Elizabeth City State University has named Adrian Jones as its new head football coach, turning to a seasoned leader with deep ties to the CIAA and North Carolina Division II football.
Jones replaces Marcus Hilliard, who posted a 8-22 record in three seasons at the helm, including a 3-7 finish in 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Jones to Elizabeth City State University,” James M. DuBose Jr., ECSU Athletics Director, said in a statement. “He embodies the values and vision we strive for in our athletics program. We are confident that Coach Jones will elevate our football team and inspire our student-athletes both on and off the field.”
Jones joins Elizabeth City State after spending nine seasons as Shaw’s head coach. He compiled a 35-45 record during that span, including a solid 6-4 mark (4-3) this past fall. Shaw opted not to retain Jones at season’s end.
Jones mentored 49 All-CIAA selections while at Shaw, including 2024 first-team running back Travon Tensley and first-team defensive lineman Saevion Gibbs.
His coaching career also includes two stints at North Carolina Central, where he coached running backs, defensive backs and outside linebackers. With Jones on the staff, NCCU won the CIAA in 2005 and 2006 and earned MEAC titles 2014 and 20-15.
Jones served as head coach at Southern Durham High School in Durham for seven seasons, guiding the Spartans to a state 3A title in 2013. He was conference coach of the year three times and led Southern to a trio of league titles from 2007-09.
“Elizabeth City State University has a proud history and a passionate community,” Jones said. “I look forward to partnering with the ECSU family and our student-athletes to build a program that reflects excellence, discipline, and a commitment to success both on the field and in the classroom.”
Jones, a native of Durham, played at North Carolina Central in the 1990s. He earned all-conference honors as a defensive back and punt returner, and was named a Division II All-American in 1996.
Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and a master’s degree in school administration, both from NCCU. He is married to Dr. Kamala Uzzell-Jones, and the couple has a daughter, Jayla.
With Jones’s appointment, the ECSU Vikings are eager to turn the page and build momentum for the upcoming 2025 season. The Vikings have not had a winning season in football since the 2012 team went 8-4 under former coach Waverly Tillar.
The 2015 and 2016 squads both went 5-5. Since that time, the Vikings are 18-51.
David Castillo has been serving as interim coach for the past month. Castillo’s Twitter/X profile, as of Friday night (Dec. 20), continues to list his role as defensive coordinator.
Defense proved the Vikes’ strength during the most recent campaign. ECSU’s pass defense ranked first in the CIAA, while the red zone defense ranked third. The team’s wins this season came against Chowan (12-9) and Erskine (20-0) early in the season and against Bluefield State (27-21) in the finale.
The Daily Advance newspaper in Elizabeth City wrote recently that ECSU had 60+ applicants for the head job.
Adrian Jones Among Eight New Head Coaches in NC College Football
This has been a busy coaching carousel cycle, with nine of our state’s 34 college programs undergoing changes at the top. Elizabeth City State and Shaw are the only D2 teams to make coaching moves. Shaw has not yet announced its next head coach.
Davidson filled its opening this week, hiring 33-year-old Saj Thakkar from D2 Bentley University in Massachusetts.
Other recent hires include Wake Forest naming Jake Dickert to lead the Demon Deacons.
NC College Football Head Coaching Changes
- Appalachian State: Shawn Clark → Dowell Loggains
- Charlotte: Bigg Poggi → Tim Albin
- Davidson: Scott Abell → Saj Thakkar
- East Carolina: Mike Houston → Blake Harrell
- Elizabeth City State: Marcus Hilliard → Adrian Jones
- North Carolina: Mack Brown → Bill Belichick
- North Carolina A&T: Vincent Brown → Shawn Gibbs
- Shaw: Adrian Jones → ??
- Wake Forest: Dave Clawson → Jake Dickert
Elizabeth City State Football | 10-Year Rewind
| OVERALL | OVERALL | CONF | CONF | ||
| YEAR | COACH | WINS | LOSSES | WINS | LOSSES |
| 2015 | Waverly Tillar | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| 2016 | Earnest J. Wilson III | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 2017 | Earnest J. Wilson III | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| 2018 | Earnest J. Wilson III | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| 2019 | Earnest J. Wilson III | 2 | 9 | 2 | 5 |
| 2020* | Earnest J. Wilson III | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Earnest J. Wilson III | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| 2022 | Marcus Hilliard | 2 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023 | Marcus Hilliard | 3 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 2024 | Marcus Hilliard | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| TOTALS | 28 | 61 | 18 | 45 |
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