Heritage football coach Jones steps down

Chris Jones, who guided Heritage High’s football team to its first Group AA, Division 4, state championship in his first season in 2002, resigned as the Pioneers’ head coach on Tuesday.

“I’ve been at Heritage for seven years as the leader of the program and I’ve done everything I can do,” said Jones, who won the first 24 games he coached in Lynchburg after transferring from Bath County. “I’m going to pursue other career opportunities. I’ll see what’s out there (and) whatever happens, happens.”

Jones didn’t specify any other positions he may be interested in or schools that may be pursuing him. He said he may stay at Heritage as a physical education teacher if he doesn’t find another coaching post.

“I have nothing negative to say,” Jones said of his coaching exit at Heritage. “It’s just a decision I needed to make. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

Jones has a career record of 80-25 between Bath County and Heritage, where he steps down as the all-time winningest coach with a 56-22 record.

“I leave a special group of kids with the memories of winning a state championship that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” Jones said.

He was named the National High School Coaches Association Coach of the year in 2002 after becoming the first coach in VHSL history to win back-to-back state titles with two different schools. Before arriving at Heritage, he coached Bath County to a 13-1 record in 2001, when he led the Chargers to the Group A championship in his second season at the helm.

The Pioneers won back-to-back Seminole District championships in 2002 and 2003, going 14-0 and 10-1. Their 24-game winning streak came to an end with a 17-14 overtime loss to defending Group AA, Division 3, state champion Liberty in the first round of the Region III playoffs.

Heritage finished 6-4 in each of the next two seasons before going 8-3 in 2006, losing to eventual Division 4 state champion Amherst 39-0 in the first round of the Region III playoffs. In 2007, the Pioneers finished 9-3, losing three of their final four games to Seminole District foes Brookville and Amherst before falling to William Byrd in the Region III semifinals.

This fall, Heritage struggled to a 3-7 mark, Jones’ only losing campaign in his nine seasons as a head coach.

The start of the slide came Sept. 5 at City Stadium against cross-town rival E.C. Glass, when the Hilltoppers spoiled a halftime ceremony to retire NASA astronaut Leland Melvin’s jersey by upsetting the Pioneers 43-36 in overtime. Heritage went on to lose seven of its final eight games, with its only victory coming against winless Staunton River.