Nick Saban honors longtime Alabama strength coach following recent retirement

One of Alabama‘s assistant Strength and Conditioning coaches, Terry Jones retired at the end of May after being with the for 34 years. Before Jones could get comfortably into retirement, however, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban made sure to sing his praises.

“Terry has great relationships with players, I think that is something that’s really, really important,” Saban told reporters Thursday prior to a Nick’s Kids charity event in Birmingham. “It’s even more important now with the culture that we have in college athletics. He has always made a huge impact with the players relative his knowledge and experience and he’s always been a great guy to have around.”

His son, Jason Jones, who serves as the Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at UAB and is also an Alabama alumni, payed him tribute to his tenured career on social media that included pictures of the two throughout the years.

“[Wednesday], June 1, 2022, marks 34 years of service and my Pops Terry Jones Sr last day at the University of Alabama as Strength and Conditioning Coach! Man, what a ride it has been for him and our entire family! Couldn’t ask for a better father and mentor. Thanks for paving the way,” his son wrote.

Jones worked closely with the football team, women’s basketball, golf and track teams. After 15 years on the job, he was certified as a Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association, which is regarded as the highest honor achievable in the field.

His history with the Crimson Tide dates back even further than his coaching career, however. He played offensive and defensive line for Alabama from 1974-1977. During his time in uniform, Alabama won three SEC crowns and two Sugar Bowls before going on to play eight seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.

During his 34-year run on the strength and conditioning staff, Jones has seen Alabama’s football team go from championship contender, to SEC bottom feeders and all the way back around. When Saban joined the program in 2007, the Crimson Tide didn’t have a record above .500 in three of the previous four seasons – today, that’s unheard of for Alabama, and Jones was there through it all.

Certainly a Crimson Tide faithful through and through.