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Khari Jones

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Khari Jones
Jones with the Redblacks in 2023
Born: (1971-05-16) May 16, 1971 (age 53)
Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
Career information
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)Offensive coordinator
Assistant head coach
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight195 lb (88 kg)
CollegeUC Davis
HandRight
Career history
As administrator
2022Hamilton Tiger-Cats
(Football operations consultant)
As coach
2009–2010Hamilton Tiger-Cats (QBC)
2011Hamilton Tiger-Cats (OC)
2012–2013Saskatchewan Roughriders (QBC)
2014–2017BC Lions (OC)
2018Montreal Alouettes (OC)
2019–2022Montreal Alouettes (HC & OC)
2023Ottawa Redblacks (OC/AHC)
As player
1995–1996Albany Firebirds (AFL)
1996Scottish Claymores (WLAF)
1997–1999BC Lions (CFL)
2000–2004Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL)
2004Calgary Stampeders (CFL)
2005Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)*
2005Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL)
2006Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)*
2007Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL)
*Offseason and/or practice roster member only
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star2001
CFL East All-Star2001
CFL West All-Star2002
Awards2001 CFL MOP

Khari Okang Jones (/kəˈhɑːri/ kə-HAH-ree; born May 16, 1971) is a former professional Canadian football player and was most recently the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was formerly the head coach for the Montreal Alouettes. He is also a former television sports reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Jones played quarterback in the CFL, where he enjoyed his most success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Jones also played briefly for the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds and the World League of American Football's Scottish Claymores. He has also been the offensive coordinator for the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Playing career

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College career

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Jones was a record setting college quarterback at the University of California, Davis, where in two seasons as a starter he became the first UC Davis quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season and over 50 touchdowns in a career, while leading the Aggies to a 17-2-1 record during his junior and senior seasons (1992–1993). In 2000, Jones was inducted into the UC Davis Aggies Hall of Fame.[1]

Arena Football League & NFL Europe

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Jones joined the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds in 1995. For the next two seasons, he received very little playing time, making only 3 out of 5 pass completions in his first season, and 3 out of 4 pass completions in 1996. He also played one season in 1996 for the Scottish Claymores of the World League of American Football, which would later become NFL Europe.

Canadian Football League

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In 1997, Jones signed with the BC Lions. Jones played very little during his three-year tenure with the Lions, as he was relegated to the backup spot behind incumbent quarterback Damon Allen.

In 2000, Jones joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Though he initially served as a backup to Kerwin Bell, Jones eventually won the starting job during the middle of the 2000 season, thereby clearing the way for the Bombers to release Bell in midseason.

In 2001, Jones was the CFLs Most Outstanding Player after leading the Bombers to a 14-4 record, including 12 straight wins. Jones was the Bombers quarterback in the 2001 Grey Cup in Montreal, where heavily favoured Winnipeg lost to the Calgary Stampeders, 27-19.

Jones' following season (2002) was even better statistically, which included 5,353 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes. This was the third most passing touchdowns in a season (behind two seasons in which Doug Flutie completed 47 and 48)[2]). From 2000 to 2002, Jones' 107 touchdown passes exceeded the record by any other quarterback in the CFL or NFL over the same period of time. In four seasons with Winnipeg, Jones set seventeen Bomber passing records, including throwing for five touchdowns in a game four times in one season.

During the 2004 CFL season, Jones was traded from the Blue Bombers to the Calgary Stampeders, partially due to a shoulder injury which had affected his play. In the off-season between the 2004 and 2005 seasons, the Stampeders signed free agent Henry Burris and Jones was released.

Jones attended the Edmonton Eskimos training camp at the beginning of the 2005 CFL season, but with the Eskimos signing Ricky Ray (and already having the 2004 season starter Jason Maas), Jones was released again. Midway through the 2005 season he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but was released after eight games.

Prior to the 2006 season Jones was signed by the Eskimos only to be released by them once more on June 10, 2006 as part of training camp cuts.

Three days later, on June 13, 2006, the CBC announced that Jones would be their sideline reporter for their CFL on CBC broadcasts.[3]

On October 17, 2007, Jones inked a standard one-year contract plus an option with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then signed his retirement papers right after. This allowed him to officially retire in the city where he had the most success during his four-team, nine-year CFL career.[4]

Coaching career

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In 2009, Jones began his coaching career as the quarterbacks coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats under head coach Marcel Bellefeuille. In 2011, he was promoted to offensive coordinator and helped the team to an appearance in the East Final.

On January 3, 2012, he was announced as part of the coaching staff for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as their quarterbacks coach.[5] In 2013, he helped his team win the 101st Grey Cup.

Jones was a top candidate to become the new offensive coordinator for the BC Lions in 2014. Jones officially became the offensive coordinator on December 23, 2013.

