Missey Jones
Missey Jones
  • Title:
    Head Coach
  • Phone:
    813-257-5029
  • Email:
    missey.jones@ut.edu
  • Alma Mater:
    East Tennessee State, 1987

Bio

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Missey Jones is in her 13th season as the head women’s golf coach. She received her B.S. in Physical Education from East Tennessee State University, a Masters in Spanish from the University of South Florida, and a Masters in ELL from Universidad da Sant'Anna in São Paulo, Brazil.

She brings over 34 years of experience in coaching and teaching, not only in the United States, but in Brazil, Costa Rica, and the Canary Islands. She was chosen as the head coach of UT first women's golf team in 2010.

In 2023, Jones guided the Spartans to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA South Regional tournament with Ana Maria Jimenez Rios leading the way as the NCAA South Region champion. This helped the Spartans to qualify for the NCAA National Championships for the second time in program history, placing 12th amongst nationally ranked teams. Jimenez Rios received second-team All-American accolades, joining Kiira Riihijarvi as the only Spartans in program history to be named a first or second-team All-American.  

Following a shortened season in 2020, Jones led the Spartans to earn the program's first-ever NCAA regional title in 2021. This year also marked the first time UT competed in the NCAA championships as a team, placing 10th. Kiira Riihijarvi was named NCAA Division II National Player for the second consecutive year as well as earning first-team All-American honors.

In 2019, she led the Spartans to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament as a team, where UT finished seventh overall at the NCAA South Super Regional in Cleveland, Tenn. The Spartans were also ranked all season as individual Kiira Riihijarvi took home first-team All-American honors while being ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in the regular-season individual rankings.

Jones enjoyed stellar back-to-back seasons as she coached Kiira Riihijarvi at the NCAA South Super Regional championships where she finished first and third in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Riihijarvi also took seventh place at the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships where she finished ninth in 2017. Riihijarvi also became the program's first All-American.

Coach Jones believes in a strong team culture that she attributes to the team’s successes, and she strives to keep her team close and focused on their goals. 

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  • SSC Championships, Individual (1): 2019
  • NCAA South Super Regional, Individual (3): 2017, 2021, 2023
  • NCAA South Regional, Team (1): 2021
  • WGCA South Region Coach of the Year (1): 2020

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  • All-Americans (8): 2018-19: Kiira Riihijarvi, WGCA first team; 2017-18: Kiira Riihijarvi, WGCA second-team; 2016-17: Kiira Riihijarvi, WGCA second-team; 2019-20: Kiira Riihijarvi, WGCA first team; Hallie Riley, WGCA honorable mention; 2020-21: Kiira Riihijarvi, WGCA first team; 2021-22: Ana Maria Jimenez Rios, WGCA honorable mention; 2022-2023- Ana Maria Jimenez Rios, WGCA second-team
  • National Golfer of the Year (2): 2019-20, 2020-21: Kiira Riihijarvi (WGCA) 
  • SSC Golfer of the Year (2): 2018-19, 2020-21: Kiira Riihijarvi

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Missey was an assistant golf professional at Silverado Golf and Country Club and also worked at Babe Zaharias Golf course. Jones also taught at Freedom High School, Corpus Christi Catholic School and Hillsborough Community College and taught Spanish at the University of South Florida. Jones has run a golf camp in the summers and worked for the First Tee.

A graduate of East Tennessee State University, Jones was a standout women’s basketball player for the Bucs. She went on to coach collegiately at ETSU, the University of Houston and Colorado State University. Jones also coached and played professional basketball in Brazil.

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In addition to coaching, Jones has also taught English and Spanish at primary, secondary and university levels and is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, she has developed Internet-based learning programs and a student advisor program as a teacher. She still teaches online English as a second language to children in China. 

Missey earned her certificate in personal training in 1996 from the Cooper Institute of Dallas.

While getting her master's at the Universidade de Santanna in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she had received an athletic scholarship to run track while she made the pro circuit as a tri-athlete.

Missey carries an LPGA professional Class A card. She is also a Certified Life Coach and Certified Mental Coach. Jones also has earned The Tour Roll Certification and 4 Putting Elements certification.