There are many impressive accomplishments on the new Southgate head football coach’s resumé but one really jumps off the page. There aren’t many football coaches in the Downriver area who have played in the NFL.

Milton Jones Jr., who was recently named the head coach of the Titans, played in the NFL for the New York Giants in 1994 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. More recently, he was the football coach at Westland John Glenn High School.

And now he’s excited to be in Southgate.

“I know the previous head coach, Bobby Marten, so we would talk every now and then and he had nothing but great things to say about Southgate,” Jones said. “My early observations are that there are ball players and some raw talent. We just need to get ready to start grinding on the field, and doing the work necessary to put a competitive football team on the field every week.” Jones replaces Bobby Marten, who compiled an overall record of 23-16 in his four seasons with the Titans. Marten is returning to Allen Park High School, where he will be the assistant athletic director and offensive coordinator for the Jags.

Southgate Coordinating Athletic Director Mitch Dobek is impressed with Jones’s background and coaching pedigree.

“Coach Jones brings a wealth of experience with him,” Dobek said. “His calm demeanor and competitive edge will help our players adapt well to the change, and we look forward to great success.”

Jones, whose teacher’s certification is in secondary math, will be at Anderson High School or Asher Alternative High School teaching math during the school day.

“I have spent a considerable amount of time in the Southgate community, and I have two good friends who are from Southgate so I have spent time in Southgate grabbing a bite to eat, playing basketball or just visiting friends,” Jones said.

Jones, 55, graduated from Detroit Henry Ford in 1989 and from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2005 with a BA in education. He also graduated from Marygrove College in 2009 with a MA in education.

He played defensive end at Central State University in Ohio.

“I started my coaching career as a line coach at Northwest Cougars in 1997 before coaching for two seasons at my alma mater Detroit Henry Ford,” Jones said. “I was a teacher and coach at Southfield High School from 2006-2018.”

After two seasons as an assistant at Oak Park High School, Jones landed at John Glenn with the Rockets as a teacher and coach.

Jones said his coaching philosophy is Keep It Simple (K.I.S).

“We have to continuously coach and teach the fundamentals of football daily,” he said. “My main goal for this year is to implement the culture that will make us competitive year after year. And our culture is built on three main things: community (we will embody the community of Southgate by being blue collar and bring our hard hat and lunch pal to work every day); grit (it is an honor to play for your high school team, and we will play with a deep passion and respect for the game each and every week); and trust (we will build trust by being authentic, consistent and reliable).”

Jones has been married to wife Pamela Jones for 17 years. They have two daughters: Faith, who will be attending Michigan State University this fall, and Joy, who just finished her freshman year at West Bloomfield High School.

“I would want the Southgate community to know that I'm thrilled to be here and me and my staff are ready to work,” he said. “I hope to see everyone at the game on Friday nights in the fall. Go Titans!”