On January 3, 2018, Jones was announced as the new offensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes for the 2018 CFL season.[6] On June 8, 2019, less than a week before the start of the 2019 season, the Alouettes announced they had parted ways with Mike Sherman and promoted Jones to the role of head coach.[7] Despite being thrust into the role six days before the start of the regular season, Jones and the Alouettes surpassed expectations and finished with a 10–8 record and in second place in the East Division. At the conclusion of the season, he was signed to a three-year contract extension to continue as the team's head coach and offensive coordinator.[8][9]

With the 2020 CFL season cancelled, Jones did not coach in 2020. In 2021, the team regressed and finished in third place in the East Division with a 7–7 record and lost the East Semi-Final. With the team starting the 2022 season with a 1–3 record, Jones was fired on July 6, 2022.[10]

On July 18, 2022, Jones was hired as a football operations consultant for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[11]

On December 3, 2022, Jones was named the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Ottawa Redblacks.[12] However, after the Redblacks struggled to a 4-14 record in 2023, Jones was fired on November 3, 2023.[13]

Head coaching record

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Result
MTL 2019 10 8 0 .556 2nd in East Division 0 1 Lost in East Semi-Final
MTL 2020 Season Cancelled
MTL 2021 7 7 0 .500 3rd in East Division 0 1 Lost in East Semi-Final
MTL 2022 1 3 0 .250 2nd in East Division - - Fired
Total 18 18 0 .500 0 East Division
Championships		 0 2 0 Grey Cups

LivingWorks

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In 2006, Jones became the digital co-trainer of the LivingWorks SafeTALK suicide alertness course. Jones had just finished playing football and was working as a broadcaster in Calgary, and was also working as an actor when his agent approached him with the job of recording the videos. Jones explained that "It hit home for me because suicide, or attempted suicide, has been a part of my family, as it has been for a lot of people. So it was something that was near and dear for me, and it quickly become more than an acting job".[14] In the years since they were first recorded, Khari’s videos have helped trainers present safeTALK to over 300,000 people in more than 20 countries and territories.[14][dead link‍]

Acting career

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While attending University of California in Davis, Jones took acting classes which allowed him to get some roles in various made-for-TV movies.[15]

Filmography

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Film roles
Year Title Role Notes
1998 She Smokes Craig Short
2006 I Dream of Murder Police Officer TV movie
2006 Touch the Top of the World Wrestling Coach TV movie
2008 Confessions of a Go-Go Girl Yuppie Manager TV movie
2008 Snow 2: Brain Freeze Policeman #1 TV movie
2012 LUV Kid

Personal life

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Jones is a Canadian-American dual citizen and lives in Surrey, British Columbia with his wife, Justine, and daughters, Jaelyn and Siena. He is the son of Cauley Ray and Nina Maria Jones, and brother of filmmaker/podcaster Jamie Jamar Jones.[16] Jones met his wife in a theatre course while both attended UC Davis and appeared in plays together while students.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "UC Davis Official Athletic Site - Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  2. ^ "Regular Season All-Time Records - CFL.ca - Official Site of the Canadian Football League". Archived from the original on October 16, 2008.
  3. ^ Hall, Vicki (June 14, 2006). "Khari finds new job as TV reporter". The Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007.
  4. ^ "Khari officially retires as a Blue Bomber". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. October 16, 2007.
  5. ^ "Saskatchewan Roughriders". Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2012. Riders Name Offensive Coaching Staff
  6. ^ "Als name coordinators for 2018 CFL season". cfl.ca. January 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "Als, Mike Sherman part ways; Khari Jones takes over". CFL.ca. June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019. [verification needed]
  8. ^ "Alouettes ink HC, OC Khari Jones to three-year extension". CFL.ca. November 26, 2019.
  9. ^ "Alouettes – finally – begin contract extension negotiations with head coach Khari Jones". 3downnation.com. November 4, 2019.
  10. ^ "Danny Maciocia, Noel Thorpe replace Khari Jones, Barron Miles". Montreal Alouettes. July 6, 2022.
  11. ^ "Ticats add Khari Jones as football ops consultant". Canadian Football League. July 18, 2022.
  12. ^ "Redblacks hire Khari Jones as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach". Ottawa Redblacks. December 3, 2022.
  13. ^ "ONE AND DONE: Redblacks tell OC Khari Jones to go deep and keep going after one season on job". Ottawa Redblacks. November 3, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Interview with Khari Jones » LivingWorks Education". legacy.livingworks.net. Retrieved October 7, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  15. ^ Bujold, Miguel (October 19, 2020). "Khari Jones, acteur à temps partiel". La Presse (in French).
  16. ^ Zurkowsky, Herb (November 10, 2020). "Als' Adams Jr., head coach Jones embraced power of voting in U.S. election". Montreal Gazette.
  17. ^ Zurkowsky, Herb (November 3, 2020). "Alouettes head coach Khari Jones returns to his acting roots". Montreal Gazette.
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