The Tyrone football players got a glimpse of the future yesterday when newly hired Head Coach Jason Jones paid a visit to his new team.

Jones had just been approved as the Eagles’ next head coach the previous evening at Tyrone’s school board meeting.

After being introduced by Athletic Director Luke Rhoades during an eighth-period team meeting in the high school cafeteria, Jones was presented with a Tyrone football sweatshirt by junior Mason Emigh.  Jones then introduced himself to the players and shared his vision for the future.

“I’m excited to be here,” Jones told the Eagle Eye after the meeting. “and I want [the players] to know I’m excited to be here. You know, I’m a guy that’s coming into a program where there’s a lot of returning players and a lot of good returning players and people that are really bought in, I’m going to be just as bought in with them, if not more.”

Reaction from the team was overwhelmingly positive. Senior John Stanton, who was also in attendance as a reporter for the Eagle Eye, was impressed with the personality and energy Jones brought to the meeting.

“He seemed like a really nice guy, a lot different from Franco,” Stanton said, “He seemed really put together and really proud and happy to be here.”’

Junior Liam Turchetta said he is looking forward to playing for a young coach with new ideas.

“I thought he seemed really nice and professional, and he made a great first impression,” Turchetta said. “He came across as someone who genuinely cares about the team and wants to help us improve. I also think his coaching style will be different from Franco’s, which I see as a good thing because a fresh approach could bring new energy and ideas to the team.”

When Head Coach John Franco stepped down in January, it marked the end of a long era in Tyrone football. Since being hired in 1994, the Golden Eagles have been coached by either Franco or one of his assistants and or former players.

Franco was actively lobbying for the school board to hire one of his assistants, but the school board decided to make a break with the past and handed the reins to a 28-year-old first-time head coach.

“I think his enthusiasm and energy and experience coaching at Altoona is going to bring excitement to Tyrone football, and continue on with the tradition that we’ve had for the last 30 years,” Tyrone athletic director Luke Rhoades said.

Jones is a 2015 graduate of Bald Eagle Area High School, where he was a two-year starter at quarterback. After high school, played football at Juniata College for four years.

He has been a junior high math teacher at Altoona for the past six years, where he also coached junior high football for two years and was the head JV coach for the past four seasons.

Jones said he applied for the Tyrone head coach position because of the great foundation that Coach Franco established, and said that accepting the offer was a no-brainer for him.

Being from Bald Eagle, he is familiar with Tyrone’s tradition and past success.

“We played Tyrone in every sport each season, and it grew into a big rivalry game for us,” Jones said. “Because of this, I was able to familiarize myself somewhat with the Tyrone program and community.”

Jones encouraged all the players to be multi-sport athletes or to dedicate the off-season to strength training.

“I am looking to build a culture of hard work, dedication to the program, and trust amongst coaching staff, teammates, and district staff,” Jones said.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jones said that he is looking to fit the scheme to his playmakers’ strengths.

“We have to be flexible enough offensively to put our playmakers in a solid position to move to different spots on the field, but feel comfortable enough to perform at a high level. Spacing and getting our playmakers in space is the key for our offense, Jones said.

On the defensive side, Jones acknowledged that it’s hard to play in the Laurel Highlands, where there are a lot of solid, well-coached offensive teams.

“We have to be a hard-nosed, tough, and fearless defensive team with an identity of having a scheme in place that allows our athletes to play aggressively and to their strengths,” Jones said.

While the rest of the coaching staff has not been announced, and it is still not clear who from Coach Franco’s staff will stay and who will not, Jones said that the number one thing he is looking for on his staff is commitment from the assistant coaches.

“I’m looking for coaches who are bought into the players, are there every day to make our student athletes better, and are completely committe 110%, want to be there every single day, and want to work just as hard as the players do. That’s what I’m looking for,” Jones said.

While it will be several months before mandatory summer practice, Jones encouraged the players to get into the weight room.

“I know they already have a little bit of that going on, but we want to make sure that the weight training program that we have is beneficial for them, something they can take pride in for three days a week, or whenever they can make it. And then after that, we need to start some on-field work. Obviously, that’s going to take a little bit, but we’re excited to get that,” Jones said.

Finally, he emphasized that while he is the new head coach, success will depend on everyone involved: players, coaches, teachers, parents, school officials, and the community.

“It will take all of us. This is not my program, rather it is our program,” Jones said. “From myself, to the coaching staff, to the educators and administration in the district, to the parents, to the community, and to anyone associated with Tyrone football, this is our program, and I cannot wait to get started.”