Freeport’s Jimmy Jones takes helm as head coach, embracing legacy and new challenges

A new yet familiar face has taken the helm of the Freeport High School football program — Coach Jimmy Jones, a lifelong Freeport resident who once donned the Red Devils’ jersey himself.

Appointed as head coach in March, Jones stepped into the shoes of the now retired longtime Coach Russ Cellan who is credited with shaping the program and Jones’ outlook on football and life.

Jones, who played for the legendary coach during the then student’s tenure at Freeport High School in the early nineties, said it was an honor to take the reins from him.

“Taking over for Coach Cellan after playing for him, it’s kind of a storybook-type situation,” Jones said. “After being a part of the program for the past 25 years as (an assistant) coach, it’s kind of storybook.”

But Jones said he is not resting on past glories, and his focus remains clear.

“The expectation is always try to win Long Island championship, so that hasn’t changed,” he said. “In terms of what I’m looking for for the season, it’s just kind of continued success teaching these young men how to become responsible adults and to take the opportunity of playing football and help it maximize their potential of going to college, becoming great community members, and just show them the importance of being a role model.”

Jones’ connection to Freeport football runs deep — he played for the Red Devils during his high school years, graduated from Freeport High School in 1995, and returned to the program in Fall of 2000 after as he completed his time at Hofstra University.

Reflecting on what the football program meant to him growing up, Jones said, “It definitely taught me that there’s a lot more opportunities out there if you take advantage of them. I was a slightly above average student and going to college was something I wanted to do, but I didn’t really know how to make it happen. But then kind of playing football kind of opened my eyes to the other options in terms of scholarships, of different levels of play, and different ways to get there.”

Jones emphasized the lifelong connections he’d made through football.

“I’ve met people who taught me great life lessons, have given me tons of feedback,” he said. “And to this day, I’m still reaching out to those people, you know, asking questions, continuing to learn the game, how to be an effective coach and a good communicator.”

After graduating from Hofstra, Jones eventually found his way back to Freeport, both as a coach and a teacher.

“I went into Hofstra as a computer science major and realized that sitting in a cubicle was not who I was,” he said. “So I ended up changing second year into becoming a Phys. Ed major, and fell in love with teaching.”

Coaching, he added, was always part of the plan, but teaching became the natural extension of his desire to mentor.

Despite his years of experience as an assistant coach and working at different levels of the sport, stepping into the position as head coach has required a learning curve.

“It’s definitely a learning process,” he said. “I’ve coached other sports, I’ve coached at the JV level, but this is definitely a different element. So, you know, as much as prepared as I could have been — (and) I think I was — but there’s still so much more.”

Cellan, who coached Freeport High School football for 38 years, said, “(Jones) is the right guy for his job. He’s from the community, he’s grown up in this community, he’s played in this program, he’s coached in this program, so I really think the program is in good hands.”

Jonathon Bloom, athletic director of Freeport Public Schools, also weighed in with praise about the promotion.

“Jimmy Jones is a hometown guy who came up through the system,” Bloom said. “He’s been part of the Freeport football program since he started playing in middle school. It’s been a huge part of his life. He’s well prepared to take on this new role, and we couldn’t be more excited to see him take this next step.”

Jones’ first game as head coach, a match against Massapequa on Sept. 14, last Saturday, brought its own set of challenges. “We ended up losing, but we got better as the game went along,” he said. “We had some nervous energy going in the beginning, you know, as far as the team, as far as myself as well. But as the game went along, you know, we kind of settled in. We got better, you know, we definitely built some confidence within what we were doing.

“But like anything else,” Jones added, “it all comes down to that final score. So we’re looking to kind of right the ship this week.”

Freeport is scheduled to play an away game against Valley Stream Central on Saturday.

Looking at the big picture, however, Jones is focused on ensuring his team becomes smarter football players who understand the game inside and out. Freeport’s last championship win was in the 2019 season, a feat that the team is eager to repeat under their new leadership.

“We want to focus on the things that we can control, and we want to make sure that we’re, from top to bottom, handling our side of things,” he said. “And then when we get into the game, you know, just go play fast, go play without any fear, and let our ability speak for itself.”