High School

DJ Jones Departs Green Tech for KIPP, Will Lead New Albany Hoops Program

After winning a state title and three sectional crowns at Green Tech, coach DJ Jones will launch KIPP Capital Region’s boys basketball program while also serving as athletic director

Kevin L. Smith

The Green Tech boys basketball team competes against Mount Vernon in a New York State championship game in 2022. DJ Jones, who's been at the helm at Green Tech for seven seasons, is leaving to become an athletic director and coach at KIPP Capital Region.
The Green Tech boys basketball team competes against Mount Vernon in a New York State championship game in 2022. DJ Jones, who's been at the helm at Green Tech for seven seasons, is leaving to become an athletic director and coach at KIPP Capital Region. / Frank Becerra Jr. / The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK

DJ Jones has been at the helm of the Green Tech boys basketball for almost a decade.

Now, Jones is set to take on a new adventure in the Albany area. The Times Union reported that Jones is leaving the Eagles to become the athletic director and boys basketball coach at KIPP Capital Region.

Winning Legacy at Green Tech: 118 Wins and a State Title

Jones coached at Green Tech for seven years and compiled a 118-39 varsity record. The Eagles captured three-straight Section II Class AAA titles in 2022-24 and brought home a state crown in 2024.

Green Tech fell in this year’s Class AAA sectional final to Shaker, who went to win its first state title in program history.

A New Beginning: KIPP to Join Section II Class C

KIPP Capital Region, a new program, will compete in Section II Class C for the 2025-26 season.

Why Jones Made the Move: Building a Program from the Ground Up

"I had a lot of great years at Green Tech, 12 years overall and a lot of success with students, on and off the court," Jones told The Times Union. "KIPP is intriguing because it is a brand new K-through-12, so I have an opportunity to create a feeder program starting at the early ages in the inner city."

Follow the Leader: Star Point Guard Transfers with Jones

Indavier Barnes, a junior point guard for Green Tech this past season, is transferring to KIPP to play for Jones.

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Kevin L. Smith
KEVIN L. SMITH

Kevin L. Smith, a Rochester (NY) native and a graduate of St. Bonaventure University, has been covering high school sports for over a decade. He started out as a freelance sportswriter in 2013. Since then, he’s held sportswriter and editor positions for newspapers in Coudersport (PA), Sayre (PA) and Oswego (NY). Smith currently covers high school sports in the Greater Syracuse Area for syracuse.com | Post-Standard, a position he’s held since 2021. You can follow him on social media @KevLSmittie. Story ideas can be sent to KLSFreelancing@outlook.com.

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