Old Dominion men’s basketball coach suffers heart attack in Hawaii
ASSOCIATED PRESS / NOV. 13
Old Dominion coach Jeff Jones reacts after a call during the second half of the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. Jones has been hospitalized in Honolulu after suffering a heart attack Wednesday, Dec. 20, the school said. “He is resting comfortably and expecting a full recovery,” Old Dominion said in a statement Thursday. The 63-year-old Jones is being held for observation and will not be available to coach in the Diamond Head Classic.
Old Dominion men’s basketball coach Jeff Jones has been hospitalized in Honolulu after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday, the school said.
“He is resting comfortably and expecting a full recovery,” Old Dominion said in a statement Thursday.
The 63-year-old Jones is being held for observation for the next 48 to 72 hours and will not be available to coach in the Diamond Head Classic.
Kieran Donohue will serve as the interim head coach for Old Dominion’s three games in Hawaii.
The Monarchs (3-7) lost to TCU, 111-87, in the tournament opener Thursday. Old Dominion plays Temple in the consolation bracket Friday.
ESPN reported Jones has spoken to his team twice in the last 24 hours.
Jones has spent 31 seasons as a coach, the past 11 with Old Dominion. He has led the Monarchs to a 203-132 record.
Jones played at Virginia alongside Ralph Sampson in the early 1980s and became the youngest head coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history at 29 when he became Cavaliers coach in 1990.
He spent 13 years as head coach at American University before joining Old Dominion for the 2013-14 season. Jones has led teams to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, the last coming with the Monarchs in 2019.
