Former Penn State men’s basketball center Andrew Jones will serve as the head coach of the Raptors 905, the G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors the franchise announced on Monday.
“Drew is stepping up to lead our G League team during an important phase of the Raptors’ franchise. We believe that success at 905 contributes to the success of the Raptors, and we feel that Drew, with his experience and commitment to player development, will help our young players reach their goals — and ours,” Raptors 905 general manager Luke Winn said in a press release.
The former Nittany Lion joined the Raptors organization last season as an assistant coach. Beyond that, his coaching experience includes two seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons (2021-23) and two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers (2019-21) organization specializing in player development. Jones began his professional coaching career with the Thunder, spending nearly five years with the franchise working as a video analyst, player development coach and as an assistant coach with their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to coach Raptors 905, continuing my development as a coach and a leader” Jones also said in a press release “After conversations with Coach Rajaković and the Raptors front office we are aligned in maintaining the tradition of developing players and coaches who can contribute at the highest level.”
“Drew is a compassionate leader who always takes a people-first approach with everything that he does on and off the court,” said Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajaković. “He is someone that our players gravitated towards throughout the season for development and mentorship which will serve him well as head coach of the 905.”
While at Penn State from 2006-11, Jones was a pivotal piece of the Nittany Lions’ first-ever NIT title and a key part of the Nittany Lions’ eventual NCAA Tournament appearance. Over the course of his career, Jones averaged 5.1 rebounds and 5.6 points per contest. His senior season, Jones averaged just over 30 minutes of action per game under then head coach Ed DeChellis.
