Zeke Jones

Last updated
Zeke Jones
Personal information
Full nameLarry Lee Jones
BornDecember 2, 1966 (1966-12-02) (age 56)
Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S.
Home town Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1992 Barcelona 52 kg
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1991 Varna 52 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1995 Atlanta 52 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1995 Mar del Plata 52 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1991 Havana 52 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Arizona State Sun Devils
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg1990 College Park118 lb

Larry Lee "Zeke" Jones (born December 2, 1966) is an American wrestler who won a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, a world championship in Varna, Bulgaria, in 1991, and was the former freestyle head coach at USA Wrestling. He is currently the head coach of the Arizona State University Wrestling team as of April, 2014. He was a six-time national freestyle champion, four-time World Cup champion, Pan American Games champion, and received the "World's Most Technical Wrestler Award" awarded by FILA, the international governing body for the sport. In college, he was a three-time All-American for Arizona State University and competed on the 1988 NCAA Championship team, coached by famed Bobby Douglas. After college, he wrestled on two world championships teams with the United States wrestling team. In 2005, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.

Contents

He was the head coach of the 2012 US Olympic freestyle wrestling team, Jones coached at the collegiate division I level for 18 years. His first college coaching position was an assistant coach at Bloomsburg University, Arizona State University and West Virginia University before becoming the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. In April 2014 he was hired as the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils. In 2008, he accepted the head coach position for the United States freestyle wrestling team with USA Wrestling at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. [1] In August 2013, Jones helped coach Kyle Snyder to a junior world championship in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Early life

Jones was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He started wrestling under the influence of his brother Johnnie, a two-time junior college national champion for Schoolcraft Junior College and later a wrestler on Iowa State's national runner-up team in 1976. He was citywide champion at Scarlett Junior High School, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was coached by James Bryant.

In high school, he amassed a 111-6 record, finishing 2nd and 1st in the Michigan High School State Championships in 1984 and 1985 competing for Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In high school he was coached by Tom Davids and Ernie Gillum. He was a three-time High School All-American at the Junior National Championships and was named Dream Team All-American selection by Wrestling USA Magazine in 1985. Jones was named to the Huron High School Hall of Fame in 2002.

Jones signed with Bobby Douglas and Sun Devils in 1985. He compiled a 139-21 record and garnering three All-American honors at the NCAA's, three Pac-10 championships, Midlands Title, and was the NCAA finalist his senior year.

Related Research Articles

Cael Norman Sanderson is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler who is the current head coach of Penn State's wrestling team. As a wrestler, he won an Olympic gold medal and was undefeated in four years of college wrestling at Iowa State (159–0), becoming a four-time NCAA Division I champion (1999–2002). He is the only wrestler in NCAA Division I history to go undefeated in official matches with more than 100 wins. Sports Illustrated named his college career as the second most impressive college sports feat of all-time, behind the setting of four world records by Jesse Owens in a single hour at the 1935 Big Ten track and field conference championship meet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Vanderkaay</span> American swimmer

Peter William Vanderkaay is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in middle-distance freestyle events and is a four-time Olympic medalist. He was a member of the United States Olympic team in 2004, 2008, and 2012, and won bronze medals in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 400-meter freestyle at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Dziedzic</span> American wrestler

Stanley Joseph Dziedzic, Jr. is an American former welterweight freestyle wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Douglas</span> American wrestler and coach

Robert Edward Douglas is a retired American freestyle wrestler and coach. He competed as a featherweight at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and placed fourth in 1964. He won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1966 and 1970 world championships, respectively, and retired later in 1970. After that Douglas coached several U.S Olympic teams, is one of only four collegiate coaches to win more than 400 dual meets, and he won an NCAA team national title at Arizona State. His coaching accomplishments include: 13 NCAA champions, 110 All-America performances, and 68 conference titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling</span> United States university wrestling team

The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team is the most successful NCAA Division I program of all time in any sport. As of 2021–2022, Oklahoma State wrestling has won 34 team national championships, 143 individual NCAA championships, and 485 All-American honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Michigan Eagles</span> Sports teams for Eastern Michigan University

The Eastern Michigan Eagles, formerly known as the Normalites and the Hurons, are the athletic teams for Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The Eagles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as members of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The only exception is the women's rowing program, which is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. Altogether, the Eagles have won three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 NAIA Division I national championships in five different sports ; moreover, EMU has been NCAA Division I national runner-up twice. In 1940, the men's cross country team finished second to Indiana University at the national meet hosted by Michigan State University.

Leslie Lyle Gutches is an American former wrestler and coach. His accomplishments include becoming a World Champion in freestyle wrestling at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships, the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler in 1996, becoming the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion in the 177 lb. weight division in both 1995 and 1996, earning All-American status in 1994, 1995 & 1996, becoming a member of the 1996 United States Olympics freestyle wrestling team and winning numerous other tournaments and honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Jackson</span> American wrestler and coach

Kevin Andre Jackson is an American retired freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, and mixed martial artist. Following his competitive career, Jackson would become a wrestling coach.

Harry Geris was a Canadian Olympic wrestler who represented Canada in the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympics, 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and 1975 Pan American Games.


Matt Valenti is a two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler from the University of Pennsylvania. He won the 133 pound weight class at the NCAA tournament in both 2006 and 2007 and finished in 5th place in 2004 at 125 pounds. He is currently the Associate Athletic Director for Student Development at the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Najeeb Zadick is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler. He competed in the Men's freestyle 60 kg division at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He lost in the 1/8 finals to Vasyl Fedoryshyn.

Brent Metcalf is an American former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler. Metcalf was a three-time member of the US World Team and two-time NCAA wrestling champion at the University of Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa State Cyclones wrestling</span> Wrestling team of Iowa State University

The Iowa State Cyclones wrestling team represents Iowa State University (ISU) and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The Cyclones are 8 time National Champions, 17 time National Runners-Up, and have 45 Top 4 "Trophy" Finishes. The team is coached by Kevin Dresser. The Cyclones host their home meets at Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State's campus. Iowa State became the second collegiate wrestling program to reach 1,100 dual wins on January 23, 2022.

Alan M. Fried is an American former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler. He was an NCAA National Champion, Espoir World Champion, three-time Ohio State Champion, and the first wrestler to win four Junior National Freestyle titles. He is also an author.

William Michael Zadick is an American amateur wrestler. He won an NCAA college wrestling championship while competing with the University of Iowa and the 2006 World Wrestling Championships in freestyle wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teague Moore</span> American wrestler and coach

Teague Moore is an American wrestler and former coach. He is known for his capture of the 1998 NCAA Championship while at Oklahoma State University. He was the head coach at Clarion University of Pennsylvania before spending a decade at American University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Snyder (wrestler)</span> American freestyle wrestler (born 1995)

Kyle Frederick Snyder is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 97 kilograms. He holds the distinctions of being the youngest Olympic Gold medalist and the youngest World Champion in American wrestling history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Stieber</span> American wrestler

Logan Stieber is an American former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, who competed internationally at 61 and 65 kilograms. In the Olympic year of 2016, he won the non-Olympic world championship at 61kg, and in 2018, he won a Pan American title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Wolverines wrestling</span> Sports team

The Michigan Wolverines wrestling team is an NCAA Division I Wrestling team competing as members of the Big Ten Conference. The team is coached by Sean Bormet, a two-time All-American at Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gable Steveson</span> American professional and freestyle wrestler

Gable Dan Steveson is an American professional wrestler, freestyle wrestler, and folkstyle wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, the second Olympic wrestling gold medalist to be signed by the company, after Kurt Angle.

References