The BC Lions Football Club announced they have named Khari Jones as the club’s offensive coordinator, effective immediately.
Head Coach Mike Benevides stated “Khari is a young, fresh football mind that brings a key combination of significant playing and coaching experience to the role of offensive coordinator and following a number of conversations over the past couple of weeks, I am very excited about the offensive concepts he will bring to our offence and how they will translate on the field.”
Jones joins the Lions coaching staff following a championship season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders where he served in a key role as quarterbacks coach for the past two years helping guide Darian Durant to his first career title run this past November.
Durant also led the CFL in TD passes in 2013 and ranked third in quarterback efficiency behind only Ricky Ray and Kevin Glenn.
Prior to his two years in Saskatchewan, Jones was the offensive coordinator in Hamilton in 2011 where he originally began his post-playing and broadcasting career in 2009 as the Tiger-Cats’ quarterbacks coach.
Under his guidance in 2010, then-quarterback Kevin Glenn threw for a career-best 5,102 yards and a team-record 33 touchdowns.
“It’s an honour to return to the same organization that gave me an opportunity to play in this great league many years ago,” said Jones. “There is a tremendous nucleus of great offensive players here led by Travis Lulay, who I believe is one of the elite quarterbacks in our league. I’m elated to be working with Mike as well as everyone on the offensive staff and I can’t wait to get started on building a champion in BC.”
Taking on the role of offensive coordinator will be a homecoming of sorts for the former Lions pivot who broke into the CFL in 1997 spending a year on the Leos’ practice roster before dressing as a back-up during the 1998 and 1999 campaigns.
Following a trade to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2000, Khari embarked on an outstanding five-year run in Blue and Gold rewriting the Bombers record book and setting several club marks including most completions (382) and passing yards (5,334) in a season as well four consecutive seasons throwing for 3,000 yards or more.
In 2001, he enjoyed his finest season as a pro guiding Winnipeg to a 14-4 regular season record including 12 consecutive wins as well as a Grey Cup appearance while being selected as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
Khari has had stints in Calgary (2004) and Hamilton (2005) in addition to having two training camps with Edmonton.
He joined CBC’s CFL broadcast crew in 2006 and before returning to the CFL as a coach, became the Director of Football at National Sports Development based in Calgary.
Thanks to the BC Lions for the info. http://www.bclions.com/
