Valerie Jones has been named the women’s head volleyball coach at Amherst College, Athletic Director Don Faulstick announced on Thursday.
Jones has served as the head coach at several NCAA Division I and Division II programs, most recently at D-II Clark Atlanta University in Georgia.
Jones will start July 15. She succeeds Sue Everden, who retired after leading the program since 1986.
“I’m honored to be chosen as the next head coach at Amherst College,” Jones said, “and I’d like to thank AD Don Faulstick and everyone involved in the search process. I’m humbled and excited to become a part of the Mammoth family. I look forward to continuing to build upon the incredible legacy established by Coach Everden.”
Jones coached Clark Atlanta, a historically black college, to a combined 18-26 record over the past two seasons.
Jones mentored two All-Conference selections and seven All-Academic honorees. From 2013-2016 she went a combined 13-90 as head coach of the Division I South Carolina State.
“I’m so excited to welcome Val to the Amherst community and our women’s volleyball program, which will mark its 40th season this fall,” Faulstick said in a statement. “Her experience working in all levels of the sport, and her technical approach and knowledge of the game, will be both invaluable and inspiring to our student-athletes. I’m confident she will cultivate and carry forward the dynamic and positive culture of athletic and academic achievement that Sue created and grew, with an integrity that will make us proud in the years ahead.”
Jones also served as the inaugural head coach (2005-2009) at Division I Kennesaw State, and spent four years (2002-2005) at Joliet Junior (Ill.) College, where she guided the program to a top-10 ranking and back-to-back berths in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region IV championship tournament while also serving as the athletic department’s women’s athletic coordinator.
Before becoming a head coach, Jones was an assistant at Northwestern, UC Davis and Utah State. She was a graduate assistant from 1996-1998 at North Dakota.
Outside of the collegiate ranks, she coached from 2011-2013 at Whitewater High School (Georgia), where she led the school to a 5A State title with a single-season record of 53-3. She also coached at Emerald High School (South Carolina) from 2016-2017.
A member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association since 1998, Jones is active at the club level and is the current Master Coach for Atlanta Elite Volleyball University. She holds a USA Volleyball 18-National Division Championship title as the head coach of the Tsunami Volleyball Club 18-1 team.
“Val is intuitive, responsive and very caring of her student-athletes,” Alabama State University head coach and former U.S. National Team member Penny Lucas-White said in a statement. “She will add value to Amherst College volleyball and their great tradition of winning.”
Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and sport studies from the University of Tampa and a master’s degree in physical education with a focus on sport psychology and counseling from the University of North Dakota.