of them being my wife Michelle. I am honored to have her here with me. She is a great mother and brings the values that I want to bring to this community as a family. I look out and see a lot of high school coaches, AAU coaches, and coaching trends that have been a part of the years that we spent at UF. I look out there and think about this great arena and the excitement that we want to bring here. The style of play that I think will be fun to come out as a fan and be a part of and as a player to play in. At Marshall this year we led the league in scoring. It was the same type of system that we are going to run here. The same type of system we played at UF. It is one of the best systems in the country. We are going to play up-tempo style, pressing, running and one that will be a fun system to come out and see."
"I think each and every good program goes through three phases. The first one is when we come in and try to build in on the culture that has been created here with these guys we have in this program. It is coming in and learning the mentality. Every time you line up to play against UCF it will be a team and a program that competes. The second phase it will take is to expect to win. When we play, we are going to come out with a style of play that when these guys walk on the floor they expect to win. The third and final phase will be handling success once we do win. It will be building tradition that this school and community is proud of year in and year out. There is a lot of room in this arena as I looked around as I walked in here today, to hang up a lot of different banners that are not hanging in this arena. That also goes with vision and belief, the belief that we can do it. I am fortunate to be your head basketball coach. This is your program. We are going to make you a part of this; the community, the school, and the players, everybody here is going to be one family. That is the most important thing that really excited me about the vision of this program as I sat down with Dr. Hitt and Mr. Tribble, and in having a chance to meet the people here that are on staff and the people here in this community already. They have been unbelievably gracious to us. With the players that we have in this program right now, we can do some great things here at this university."
"As of today I wish we could begin practice. We are going to have an opportunity to meet with each one of these guys and talk about the vision I have for each and every one of these guys. The biggest thing right now is we need to continue to talk about where we want to go and how we are going to get there. As your head basketball coach I can promise you we are going to work. We are going to bring in a staff that is going to be committed to the student-athletes. We will be committed to academics, degrees and championships here at this great university." "A lot of people thought when we first arrived at UF that you could not have a successful basketball team and a successful football team. I thing I really like about UCF right now is the vision that we have with the way the football team is being built, and now with the vision we have for the basketball program. There are so many great sports here on this campus from tennis to golf and baseball, and the direction in which they are heading to there is great excitement for the future."
"Leadership. When we talk about leading your programs from academic people to support people, to our president and athletic director, and finally our coaching staff we are all vital roles in the next step we want to take and win a championship here at UCF. I would like to thank Dr. Hitt and Mr. Tribble for the opportunity to be here and be a part of this great program. In the future here at UCF it will be one that you can be proud of and hopefully this will be a place that you can walk in and feel good about every time UCF steps onto the court. That this is a place that is going to bring excitement, tradition, academics and degrees here and a place you can be proud of. Thank you and I am excited to be a part of the Knights program."