Gene Jones spent 25 years coaching football, basketball and track at Donnell Middle School before retiring in 1980. He coached several City Championship teams in the three sports, devoting a great deal of his life to the development of young talent. Jones, a Mt. Pleasant, Pa. native, began his coaching and teaching career at North Baltimore High School where he led the Tigers to three Wood County basketball tournament championships. While at North Baltimore, Jones slowly developed the football program into a winner, losing one game in 1953 and then going unbeaten in 1954. After three years of high school football in Pennsylvania, Jones attended Indiana State Teachers College in 1938 but left school after one year. He then enrolled at Findlay College where he was the starting guard on the 1941 football squad after earning a letter in track as a distance runner. Jones served 2½ years in the U.S. Air Force and returned to Findlay College in 1946 where he received his degree.

‍