Jim Jones is serving in his 13th year at Salisbury having joined the staff in July 1999. Jones oversees the men's and women's teams. The Sea Gulls had the program's most impressive campaign throughout the 2011 season under Jones' guidance.

In 2011 the women’s track and field team won its second consecutive CAC championship and the men finished second to break their seven-year winning streak. The Sea Gulls produced 31 All-CAC performances including 17 individual conference champions. In addition to the 2011 CAC women’s team title, sophomore Chelsea Tavik was named the CAC Women's Athlete of the Year, junior Jay Drenner was named the CAC Men’s Athlete of the year, Ryan Jackson was named the CAC Men’s Rookie of the Year, and Jim Jones was named the CAC Women’s Coach of the Year.  At the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Chelsea Tavik finished third in the shot put to earn All-American honors.

In 2010 the men’s team was the national runner-up at the NCAA Division III outdoor national championships held in Cleveland, Ohio. At the outdoor championships the Sea Gulls men had five All-Americans; two being national champions (Cory Beebe in the 400-meter hurdles and Brandon Fugett in the shot put). 

At the 2010 NCAA Division III indoor national championships the men had an impressive showing finishing 11th overall as a team and had two All-Americans and one national champion (Delannie Spriggs in the 55-meter dash). Spriggs also set a new NCAA Division III meet record in the 55-meter dash with the time of 6.20 seconds. Spriggs was named the 2010 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Indoor Athlete of the Year for his efforts during the indoor season.

In 2009 the men’s team finished fourth overall at the NCAA Division III outdoor national championships and had three All-Americans; two being national champions (Cory Beebe in the 400-meter Hurdles and Brandon Fugett in the shot put). During the 2009 NCAA Division III indoor national championships the men had an impressive showing finishing 10th overall as a team and had two All-Americans.

Awards are nothing new for Jones, who has been named as the USTFCCCA Mideast Region Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2010. At the conference level he has been named as the CAC Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.  He was also named the CAC Women’s Track & Field Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011. 

Under his guidance, the Gulls have produced the USTFCCCA National Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2010, five USTFCCCA Mideast Region Track and Field Athletes of the Year,  the CAC Athlete of the Year in 2005 (Derrick Washington), 2007 (Sam Singleton), 2008 (Delannie Spriggs), 2009 (Brandon Fugett), 2010 (Corey Beebe and Lindsey Metzler) and 2011 (Chelsea Tavik and Jay Drenner) and the CAC Rookie of the Year in 2004 (Ruth Hedrick and Marcus Tines), 2005 (Casey McInerny), 2006 (Josh Michael), 2007 (Victoria Lawson and Quentin Briscoe), 2009 (Jennifer Houghton), 2010 (Chelsea Tavik) and 2011 (Ryan Jackson).  Jones has helped pilot the men to the CAC title seven times in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, and the women to CAC championships in 2010 and 2011. 

Over the past 12 seasons (2000-2011) Salisbury has had 175 men and 193 women recognized as All-Capital Athletic Conference performers, this includes 191 CAC individual champions. Salisbury has broken several school records, numerous student-athletes have reached the qualifying standards for the NCAA National Championships, 17 have earned All-American status, and five individual were NCAA national champions.

Continuing a history of academic success, the 2011 SU men’s and women's squads earned All-Academic honors and in 2010 the men’s team was named the National Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year from the USTFCCCA. The teams’ cumulative grade point averages consistently rank among the best in the nation.

"Salisbury has an outstanding academic reputation and has a lot to offer students, both academically and athletically," says Jones. "Our goal will be to continue to do well on the conference level while also moving to the next level nationally."

"We're fortunate to have a person of Jim's abilities at Salisbury University," says Dr. Michael Vienna, SU's director of athletics. "He certainly understands the Division III philosophy as both a student-athlete and a coach. We feel that he will be able to help us compete at the national level."

Jones came to Salisbury after serving for five years as the head coach for both cross country and track & field at NCAA Division III Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. Prior to that, Jones spent four years as an assistant cross country and track coach, with two-year stints at Otterbein (Ohio) College as well as his alma mater, Mount Union (Ohio) College. Jones served on the NCAA National Track & Field Committee from 2001-2005 and as the committees chair from 2004-2005.

A native of Coshocton, Ohio, Jones is a 1991 graduate of Mount Union College, where he was a four-year member of both the cross country and track and field teams. Jones served as team captain of the cross country squad for three seasons and was an NCAA national qualifier in cross country. He and his wife Amy have a daughter, Hope, and a son, Ethan, and reside in Salisbury.

Highlights of the track & field program since 2000:

NCAA Division III Outdoor National Track and Field Championships Runner Up Team – 2010 (Men)

NCAA Division III Outdoor National Track & Field Championships Fourth Place Team – 2009 (Men)

NCAA Individual National Champions: Five, 2009 (2), 2010 (3)

All – Americans: Seventeen, 2005 (1), 2007 (2), 2008 (1), 2009 (5), 2010 (7), 2011 (1)

USTFCCCA National Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year – 2010 (Men)

USTFCCCA National Indoor Athlete of the Year – Delannie Spriggs (2010)

USTFCCCA Mideast Region Indoor Track Event Athlete of the Year – Delannie Spriggs (2010)

USTFCCCA Mideast Region Indoor Field Event Athlete of the Year – Brandon Fuggett (2010)

USTFCCCA Mideast Region Indoor Coach of the Year – Jim Jones (2010)

USTFCCCA Mideast Region Outdoor Track Event Athlete of the Year – Cory Beebe (2010)

USTFCCCA Mideast Region Outdoor Field Event Athlete of the Year – Brandon Fuggett (2009 and 2010)

USTFCCCA Mideast Region Outdoor Coach of the Year – Jim Jones (2010)

CAC Track & Field Titles (Men): Seven, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

CAC Track & Field Tiles (Women): Two, 2010, 2011

CAC Coach of the Year Honors (Men): Six, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

CAC Coach of the Year Honors (Women): Two, 2010, 2011

CAC Athlete of the Year Honors (Men):  Six, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

CAC Athlete of the Year Honors (Women):  Two, 2010, 2011

CAC Rookie of the Year Honors (Men):  Four, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011

CAC Rookie of the Year Honors (Women):  Five, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010