South Bend, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame’s John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler has announced the hiring of Lucas Jones as an assistant coach for the baseball program. Jones will coordinate infield development and oversee all aspects of baserunning and the short game, while assisting Ryan Munger, who has been promoted to recruiting coordinator in addition to his current role as assistant coach, with hitting.
“Lucas has been a winner at every level of college baseball,” Stiffler said. “During his head coaching stops, Lucas has taken three different programs and turned them into national brands and champions. His love for teaching the game and ability to develop relationships will have a huge impact on our program. We are thrilled to have Lucas, Karla and their three children join the Notre Dame family.”
“My wife and I, along with our three children – Gavin, Hadley and Dayton – are extremely grateful to the University of Notre Dame and Coach Shawn Stiffler for this incredible opportunity,” said Jones. “My goal is to assist this great institution by serving our student-athletes at the highest level and helping share in the vision that Coach Stiffer and his staff have established.”
Jones joins the Fighting Irish after a successful coaching stint at the University of Lynchburg. He was hired as the head coach for the Hornets in May 2017 and made an immediate impact. Jones was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Coach of the Year after he led the program to an ODAC Championship and NCAA Division III Regional Tournament berth in 2021. His squad made their second-consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament as Jones repeated as ODAC Coach of the Year in 2022.
In his sixth season at Lynchburg, Jones guided the program to the 2023 NCAA Division III National Championship. The Hornets established new program records for ODAC wins (19) and total wins (48) in a season on the way to the title. He was named as Region 6 Coach of the Year and the American Baseball Coaches Association/ATEC Sports Division III Coach of the Year in 2023.
Jones mentored three ODAC Rookies of the Year, two Pitchers of the Year, and a Player of the Year from 2019 through 2023. Additionally, the Hornets had 24 all-conference, 11 all-region and six all-American selections while Jones was at the helm of the program.
Jones served two seasons as the head coach of Washington and Lee University in 2016 and 2017. He was the 2016…