As the Elizabeth City State football program has not had a sustained run of success in recent memory, new head coach Adrian Jones is ready to hit the ground running.
“I don’t have a two or three-year plan in place,” Jones said at his introductory press conference on Friday morning. “I want to get the kind of student-athletes in here that can fit the program, win games and bring the crowds back.”
Last month, Jones was hired as the 15th head coach in Viking football history, just weeks after he was let go following an eight-year run at Shaw University. He replaces Marcus Hilliard, a former Vikings football player, who resigned after three seasons of running the program.
An emotional Jones, who was also celebrating his birthday on Friday, credited family members, friends in the coaching community and his faith for getting him to Elizabeth City State.
“Sometimes God takes something from you to give you something better,” he said. “I’m a living witness that God works in mysterious ways.”
Jones is very familiar with the CIAA. He was a standout defensive back at North Carolina Central in the late 90s before serving as Shaw’s head coach from 2017-2024. Jones’ record in Raleigh was 33-35, including a 6-4 record this past season.
Jones says his recruiting approach will be broad, encompassing the state of North Carolina but also focusing on the Elizabeth City and Hampton Roads areas.
“Elizabeth City is a gold mine; there are a lot of good football players here,” he said. “I really think we can flourish here.”
Jones has lofty aspirations for the Vikings program, which has not won a CIAA title since 1971 and last made an NCAA Division II playoff appearance (under program legend and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback) Johnnie Walton in 1981.
“I will not let you down,” Jones said, addressing Walton and the Elizabeth City stakeholders in attendance. “We don’t want to just win football games; we want to win championships. That’s why I’m here.”
