Glen Oaks High School head coach Anthony Jones is attempting to get things going in the right direction in his debut season with the Panthers at a school that is already familiar to him. Coach Jones was also a student and a player at Glen Oaks in the early 2000s, and graduated from there in 2001, so being back at his alma mater means a lot to him. He is looking to create a winning culture and develop the talent that Glen Oaks has been able to produce over the years. With many notable Glen Oaks alumni, including former LSU QB Marcus Randall, Anthony Jones is looking to mold his players into something special to allow them to play at the next level. He has been through the spring and summer with his new team, so he is learning the ins and outs of how to run his own program.
Jones was an all-state cornerback back during his time with the Panthers, so he knows a thing or two about talent. He spent the last 10 years at Madison Prep in Baton Rouge and had loads of success there. When the opportunity arose for Jones to return to his alma mater and give back to the school that gave so much to him, he was not going to pass that over for anything. He mentions how this was his dream job to come back to his school and be the head football coach.
“So. I had opportunity to come back to my alumni and try to give back to the community and the football team to try to bring them back and make Glen Oaks more relevant and competitive in the football area. It mainly was because it’s my alumni. I grew up in a neighborhood. I stayed right across the street from the school so the community of this high school man, it’s kind of kind of all I know. I always wanted to if I had the opportunity. It is kind of like my dream to come back and coach at my high school so for me, it was just this coaching these boys trying to make them into young men on and off the field.”
Glen Oaks Head Coach Anthony Jones
Having previously been at Madison Prep before accepting this new position, Coach Jones is very familiar with the district his Panthers will be playing in. Glen Oaks and Madison Prep share a district so there is much familiarity with all of the teams for Jones. He feels if his players just buy into what he is teaching, then they can have much success this season.
“So our district is going to be pretty tough. I’ve been in it for years though, yet another good about this job is I’ve been in his district so I come from Madison Prep and we are in the same district. The top echelon teams are going to be Madison Prep, but of course, you have your U-High, Parkview, and Port Allen. Then, it’s kind of us, Glen Oaks, Mentorship, and Collegiate. You know kind of like that so I’ve played/coached against them. I really feel that if our players commit to the program and the process, then I think we can make the playoffs this year.”
Glen Oaks Head Coach Anthony Jones
Being this is his first season with a new team at a new school, sometimes it can be difficult to instill new things into players. He is trying to build something special over at Glen Oaks, and it will not come without the help of his players and coaching staff. They will have to buy in and play the style of football that Coach Jones expects. Jones described the way he wants his team to come out on Friday nights:
“We’re going to be tough and hard-nosed. We’re going to be able to tackle and just move the ball downfield. You know, discipline wise, we will make sure we won’t be making careless and silly mistakes, and what I’ve been preaching this whole year, man, do your job! I’m gonna do my job and you do your job. Everybody do your job. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing, you know? You do what you do and only that. If everybody is controlled this season and does their job, then we are going to be alright.”
Glen Oaks Head Coach Anthony Jones
Having been in the game of football for so long, Coach Jones has gotten some great advice that he hopes to instill into his players. He has lots of wisdom about the game and how to approach it, and he wants his players to be the same way.
“The best advice I’ve probably been given as a coach is from my mentor, Coach Landry. Man, don’t ask your coaches to do something that you wouldn’t do. You know, he just instilled hard work in me. He’s more of a blue-collar guy so I ask my coaches to do small tasks even as simple as maybe getting the water ready for the day, so that’s something I do as a head coach and just because I’m a head coach doesn’t mean that I can’t fill up the water. I just kind of bring that blue collar atmosphere with hard work. We are coming to work to get better and get that work in so I instill it as much as I can in my coaches and in my players. I’m more of a young guy so I’m kind of like that “Primetime” coach with your chain out type. I bring that culture here so I really believe in if you look good, then you feel good, and then you play good. One of my main goals is to embrace my culture so I’m trying to change the culture around here, and being that I’m a little younger, I’m a little lenient on some things. I am really trying to get across the point of hard work and having fun.”
Glen Oaks Head Coach Anthony Jones
Coach Jones and the Panthers are very excited for this coming season, especially due to all of the talent they have coming back. Senior running back Na’Ryan Delone is primed and ready for an incredible season. Coach Jones expects big things out him and the rest of the Panther team.
“So of course we have our running back, Na’Ryan Delone, who runs a 10.6 in the 100. He is a great kid. We are going to try and get the ball in his hand often. I believe in getting the ball in my playmakers’ hands. We also have Chris Jackson who will be a senior. We have Jeremiah Patillo, my tight end, who is a great leader for us on and off the field. He is a 4.0 kid who is a hard worker. We also have Derrick Washington, another hard worker. Some seniors that I wish I had them for another year because I am just getting involved in this program. Those four kids right there I guarantee will be getting awards on Friday nights and hopefully I can get them all in college next year.”
Glen Oaks Head Coach Anthony Jones
Coach Anthony Jones is very hopeful that he can change things around for Glen Oaks and bring success back their way. He has high hopes for the future and thinks if he can lock down the Glen Oaks area. then he will be okay.
“Man, hopefully I can change this program around, get the community involved, get the alumni involved, and we’d be a competitive team every year. My goal is to make the playoffs every year. You know, I guess my main thing is I’m trying to lock down just the Glen Oaks area like the neighborhood and the district itself so I’m trying to lock down those kids that stay in Glen Oaks to come back to Glen Oaks. Yeah, man, I think we will be headed in the right direction. If I have a battle with that, then things are going to be pretty difficult. but if I can get that done, man, I think the program is headed in the right direction.”
Glen Oaks Head Coach Anthony Jones
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