Keith Jones Jr. was hired as App State's defensive line coach in January 2025.
 
Jones arrived in Boone after spending the previous two seasons as a member of the New England Patriots' coaching staff.
 
Jones assisted with coaching the Patriots' defensive line from 2023-24 after also assisting the defensive line groups in graduate assistant roles at Arkansas in 2022 and Arkansas State in 2021. Dowell Loggains and Jones worked together on staff with the Razorbacks during the 2022 season, when the Razorbacks led the SEC with a program-record 42 sacks.
 
Jones earned his first opportunity with the Patriots while working the 2022 training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship. In 2023, Jones helped Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore enjoy a season that included 8.5 sacks and 13 TFLs.
 
Following an award-winning playing career in college and the Indoor Football League, Jones got his coaching start overseeing the defensive tackles at Missouri Southern State University in 2020.
 
A native of Florissant, Mo., just outside of St. Louis, Jones was a standout defensive lineman at UT Martin, where he was a second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a senior by recording a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He started 36 of his final 41 games with the Skyhawks.
 
After graduating from UT Martin with a bachelor's degree in health and human performance, he went on to star in the Indoor Football League. He was named first-team All-IFL and won a league title while playing for the Iowa Barnstormers in 2018. He spent the 2019 season with the Tucson Sugar Skulls.
 
Jones was a three-sport prep standout at McCleur North High School, where he competed in football, basketball and track and field.
 
JONES AT A GLANCE
 
Coaching Experience
2020: Missouri Southern (Defensive tackles)
2021: Arkansas State (Graduate assistant – Defensive line)
2022: Arkansas (Graduate assistant – Defensive line)
2023-24: New England Patriots (Defensive assistant)
2025: App State (Defensive line)
 
Playing Experience
2012-16: UT Martin (DL)
2018: Iowa Barnstormers (IFL)
2019: Tucson Sugar Skulls (IFL)
 
Alma Mater: UT Martin, 2016
Hometown: Florissant, Mo.