Emmett Jones' path to Oklahoma built on Texas high school successes

Mike Davis still doesn’t know why Emmett Jones sat on the South side of the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 13, 2012.

Davis, then a standout wide receiver for Texas, had given Jones, his former offensive coordinator at Skyline High School, tickets to that year’s Red River Rivalry. But, due to his own admiration for the Sooners, Jones ended up on the crimson side of the stadium.

“I don’t know what the heck he was doing over there,” Davis told SoonerScoop. “He must have snuck over there, huh?”

Oklahoma got the best of Davis and Texas that day, beating the Longhorns 63-21, though, Davis did score a touchdown. And it was a special day for Jones, who had five former Skyline players play in the game – Davis and linebacker Peter Jinkens for Texas, and linebackers Corey Nelson and Frank Shannon and cornerback Joe Powell for Oklahoma.

Little did Jones know he’d be hired as Oklahoma’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator almost 11 years later – a dream job for the now-48-year-old Dallas native. And Jones, who was officially hired on Jan. 1, might just be the perfect hire for Oklahoma, possessing many of the attributes he used to describe the program.

“I wanted to sit on Oklahoma’s side — you could see on my face I’m just locked into everything that coach (Bob) Stoops and coach (Brent) Venables and those guys were doing,” Jones said. “We patterned our staff after Oklahoma. Everything we did was cut and paste straight from Oklahoma. Mindset. The grit. The style. The physicality. The intimidation. All that. It came from the University of Oklahoma.

“It was destiny.”

Jones’ journey to Norman started at the high school level, coaching at four schools over 14 years before making the jump to college football in 2015. He was regarded as one of the top high school football coaches in Texas, helping turn around several Dallas programs, including South Oak Cliff High School as the head coach for three seasons (2012-14).

He began his collegiate career at Texas Tech (2015-18), spent three seasons at Kansas (2019-21), and returned to Texas Tech last season (2022) before being hired by Brent Venables. He’s coached receivers at every stop, becoming known for his player development and his ability to recruit top talent thanks to his Texas roots.

“He’s probably the best receiver coach in college football,” Davis said. “He knows his stuff. And I know how he is off the field, too. I know what he did in high school. I know what he did at Texas Tech. I know what he did at Kansas. And I damn sure know what he’s going to do at Oklahoma – and that’s win.”

For those who know him best, Jones’ success at the high school and college levels is unsurprising.

Ask almost any high school football coach in Texas about Jones and they’ll tell you he’s one of the most trusted coaches in the area. Ask his former players about him and they’ll tell you about his attention to detail, passion for the game and how he develops you into not just a great player, but a great man. And ask Jones – who is already revamping OU’s receiver room – why he chose Oklahoma and his answer is one Sooner Nation is sure to appreciate.

“These guys gave me new life,” Jones told SoonerScoop. “I’ve got a different type of motivation right now that I really hadn’t felt probably since I took the head job at South Oak Cliff or when I left for Texas Tech. I feel that way now but almost, like, times 10.

“It’s the DNA. It’s what these guys are about. It’s what I’m about – winning championships.”

DALLAS ROOTS

It wasn’t until he was sitting in the end zone of the Astrodome in Houston in December 1999 that Jones realized he wanted to get into coaching.

He had recently graduated from North Texas and was at the Texas 4A Division II state championship game between Stephenville and Port Neches-Groves. Art Briles was then the coach of Stephenville, having become one of the most successful high school coaches in Texas due to his high-powered offense.

“I watched his offense go up and down the field,” Jones said. “I had chills throughout my body. I called my high school coach and said, ‘I miss the game, what do I need to do?’”

Jones started that next year as the freshman football coach at his alma mater, Seagoville High School, where he was a standout receiver from 1989-93. He was quickly promoted, becoming Seagoville’s receivers coach and eventually Dallas Lincoln High School’s receivers coach before being hired by Reginald Samples – now at Duncanville High School – in 2006. Under Jones’ direction, Skyline was one of the best offenses in the state for seven seasons.

In 2012, he was hired to be South Oak Cliff’s head coach. When Jones arrived, rarely did South Oak Cliff make the playoffs, and if it did, it was even more rare if it made a deep playoff run. In Jones’ first season, it lost in the first round. In his second, it lost in the third round. And his third season, it made it to the semifinals. He posted a 30-8 record in three seasons.

South Oak Cliff recently won its first state title in 2021 and won again in 2022.

“If he had stayed here, it probably would have been a couple of years sooner,” said Jason Todd, who was the defensive coordinator under Jones and is now South Oak Cliff’s head coach. “The foundation was set under him.”

