Georgia tabbed one of its own to fill a coaching vacancy on its men’s basketball staff.
Jonas Hayes, a former player who has served as the Bulldogs’ operations coordinator for the past year, was promoted to the position of assistant coach for Mark Fox on Monday. Hayes succeeds Kwanza Johnson, who left UGA to join the staff of Trent Johnson at Texas Christian a few weeks ago.
“Jonas has done a terrific job for us and he has earned the opportunity to move up,” Fox said in a news release from the school Monday. “His love of Georgia, connections in this region,and magnetic personality will be great assets in recruiting.”
Hayes would appear a perfect fit. He’s an Atlanta native and Douglass High School graduate who grew up playing in Atlanta’s talent-rich AAU leagues. Hayes already has on-court coaching experience, having worked as an assistant and recruited at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina for five seasons before returning to his alma mater last year. He has also been an assistant at South Carolina State, Morehouse College and Douglass High. Hayes actually has already been on the road for the Bulldogs, filling in for Johnson after his imminent departure was determined.
“I’m just really excited and grateful for the opportunity,” Hayes said. “This past year has been a valuable experience for me. I’ve learned so much from Coach Fox that it’s difficult to put into words how much it will help me going forward. And to be able to represent Georgia and help young people grow on and off the court; that’s an opportunity that I will cherish for a lifetime.”
Hayes joined the Georgia staff in May of 2012. As Operations Coordinator last season, his tasks included arranging the players’ day-to-day schedules, monitoring their academic performance and assisting with on-campus recruiting efforts, summer camps and community outreach.
Hayes was a prominent player on three UGA teams between 2002-04. He started 41 of 88 games for the Bulldogs, scoring 759 points (8.6 avg.) and pulling down 435 rebounds (4.9 avg.). His career scoring high of 25 points came at a most opportune time, when the 2004 Bulldogs upended 3rd-ranked Georgia Tech 83-80 in double overtime. His 30-foot 3-pointer also beat Colorado in December 2002.
Hayes and his twin brother Jarvis transferred to UGA after playing their freshman seasons at Western Carolina University. Jarvis earned first-team All-SEC honors in each of his years at Georgia before he entered the NBA Draft in 2003. He played seasons in the NBA and continues to play professionally overseas.
About the Author
