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Wichita State hires former UCF head coach Donnie Jones as assistant coach

Central Florida v Florida

GAINESVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 23: Coach Donnie Jones of the Central Florida Knights directs play against the Florida Gators November 23, 2012 at Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

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Wichita State has its replacement for departed assistant coach Chris Jans as the Shockers have hired former UCF head coach Donnie Jones.

The 50-year-old Jones has previously been the head coach of both the Knights and Marshall while he was also an 11-year assistant coach under Billy Donovan at Florida--where Jones helped the Gators win two national championships.

Jones gives the Shockers some valuable perspective since he’s a former head coach in the American Athletic Conference, the league that Wichita State is joining from the Missouri Valley Conference. Since Jones has a good feel for the league’s coaches and some of the players, he gives the Shockers an immediate game-planning presence that should greatly help Marshall on the sidelines while Wichita State makes the conference transition.

Wichita State has relied greatly on assistant coaches like Jans, Steve Forbes (East Tennessee State) and Greg Haier (LSU assistant) over the last few years and Jones should be able to recruit and coach at a similar level.