Jones’ rise in the high school ranks wasn’t a revelation. It was clear he knew his Xs and Os, putting his own spin on Briles’ spread offense. And he was a master developer, producing multiple Division I signees at each stop, including five at South Oak Cliff in 2014-15.

But what stood out most about Jones was his relationship with his players.

“He had this innate ability to connect with the kids. He’s very personable,” said Clint Roddy, who was previously Seagoville’s head coach in 2003-04. “And I think him being from here was a trust factor from the kids and their parents and coaches in the area.”

That faith in Jones hasn’t wavered. There are few Texas high school football coaches who don’t have some sort of relationship with Jones.

“He’s always open and always responds,” said current Seagoville head coach Stephen Jackson Jr. “He can walk into any Dallas kid’s door. He’s got ties to every part of the city.”

Jones is sure to lean on those relationships in the coming months, as he attempts to land commitments from some of the top receiver prospects in Texas – Bryant Wesco (Midlothian, 2024), Zion Kearney (Missouri City, 2024), and Gracen Harris (Ennis, 2025), among others.

“A lot of times you get a jump on guys,” Jones said. “I can’t say names, but I knew about them when they were in the eighth grade. So I have so much trust there. That makes my job easier. It’s like I have my own scouts in the DFW and Houston area.”

Many believe Jones will be able to recruit at a high level at OU, which is a big reason why he was hired. But he wouldn’t be able to do that if he hadn’t started building that trust years ago when his coaching journey began.

And according to those he’s worked alongside, he’s done it the right way, which is why many coaches point their players in Jones’ direction.

“He’s got four decades of relationships that he has with grandparents, parents, kids – everyone knows him,” Todd said. “The No. 1 thing when people are looking for in a college is trust and relationships, and that’s one thing I know he has in Dallas. People around here know he’s going to treat their kid like his own son.”

DEVELOPING MEN

When De’Vante Kincade’s brother died in October 2015, while Kincade was playing quarterback at Ole Miss, one of the first people he called was Jones.

“When I went through tragedy, he’s the person I talked to,” said Kincade, who played quarterback for Jones at Skyline. “He’s the one who got me through life.”

For Jones, relating to his players is something that goes beyond the football field.

Born in the Oak Cliff area in Dallas, Jones was raised in a single-mother household. He said his mom taught him determination in a tough environment, being an example of “grit” and having a “purpose in life.”And he spent most of his days at the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club, where he had “multiple father figures.”

Oak Cliff was and still is a rough neighborhood. According to the Dallas Police Department, Oak Cliff’s crime rate was approximately 80% higher than any other Texas neighborhood in 2022.

“He grew up in an area where if you don’t want to stay on track and go the right way in life, it’s easy to end up on the wrong path, whether that be jail, incarcerated, or dead,” Todd said. “He’s really a trendsetter. A guy that started out as a coach at Seagoville to being at the position he is now at Oklahoma – he’s the blueprint model for the guys down here that have those same dreams and ambitions.

“His focus and drive, even with all those things around him growing up, he still stayed on a straight path to get to where he is today. And that takes a lot of discipline.”

It’s that type of attitude that Jones has carried with him as a coach. And it’s why Jones’ former players speak glowingly of him. Many consider him to be a father figure, as he often related to their hardships growing up.

“My brother died in my neighborhood. I got a couple of other friends who died, some went to jail,” said David Johnson, who played quarterback for Jones at South Oak Cliff. “Coach Jones grew up in the projects. He beat the odds. He made it out.”

On the field, he pushes players to the limit.

Those who played for him or coached alongside him said he lived in the film room, preaching the importance of becoming a student of the game. And at practice, he was relentless about the details – such as route running and play execution – and not afraid to be hard on his players.

“If you want to be challenged, then you’re with the right coach,” said Johnson, who threw for 5,248 yards and 67 touchdowns as a two-year starter at South Oak Cliff. “If you want somebody who will get the best out of you and isn’t going to deal with a lot of BS, then you’re with the right coach. But if you want a coach who’s going to be easy on you, then he’s not your guy. He’s going to run you off if that’s what you’re looking for. He’s a perfectionist.”

Off the field, Jones found a balance between being a coach and a mentor.

He helped students with schoolwork, drove players to and from practice, and was there for kids in their most trying times. The bonds he’s built with his players have led many of them to get into coaching themselves.

