Robby Jones already knew what it was like to replace a coaching legend. He watched his dad do it - twice.
Robby has taken the helm of the Aledo Bearcats this season after more than two decades as an assistant and the past 14 as offensive coordinator. He replaces one of Texas' all-time great head coaches, Tim Buchanan, who guided the Bearcats to eight state championships and was athletic director while the now also retired Steve Wood won three more.
And through it all, Jones was there. Just like his father, he knew when the time was right he'd get his chance.
"I learned football in general from those guys," Robby said. "I was on the defensive side of the ball for a while with coach Wood. That helped me when I became offensive coordinator because I understood defenses. I understand how to attack defenses.
"I learned how to treat kids, how to coach X's and O's. Buc is still helping me with how to treat parents."
Before all that, however, he learned from his dad even though he had yet to put on his first coaching whistle. Jerry Jones gave his son a look at what replacing a legend is like.
He was an assistant for G.A. Moore at Celina for a handful of seasons before taking over the head coaching job when Moore returned to Pilot Point for the second of his three stints there in 1977. Jerry then took over for Moore again at Pilot Point when Moore left to coach at Sherman in 1986.
And, just like his son, Jerry enjoyed success as a state champion assistant coach when Celina shared a state title in 1974 with Big Sandy.
"When I was a kid I saw how that played out. I saw the pressure that was put on my dad," Robby said. "But I learned a lot also, especially when he took the job at Pilot Point and I was a little older."
Suffice to say Jerry handled the pressure well. He fashioned a career record of 206-77-5 in 25 years as a head coach at Celina, Maypearl, Pilot Point and Prosper. That's an average of more than eight wins and just over three losses per season over a quarter century, a record plenty of coaches would love to have.
Robby has endeared himself to the Aledo community. Sure, being a part of 10 state championships doesn't hurt, but he and his family are not just Bearcats, but Aledo through and through.
Of course, being one of the best assistants to be found, Robby has had chances in the past to become a head coach. But, being loyal - especially to his family - he just couldn't bring himself to leave.
"I had some opportunities, but they weren't right for me and my family," he said.
Robby's wife, Cheryl, is principal at the Aledo Learning Center. Their two sons, 24-year-old Tarleton graduate Dane and 22-year-old Tarleton student Cade (Robby and Cheryl both went to Tarleton), both went through all their pre-college school years in the Aledo School District.
"How many coach's kids can say that? Not many," Robby said. "Any place that hired me would have to offer my wife an administrative position because I wasn't going to ask her to give up her career.
"They wanted to be Bearcats. Plus, I had a good gig as offensive coordinator for Aledo football - and that was pretty good."
As for community support, some of the fans have a long connection with him - very long.
"Some of the parents setting in the stands are kids I've coached," he said.
Robby is already a part of Aledo football lore - national football lore, in fact. Not only once, but twice, he's been a big part of history being made.
When Robby became the offensive coordinator in 2009, he had been the running backs coach and co-OC the two seasons before. During that time he groomed a young running back who would go on to become one of the greatest high school running backs in U.S. history.
Johnathan Gray, who is now one of his assistant coaches, rushed for 10,889 yards, amassed 12,133 all-purpose and scored 205 touchdowns in his four seasons as a Bearcat. Most of his success came between 2009 and 2011, when Aledo went 45-3 and won three consecutive state championships.
Then, two seasons after Gray graduated and moved on to play for the University of Texas, Robby was the mastermind behind the most prolific offense in football history - at any level. The Bearcats became the only team ever to score more than 1,000 points in a season (1,023) in posting a 16-0 record and, of course, a state championship.
Two years earlier his offense scored 885 points in 2011 and ranks 16th all-time. The 2016 offense ranks 26th with 855, in 2019 they scored 815 to rank 52nd all-time, and a year earlier they scored 809 to rank 62nd.
Those teams combined to go 77-3 and win five state championships.
In his 14 seasons as offensive coordinator the Bearcats 49 points per game, including 45 per game in the postseason.
As the season opener approaches at home against Dallas Parish Episcopal - a team that handed the Bearcats a rare defeat, 24-17, to open the 2022 season - Robby is anxious for the game to finally arrive.
"I'm ready for the first game to get here and get into a coaching routine," he said, adding with a chuckle, "I'm becoming a lot better at emailing.
"I got back from coaching school and it took me two hours to reply to all my emails. I had a routine as an offensive coordinator, but I didn't have a routine as a head coach and I'm ready to one started."
His debut is certainly a doozy, featuring a pair of the state's most elite powerhouse programs. Along with the Bearcats' sterling record of success, the Panthers have won four consecutive Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Division I championships and a Division II title in 2014.
As for what his legacy among Aledo head coaches will be when it's all said and done, Robby is ready for whatever challenges come along. He will face them with the championship attitude he learned starting with his dad and later from Buchanan, Wood and his fellow Bearcat coaches.
"We plan to continue the tradition in success in 5A and when we go 6A we'll be ready for that," he said. "It's going to be more difficult, but we're always going to have championship expectations."
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here