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Nathan Jones
Associate Head Coach
Nathan Jones will begin his fifth season with ODU in 2024 and his first as Associate Head Coach
In 2023, ODU started unbeaten in its first 10 matches and recorded wins over Radford, William & Mary, Kentucky, Coastal Carolina and Campbell. Karan Mandair and Jonas Schmalbach tied for the single season goals scored lead with five. All five of Mandair's came on penalty kicks including game-winners against Kentucky and Campbell. Michael Statham had four shutouts in goal including the win over Kentucky.
In the 2022 campaign, Jones guided freshman goalkeeper Michael Statham to a strong rookie campaign with five shutouts, including a home clean sheet over nationally-ranked Campbell. Statham earned Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week following a 2-1 ODU win at fourth-ranked Marshall in mid-October.
Following the 2022 season, he was promoted to Recruiting Coordinator.
The 2021 fall season saw goalkeeper Djibril Doumbia record a pair of clean sheets against Loyola (MD) and UAB. During the spring 2021 season Jones helped mentor Doumbia to third-team All C-USA. Doumbia was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week twice and also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week during the Spring 2021 season.
Jones came to ODU by the way of Tiffin University. In his three years on the staff at Tiffin, Jones helped the Dragons to the 2018 Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament titles and the 2019 conference tournament title. In 2018, the Tiffin coaching staff was also named the Midwest Region Staff of the Year by a vote of the United Soccer Coaches Association.
Jones, a native of Flintshire, Wales, played four seasons as a starting goalkeeper for the Urbana University men's soccer team. Jones, a two-year captain, earned first-team All-Mountain East Conference honors as a freshman, junior and senior and was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. He also was a first-team NSCAA All-Atlantic Region choice in 2015 and 2016, and landed on the second team in 2013.
Growing up in Wales, Jones played in the youth system at Tranmere Rovers FC, an English third-division team, for seven years until the U18 level.
Jones holds his United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Diploma, U.S Soccer C and D Licenses and F.A Level 2 Certification.
He graduated from Urbana University with a degree in Sports Management in 2016 and a M.B.A in Sports Management and Leadership from Tiffin University in 2019.
Jones and his wife Elizabeth reside in Norfolk with their twin daughters Charlotte Mae and Mary Louise.
In 2023, ODU started unbeaten in its first 10 matches and recorded wins over Radford, William & Mary, Kentucky, Coastal Carolina and Campbell. Karan Mandair and Jonas Schmalbach tied for the single season goals scored lead with five. All five of Mandair's came on penalty kicks including game-winners against Kentucky and Campbell. Michael Statham had four shutouts in goal including the win over Kentucky.
In the 2022 campaign, Jones guided freshman goalkeeper Michael Statham to a strong rookie campaign with five shutouts, including a home clean sheet over nationally-ranked Campbell. Statham earned Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week following a 2-1 ODU win at fourth-ranked Marshall in mid-October.
Following the 2022 season, he was promoted to Recruiting Coordinator.
The 2021 fall season saw goalkeeper Djibril Doumbia record a pair of clean sheets against Loyola (MD) and UAB. During the spring 2021 season Jones helped mentor Doumbia to third-team All C-USA. Doumbia was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week twice and also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week during the Spring 2021 season.
Jones came to ODU by the way of Tiffin University. In his three years on the staff at Tiffin, Jones helped the Dragons to the 2018 Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament titles and the 2019 conference tournament title. In 2018, the Tiffin coaching staff was also named the Midwest Region Staff of the Year by a vote of the United Soccer Coaches Association.
Jones, a native of Flintshire, Wales, played four seasons as a starting goalkeeper for the Urbana University men's soccer team. Jones, a two-year captain, earned first-team All-Mountain East Conference honors as a freshman, junior and senior and was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. He also was a first-team NSCAA All-Atlantic Region choice in 2015 and 2016, and landed on the second team in 2013.
Growing up in Wales, Jones played in the youth system at Tranmere Rovers FC, an English third-division team, for seven years until the U18 level.
Jones holds his United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Diploma, U.S Soccer C and D Licenses and F.A Level 2 Certification.
He graduated from Urbana University with a degree in Sports Management in 2016 and a M.B.A in Sports Management and Leadership from Tiffin University in 2019.
Jones and his wife Elizabeth reside in Norfolk with their twin daughters Charlotte Mae and Mary Louise.