Matt Jones joined the UCSB women's volleyball coaching staff in Spring 2017. He assisted the program for two seasons before becoming the associate head coach in 2021. Now, Jones will begin this new chapter of his career at UC Santa Barbara as the team's head coach.
Jones served as the program's defensive coordinator from 2018-2020 and in that time saw the Gauchos rank top-third in the conference in digs per set, total digs, blocks per set, and total blocks. In 2021 he took over as the team's offensive coordinator and in that role led the Gauchos to national relevancy as they ranked third in assists per set, fourth in kills per set, and 19th in team hitting percentage.
Prior to the 2020 season, Jones was named to the 2020 AVCA Thirty Under 30 list, which honors up-and-coming coaching talents at all levels of the sport. Jones is the first Gaucho women's volleyball coach to receive the honor.
In just his third season with the program, Jones helped the Gauchos to one of their most impressive seasons in recent history posting a 23-6 record with a 12-4 conference mark. This feat was enough to earn the team a spot in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, where UCSB would head to Austin, Texas and earn its first tournament win in 15 years. The Gauchos defeated Texas State 3-1 in the first round before nearly upsetting host No. 2 Texas in five sets.
Jones came to the Gauchos following a one-year stint as an assistant coach to both the men's and women's volleyball programs at his alma mater, Harvard.
Before that, the La Jolla, California native spent three seasons as head coach for the Santa Barbara City College men's volleyball program (Aug. 2013-Apr. 2016). Over that same stretch, he also served as both a director for the Santa Barbara Volleyball Club as well as the 18U Boys Head Coach.
Prior to his time at SBCC, Jones also spent time as the boys beach volleyball head coach at Laguna Blanca High School. In 2013, as a member of the Coast Volleyball Club, he was the head coach of a team that went 16-2 and an assistant coach on a team that went 18-1 and took the Bronze Medal at the 2013 Junior Olympics.
In October of 2012, Jones joined Luxembourg volleyball club Volley Bartreng as an outside hitter, becoming the first Harvard men's volleyball alumnus to sign a professional contract. That season, he helped the team make the playoffs for the first time in ten years, while also spending time coaching and tutoring members of the club's youth team.
During his time as a student-athlete at Harvard (2008-12), Jones was a key member of a Crimson team that received its first ever national ranking at No. 15 during his senior year. He also served as the team's captain during both his junior and senior seasons before being named First Team All-EIVA and making the EIVA All-Tournament Team in April of 2012. One month later, Jones graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in applied mathematics with a focus in statistics.
