UPDATE: Johnny Jones told Dr. Kenyatta Cavil of Inside the HBCU Sports Lab that he has not resigned as head coach. HBCU Legends reported that Jones is seen as a potential fit on Will Wade’s staff at LSU, but no official offer has been extended.
Below is the original story:
Texas Southern men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones is resigning to accept a position at LSU, according to a report Sunday evening from Dr. Kenyatta Cavil of Inside the HBCU Sports Lab.
Jones, who has led the Tigers since 2018, helped keep Texas Southern among the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s top programs and guided the team through multiple successful seasons. His departure would mark the end of a notable run in Houston.
@DrKenyattaCavil reporting that Johnnie Jones, the Texas Southern basketball head is resigning to accept a position at LSU.
— Inside the HBCU Sports Lab (@HBCUSportsLab1) March 29, 2026
The move also brings Jones back to Baton Rouge, where he previously served as LSU’s head coach from 2012 to 2017. During that five-year stretch, Jones compiled a 90-72 overall record and a 42-48 mark in Southeastern Conference play.
He will be an assistant under new coach Will Wade. Wade returns to LSU after coaching one season at North Carolina State.
He led LSU to one NCAA Tournament appearance and one NIT berth, and the 90 wins remain the most by any LSU coach in his first five seasons.
Neither Texas Southern nor LSU has officially announced the move.
In 2024, Jones had signed a 3-year contract extension that would have kept him at TSU through the 2029 season.
Jones’ return to LSU would represent a homecoming to a program where he once starred as both a player and coach.