“I’m trying to impact lives because I know what he did for me and he’s not even my dad,” said Kincade, who is now a personal quarterbacks coach in Dallas. “If anyone gets any credit for the type of man I am, it’s coach Jones.”

Through the years, Jones has kept in close contact with his players. Those who have followed in his footsteps as coaches often call on him to seek advice.

And what would they say to a kid who’s considering Oklahoma?

“Why wouldn’t you want your son to play for a coach like coach Jones?” said Davis, who totaled 2,764 yards and 39 TDs at Skyline before playing at Texas.“He was that missing piece in my life, really. He took care of me like I was his son. He treated all of us like his sons.”

A NEW HOME

Ahead of OU’s game against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Jones was standing at the 50-yard line during warmups when he accidentally bumped into OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Jones and Lebby aren’t strangers to one another. Lebby often recruited players from Skyline and South Oak Cliff while he was an assistant at Baylor. Though, neither knew this run into each other would lead to something greater.

“There was something about that bump right there,” Jones said of Lebby.

Lebby called Jones a few days later, after Texas Tech beat Oklahoma, and simply asked if Jones was interested. He was, but he wasn’t immediately sold.

Jones walked on as a receiver at Texas Tech in 1993 and was loyal to the Red Raiders. Former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury gave him his first college job in 2015. He raised his two kids, Emily and Emmett Jr., in Lubbock. And even though he had always admired Oklahoma from afar, he wanted to make sure it was the right fit.

“I wasn’t just eager to leave,” Jones said. “But talking to those guys over Zoom calls. It meant a lot to me how they handled it. How they researched me and my family. The process blew me away. (Venables and Lebby) were thorough with their research. There was a long list of guys who wanted this job and they did their research on me.”

It wasn’t exactly the easiest job to walk into, either. Oklahoma and long-time coach Cale Gundy had parted ways before the season after Gundy said a racial slur during a film session. L' Damian Washington, who had never been a position coach previously, became the interim receivers coach. And last year’s receiving corps likely struggled because of it. The fundamentals weren’t always there, with occasionally dropped balls and poor route-running.

He now takes over a room that might be the team’s biggest question mark heading into the 2023 season. Marvin Mims, OU’s leading receiver for the past three seasons, is headed to the NFL. And OU lost three receivers to the transfer portal in Theo Wease, Trevon West and Brian Darby.

Jones and Oklahoma are hoping guys like junior Jalil Farooq and senior Drake Stoops can become the go-to receivers next season, but are going to need young guys like sophomores Jayden Gibson and Nic Anderson to step up, along with transfers Andrel Anthony, J.J. Hester and LV Bunkley-Shelton.

“I love my classroom,” Jones said after OU’s second spring practice. “I got all types of skill sets. The good thing about it is we’re kind of young, too. Young, but eager to learn. Eager to gain experience. We got true slots. Small-type bodies. Guys that have grit.

“We still got to fix a lot of stuff from last year. So spring ball, I like to start all the way over with the development of the wideouts… I’m breaking them all the way down.”

Many believe Jones will be able to get the most out of the receiver group, especially fundamentally. That’s Jones’ specialty.

He had at least one receiver over 800 yards receiving in all but two of seven years coaching receivers. He’s had four 1,000-yard receivers in his career and has had a handful each reach the NFL under his tutelage, including Jakeem Grant, Antoine Wesley, T.J. Vasher, Dylan Cantrell, Keke Coutee and Andrew Parchment.

But the expectations at Oklahoma are obviously higher than at Texas Tech and Kansas. That’s why Jones is getting paid $100,000 more in Norman ($550,000) than he was in Lubbock ($450,000). And Jones knows that.

“I feel like I have a lot of work to do because I haven’t done nothing yet,” Jones said. “I’ve got to help bring in some players. I’ve got to help change the mindset. I’ve got to help instill coach Venables’ vision. And we’ve got to bring us some more trophies. Once we do that, then I’ll feel like I belong here.”

Jones certainly fits Venables’ coaching mold – an elite recruiter with a high motor. He’s already making a case as the best assistant coach interview on the team. And like most assistants, he has bigger ambitions, hoping to one day be a head coach.

For now, though, Jones is focused on Oklahoma, where he’s still on “cloud 9” about the opportunity in front of him. And as for those who know him best, they’ll always be in his corner – even Davis, who said he might wander to the OU side at the Cotton Bowl next October while wearing his burnt orange.

So, like he has his entire life, whether it be at the high school or collegiate level, Jones is ready to go to work.

“My head is down,” Jones said, “my hard hat is on, and my sleeves are up.”