Keith Jones Jr.

Biography

Keith Jones was named defensive line coach on Brian Hartline's first USF staff in January of 2026. A former standout defensive lineman at UT Martin, he came to Tampa after one season at Appalachian State and two with the New England Patriots. Jones assisted with coaching the Patriots' defensive line for two seasons (2023-24), earning his first opportunity with the Patriots while working the 2022 training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship. At Appalachian State in 2025, he coached the defensive line as the Mountaineers opened with a victory over Charlotte and claimed victories over Oregon State, Georgia State and Marshall before falling in the Birmingham Bowl, guiding defensive lineman Kevin Abrams-Verwayne and Rondo Parker to All-Sun Belt recognition. Jones was a standout defensive lineman at UT Martin, where he was a second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a senior by recording a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks, starting 36 of his final 41 games. After graduating from UT Martin with a bachelor's degree in health and human performance in 2016, he went on to star in the Indoor Football League, earning first-team All-IFL honors and winning a league title with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2018.