Football
- Title:
- Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
- Email:
- football@central.uh.edu
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• Coach Brandon Jones on Twitter
Coaching Accomplishments
• Brandon Jones was named Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach at Houston on Jan. 11, 2019, after two seasons as offensive line coach at Texas Tech. The 2022 season was his fourth at Houston. Prior to the 2021 season, Jones was promoted to Run Game Coordinator while serving as the Cougars' offensive line coach.
• In Jones’s four seasons at Houston, five offensive linemen have received All-American Athletic Conference accolades a total of six times including left tackle Patrick Paul who became the first Cougar in American history to be named first-team multiple times, doing so in 2021-22.Â
• Cougar offensive linemen continued to make strides in the NFL during 2022. Offensive tackle Josh Jones, coached by Jones during 2019 and selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, started nine games for the Arizona Cardinals, playing 622 offensive snaps while grading out as the league’s No. 17 overall tackle (75.8) per PFF. Meanwhile, center Kody Russey caught the attention of the New England Patriots and was picked up as an undrafted free agent prior to the season before earning a spot on the practice squad.
• During 2022, Brandon Jones tutored first-year offensive guard Cam’Ron Johnson to first-team all-conference honors during 2022. During 2022, the Cougars graded out as The American’s top pass blocking team (88.0) per PFF led by Paul who ranked second nationally (91.1) among tackles and Tyler Johnson who finished 11th nationally among guards (87.6).
• The Cougars turned to a bevy of options in the run game due to an assortment of injuries prior and during 2022. Jones’s offensive line answered the call as four different players posted 100-yard rushing performances including Stacy Sneed who ranked 21st nationally among running backs with 6.5 rushing yards per attempt.
• In 2021, a pair of Houston offensive linemen earned All-American Athletic Conference honors as Paul was recognized on the first team and Russey earned second-team accolades. Behind Jones’ mentorship, the Cougars posted multiple all-conference offensive line selections for the first time in multiple seasons (2021-22) since 2011-12 as member of Conference USA.
• The run blocking saw strong improvement during 2021, adding a whole yard per carry in 2021 (3.9) from 2020 (3.0). The Cougars were the only team in The American to rank in the league’s top three in both run blocking (68.5) and pass blocking (72.4). Houston’s line paved the way for running back Alton McCaskill IV to lead all true freshman running backs with 16 rushing scores en route to being named The American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
• Jones joined the Houston program after overseeing the front unit of a team that ranked No. 12 nationally in total offense and No. 3 nationally in passing offense. Sophomore Jack Anderson earned second-team All-Big 12 honors under Jones' leadership.
• In his first season in Lubbock, Jones mentored a young offensive line that featured a junior, three sophomores and a true freshman in the starting lineup for the majority of the season. Tech still managed to remain one of the nation’s top offenses, however, as the Red Raiders ended the year ranked ninth nationally for passing offense, 16th for total offense and 23rd for scoring.
• Anderson developed into one of the top freshmen in the country during his first semester on campus as he earned Freshman All-America honors by both ESPN and USA Today. Anderson, who started all 13 games at right guard, was the first Red Raider to collect Freshman All-America accolades since 2013 and the first offensive lineman to do so since 2012.
• In addition, the running game drastically improved during Jones’ first season as Tech averaged 140.9 rushing yards per game, an improvement by nearly 40 yards from the 2016 campaign.
• Jones arrived at Tech after helping build Cal’s offensive line into one of the top units in the country in 2016. Jones, who served as run game coordinator and offensive line coach, boosted a unit that ranked 82nd in sacks allowed the year prior to his arrival to 22nd nationally and second in the Pac-12 Conference at the end of the 2016 campaign.
• Cal was one of the top offenses in the country in positive plays during Jones’ final season as the Golden Bears ranked 13th in tackles for loss allowed. Cal was also among the top-10 teams nationally in passing offense and total offense during his two seasons.
• Jones was hired at Cal after helping install a wide-open spread offense during his five seasons at East Carolina. The Pirates saw quick results in just Jones’ first season as East Carolina ended the year ranked eighth nationally in passing offense, 16th in scoring offense and 25th in total offense.
• The Pirates rewrote the school record book during Jones’ tenure, breaking the marks for scoring average (40.2), first downs (346), passing offense (328.1 yards per game) and total offense (533.0 yards per game). He produced seven offensive linemen who earned all-conference honors during his tenure which also featured four bowl appearances.
• Jones spent one season coaching running backs and tight ends at Sam Houston State (2009) before joining the East Carolina staff. The Sam Houston State position was his first full-time role after his two seasons as an offensive assistant with the Red Raiders.
• Texas Tech experienced one of its most successful two-year runs in school history during Jones’ two seasons on staff. The Red Raiders combined for 20 wins during that time which featured trips to the Gator Bowl (2007) and the Cotton Bowl (2008) as well as an end-of-season top-25 ranking from the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls.
• Jones began his coaching career after starting 22 games mainly at center for the Red Raiders. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades as a junior before becoming a Rimington Award (nation’s top center) candidate during his senior season.
• The Red Raiders combined to win 17 games over his final two seasons, the final of which was highlighted by Tech’s come-from-behind victory over Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl. Tech trailed Minnesota by 31 points in the third quarter before rallying for a 44-41 overtime victory, marking the largest comeback in bowl history.
Jones and his wife, Toya, have two daughters, Jordyn and Londyn.
