Over his more than 30 years in college basketball, Stetson head coach Donnie Jones has faced the challenge of rebuilding a program many times.
 
In this episode of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, Jones talks about the path that led him to DeLand as the 22^nd head men's basketball coach in school history. The various stops in his career have included being a part of complete rebuild projects at a number of schools.
 
In his first season at Stetson this past year he led the Hatters to a 16-17 overall record, with the 16 wins being the most for a Hatters men's team since the 2007-08 season. The 16 victories were also nine more than the previous season, giving Stetson the biggest single season improvement for any program in the nation with a new coaching staff.
 
After being picked to finish last in the preseason ASUN poll, the Hatters finished third and hosted a first round ASUN tournament game for the first time since 1996.
 
Jones talks about the way his first season at Stetson unfolded, from his arrival in April through the recruitment of nine new players, the loss of expected returners and the tragic loss of graduate transfer Chance McSpadden to an injury in the first preseason scrimmage game. There were struggles early, but the high of a win over South Carolina in late December sparked the team on a run of eight wins in nine games.
 
Jones traces his path from Point Pleasant, WV, to Pikeville College where he faced his first rebuilding job as the point guard at an NAIA program that had been down, but won more than 20 games in a season by the time he finished as a player. He went straight into coaching, first at his alma mater, where he also worked in the admissions office.
 
From there he went to nearby Marshall, which was the program he cheered for as a child, as a graduate assistant. It was also at Marshall where he first crossed paths with a young women's basketball coach named Lynn Bria. Marshall was also where Jones first met Billy Donovan, who he followed to Florida years later, rebuilding the Gators from consecutive last place finishes in the SEC to consecutive national championships.
 
Jones talks about leadership, mentorship and tells the story of the Mothman in addition to talking about the future of Stetson basketball during this edition of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union.
 
In addition to being available at GoHatters.com/podcasts, Hatter Chatter is also available at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and others. Make sure to give a like or a rating, or make a comment about the podcast on whichever platform you use.

Listeners are also encouraged to provide feedback, ask questions or make suggestions for future guests via email at HatterChatter@Stetson.edu.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.