University of Missouri - St. Louis Athletics

Charles (Chico) Jones enters his 45th season as an assistant coach with the Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team in 2024-25. His responsibilities include on the floor coaching and the team’s conditioning program.

Jones is a native of Memphis, Tenn., where he attended Manassas High School and Shelby State Community College. Jones completed his undergraduate work at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Mo., in 1978.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree, Jones served as a youth specialist at the Booneville Training Center for Boys before accepting a position as a health and physical education teacher at Normandy Junior High School in St. Louis, Mo., in 1979. Jones joined the Tritons staff as an assistant coach at that same time, and earned his master’s degree in secondary education from Missouri-St. Louis in 1983.

During his tenure, Jones has worked under six different head coaches at UMSL, coaching in more than 1,000 games.

He was inducted into the UMSL Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, earning the Marty Hendin Distinguished Service Award, given to those individuals who have made exceptional contributions to UMSL Athletics. 

Jones and his wife, Jacqueline, have one son, C.J.