 Jones with theOttawa Redblacks in 2023 | |
| UBC Thunderbirds | |
|---|---|
| Title | Offensive coordinator Assistant head coach |
| CFL status | American |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1971-05-16)May 16, 1971 (age 54) Hammond, Indiana, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UC Davis |
| Position | Quarterback |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1995–1996 | Albany Firebirds |
| 1996 | Scottish Claymores |
| 1997–1999 | BC Lions |
| 2000–2004 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2004 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 2005 | Edmonton Eskimos* |
| 2005 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 2006 | Edmonton Eskimos* |
| 2007 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Coaching | |
| 2009–2010 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats (QBC) |
| 2011 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats (OC) |
| 2012–2013 | Saskatchewan Roughriders (QBC) |
| 2014–2017 | BC Lions (OC) |
| 2018 | Montreal Alouettes (OC) |
| 2019–2022 | Montreal Alouettes (HC & OC) |
| 2023 | Ottawa Redblacks (OC/AHC) |
| 2025–present | UBC Thunderbirds (OC) |
Operations | |
| 2022 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Football operations consultant) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at CFL.ca (archive) | |
Khari Okang Jones (/kəˈhɑːri/kə-HAH-ree; born May 16, 1971) is an American former professionalfootballquarterback who is theoffensive coordinator for theUBC Thunderbirds ofU Sports. He was formerly thehead coach for theMontreal Alouettes of theCanadian Football League (CFL). Jones playedquarterback in the CFL, where he enjoyed his most success with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers. Jones also played briefly for theArena Football League'sAlbany Firebirds and theWorld League of American Football'sScottish Claymores. He is also a former television sports reporter for theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).He has also been theoffensive coordinator for theBC Lions,Hamilton Tiger-Cats, andOttawa Redblacks.
Jones was a record settingcollege quarterback at theUniversity of California, Davis, where in two seasons as astarter he became the first UC Davis quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season and over 50 touchdowns in a career, while leading theAggies to a 17-2-1 record during his junior and senior seasons (1992–1993). In 2000, Jones was inducted into the UC Davis Aggies Hall of Fame.[1]
Jones joined the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds in1995. For the next two seasons, he received very little playing time, making only 3 out of 5 pass completions in his first season, and 3 out of 4 pass completions in1996. He also played one season in 1996 for theScottish Claymores of the World League of American Football, which would later becomeNFL Europe.
In1997, Jones signed with theBC Lions. Jones played very little during his three-year tenure with the Lions, as he was relegated to the backup spot behind incumbent quarterbackDamon Allen.
In2000, Jones joined theWinnipeg Blue Bombers. Though he initially served as a backup toKerwin Bell, Jones eventually won the starting job during the middle of the2000 season, thereby clearing the way for the Bombers to release Bell in midseason.
In2001, Jones was theCFLs Most Outstanding Player after leading the Bombers to a 14–4 record, including 12 straight wins. Jones was the Bombers quarterback in the2001 Grey Cup inMontreal, where heavily favoured Winnipeg lost to theCalgary Stampeders, 27–19.
Jones' following season (2002) was even better statistically, which included 5,353 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes. This was the third most passing touchdowns in a season (behind two seasons in whichDoug Flutie completed 47 and 48)[2]). From2000 to2002, Jones' 107 touchdown passes exceeded the record by any other quarterback in the CFL orNFL over the same period of time. In four seasons with Winnipeg, Jones set seventeen Bomber passing records, including throwing for five touchdowns in a game four times in one season.
During the2004 CFL season, Jones was traded from the Blue Bombers to theCalgary Stampeders, partially due to a shoulder injury which had affected his play. In the off-season between the2004 and2005 seasons, the Stampeders signedfree agentHenry Burris and Jones was released.
Jones attended theEdmonton Eskimos training camp at the beginning of the2005 CFL season, but with the Eskimos signingRicky Ray (and already having the 2004 season starterJason Maas), Jones was released again. Midway through the 2005 season he signed with theHamilton Tiger-Cats but was released after eight games.
