Ex-Cal Coach Wyking Jones Added to Hopkins' UW Staff as an Assistant
One reclamation project meets another.
The University of Washington basketball program on Wednesday announced the hiring of former California coach Wyking Jones as an assistant coach for Mike Hopkins and as a replacement for the departed Cameron Dollar.
Two years earlier, Jones, 48, was fired in Berkeley after a two-year record of 16-47.
He'll be asked to help right a Husky program coming off a 5-21 season and having six scholarship players leave once the season ended, and basically help Hopkins save his job.
Jones previously worked as an assistant for Rick Pitino at Louisville, New Mexico, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.
“He has built an incredible reputation for himself in college basketball and worked with some the great coaches in the business," Hopkins said of Jones. "He’s an excellent recruiter and a great teacher of the game."
In particular, it is hoped that Jones, who was a two-time, all-conference player for Loyola Marymount, can help develop the Husky big men, who include 6-foot-11 junior Nate Roberts, 7-4 junior Riley Sorn and 6-10 incoming freshman Jackson Grant.
In coaching Cal's front-line guys, Jones helped forward Ivan Rabb become a two-time All-Pac-12 performer and Jaylen Brown earn All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2015-16.
“I’m truly honored to be part of coach Hopkins’ staff at Washington," Jones said in a statement. “Since he arrived on campus, I’ve had a tremendous amount of respect for him as a coach and person. What he has been able to accomplish in such a short time speaks for itself."
Jones spent four seasons at Louisville with Pitino and shared in the 2013 national championship and two Final Fours, and coached with Steve Alford at New Mexico.
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