B. Kent Jones, IHSA Board Member
kjones@centralcougars.org
Mr. B. Kent Jones, Principal of (Breese) Central High School was elected to the IHSA Board representing Division 7 schools in 2012. He is currently serving his second three-year term.
Kent began serving IHSA Legislative District 19 (2002) as commissioner until redistricting moved Central to District 20 where he served in the same capacity until 2012. He understands how extracurricular participation plays an important role in a student’s well-rounded educational experience. You’ll see him at all of Central’s events supervising and supporting the participants. Mr. Jones has done so for over twenty years as principal!
Mr. Jones began his involvement with high school interscholastic sports at a young age. His father, Robert E. Jones, taught and coached at McLeansboro , Norris City, Metropolis, and Centralia High Schools, respectively. Kent graduated in 1977 from Centralia. He participated in football (4), basketball (4), tennis (2), and baseball (2).
While attending Kaskaskia Jr. College (‘77-’79), Kent participated in basketball and began officiating high school basketball and baseball as an IHSA official. He continued officiating during his two years as a student at S.I.U. Carbondale where he earned a B.S. in Education (1982) majoring in physical education with a driver ed. minor.
His first teaching position (1982) was in Oak Park, IL, at Fenwick Catholic High School where he taught physical education and coached football, basketball, and baseball. The following year, he moved back to Southern Illinois and taught at Sandoval High School (1983-89). He coached basketball, baseball and cross country at the varsity level until 1988. In 1988, Kent coached at Centralia High School as an assistant in football.
In 1989, Mr. Jones taught at Whiteside Jr. High in Belleville and coached basketball and track until 1993 when he began serving as principal. He served in that capacity for one year at Whiteside then became principal at (Breese) Central High School. Mr. Jones was a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association 1981-93.
Mr. Jones became active in the Illinois Principals Association and eventually led the organization as President (2009-10). The IPA has over 4500 member principals, assistant principals, and deans serving in leadership positions throughout the state. Following his term as president, Kent served as the NASSP State Coordinator from 2011-13.
During Mr. Jones’ tenure as principal at (Breese) Central, his school has had great athletic success, earning Cahokia Conference championships in multiple sports and several IHSA State trophies in girls volleyball (8) including three state championships; girls basketball (3) including a state championship in 2007; boys basketball (2) including a state championship in 2012; and competitive cheer (3) including state championships in 2014 and 2015. There have been several individual sport athletes compete at the state level as well with the most impressive being Jena Hemann in track earning a record 14 state meet medals over her high school career.
Kent and Mary Jones have two children, Zach & Megan.