Prior to the2006 season Jones was signed by the Eskimos only to be released by them once more on June 10,2006 as part of training camp cuts.
Three days later, on June 13, 2006, theCBC announced that Jones would be their sideline reporter for theirCFL on CBC broadcasts.[3]
On October 17, 2007, Jones inked a standard one-year contract plus an option with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then signed his retirement papers right after. This allowed him to officially retire in the city where he had the most success during his four-team, nine-year CFL career.[4]
In 2009, Jones began his coaching career as thequarterbacks coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats under head coachMarcel Bellefeuille. In2011, he was promoted tooffensive coordinator and helped the team to an appearance in the East Final.
On January 3, 2012, he was announced as part of the coaching staff for theSaskatchewan Roughriders as their quarterbacks coach.[5] In2013, he helped his team win the101st Grey Cup.
Jones was a top candidate to become the new offensive coordinator for theBC Lions in2014. Jones officially became the offensive coordinator on December 23, 2013.
On January 3, 2018, Jones was announced as the new offensive coordinator for theMontreal Alouettes for the2018 CFL season.[6] On June 8, 2019, less than a week before the start of the2019 season, the Alouettes announced they had parted ways withMike Sherman and promoted Jones to the role ofhead coach.[7] Despite being thrust into the role six days before the start of the regular season, Jones and the Alouettes surpassed expectations and finished with a 10–8 record and in second place in theEast Division. At the conclusion of the season, he was signed to a three-year contract extension to continue as the team's head coach and offensive coordinator.[8][9]
With the2020 CFL season cancelled, Jones did not coach in 2020. In2021, the team regressed and finished in third place in the East Division with a 7–7 record and lost the East Semi-Final. With the team starting the2022 season with a 1–3 record, Jones was fired on July 6, 2022.[10]
On July 18, 2022, Jones was hired as a football operations consultant for theHamilton Tiger-Cats.[11]
On December 3, 2022, Jones was named theoffensive coordinator and assistant head coach for theOttawa Redblacks.[12] However, after the Redblacks struggled to a 4–14 record in2023, Jones was fired on November 3, 2023.[13]
On January 15, 2025, Jones was hired as the quarterback coach of theUBC Thunderbirds football team.[14]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
| MTL | 2019 | 10 | 8 | 0 | .556 | 2nd in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Semi-Final | |
| MTL | 2020 | Season Cancelled | ||||||||
| MTL | 2021 | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Semi-Final | |
| MTL | 2022 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2nd in East Division | - | - | Fired | |
| Total | 18 | 18 | 0 | .500 | 0 East Division Championships | 0 | 2 | 0 Grey Cups | ||
In 2006, Jones became the digital co-trainer of theLivingWorks SafeTALK suicide alertness course. Jones had just finished playing football and was working as a broadcaster in Calgary, and was also working as an actor when his agent approached him with the job of recording the videos. Jones explained that "It hit home for me because suicide, or attempted suicide, has been a part of my family, as it has been for a lot of people. So it was something that was near and dear for me, and it quickly become more than an acting job".[15] In the years since they were first recorded, Khari's videos have helped trainers present safeTALK to over 300,000 people in more than 20 countries and territories.[15][dead link]
While attendingUniversity of California in Davis, Jones took acting classes which allowed him to get some roles in various made-for-TV movies.[16]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | She Smokes | Craig | Short |
| 2006 | I Dream of Murder | Police Officer | TV movie |
| 2006 | Touch the Top of the World | Wrestling Coach | TV movie |
| 2008 | Confessions of a Go-Go Girl | Yuppie Manager | TV movie |
| 2008 | Snow 2: Brain Freeze | Policeman #1 | TV movie |
| 2012 | LUV | Kid |
Jones is a Canadian-American dual citizen and lives inSurrey, British Columbia with his wife, Justine, and daughters, Jaelyn and Siena. He is the son of Cauley Ray and Nina Maria Jones, and brother of filmmaker/podcaster Jamie Jamar Jones.[17] Jones met his wife in a theatre course while both attended UC Davis and appeared in plays together while students.[18]
