The Rise and Fall of Kansas Wesleyan University Basketball

About the Book

One hundred and sixteen years have passed since Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU) formed basketball teams known as the Wesleyans, the Methodists, the Preachers, and now, the Coyotes. Fathers, sons, and grandsons have worn the purple and gold colors, winning and losing but always striving to represent the university in a most positive manner. Head coaches had been students, middle school, high school, and college teachers. Like the players themselves, the coaches had come from different states, scattered in all directions. But they were here in Salina back in 1901 and continuing on in 2017 as teammates and brothers of the basketball, bound together by the mutual story that is Kansas Wesleyan basketball.

About the Author

No one knows more about the Rise and Fall of Kansas Wesleyan University Basketball than Jerry Jones who spent 22 years as Head basketball coach and 20 years as athletic director. During his career with KWU, the Athletic Hall of Fame was created, the Basketball Teams of the Decade and Players of the Decade were initiated and recognized. Reunions of the Championship Teams were organized and feted. At age 78, Jones comes closer to knowing, and did know many of the personalities profiled in the pages of The Rise and Fall of KWU Basketball. During his 42 years as an educator/coach, Jones taught English/composition, directed plays and musicals for 18 years; before becoming a full-time collegiate coach. In addition to 22 years at Kansas Wesleyan, Jones was athletic director/head basketball coach at Indiana University at South Bend for five years. He has been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Baker University, Baldwin City, KS, and Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, KS. National Coach of the Year in 2000 (National Small College Athletic Association, NSCAA) when his KWU team won the National (NSCAA) Championship, his teams also won Kansas Conference titles in 1986 and 2000 when he was named KCAC Coach of the Year those same seasons. Twice selected Teacher of the Year in high schools, (Holton, KS; Atchison County-Effingham, KS) the former Valedictorian at Vermillion Rural High School, KS, Jones was on the Dean's Honor Roll at Baker University and a Fulbright Scholarship candidate. He has authored two published histories, numerable magazine articles, and three unpublished novels. He is presently working on a book of his cowboy poetry. Now retired from coaching and athletic administration, Jones is seeking fame in another arena. He is the 2016 Kansas State Cowboy Poetry Champion and a finalist in the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo, held in Abilene, KS. Jerry is married to the ever beautiful, ever young and always talented Dr. Kathleen Barrett-Jones. They reside in Salina, KS. Their daughter, Jessica, is married to a former Colorado and Texas cowboy, Wil Atkison, residing now in the wilds of Manhattan where they ride the subterranean iron horse to work in SoHo.