Edna Davis says she could not be any prouder of her two sons, James Jones and Joe Jones, as college basketball coaches. Davis talks about the duo all the time at work to the point that her co-workers get tired of listening to her.

And why would she not be proud? James Jones is now in his ninth year as the men’s basketball head coach at Yale University, while Joe Jones is entering his fifth year as the men’s basketball head coach at Columbia University. Both have had plenty of success at the NCAA level.

Yet, there is something that Davis wishes she could change about her sons’ jobs: being in the same conference.

‘(When Joe became the head coach at Columbia) I said to James that he needs to go to another conference,’ Davis said. ‘I hope one of them moves some day so they won’t have to keep doing this to the family.’

Such goes the feeling of a mother when two of her sons coach in the same conference, and such is the story of James Jones and Joe Jones.

The Jones brothers are a rarity in college basketball, being only one of two brothers that are head coaches in the NCAA, along with Seth and Brad Greenberg, the head coaches at Virginia Tech and Radford, respectively.

The most unique part is that the duo coaches are within the same conference, which means the brothers must play against each other every year. With the way the Ivy League is constructed, the brothers play against each other twice a year, which brings difficult emotions for the brothers.

The games could mean the most they have ever in the series this year, as Yale was picked second in the preseason coaches’ poll, while Columbia came in fourth.

Although two brothers coaching in the same conference is not a common sight, it has been done before. The most notable example was from 1949 to 1957, when Clarence and Hank Iba coached in the Missouri Valley Conference together. The last time it happened in the Ivy League was from 1924 to 1928.

James, 43, believes the current situation for the brothers is not ideal in the sense that they have to compete against each other in games that affect league standings.

‘It’s not a great situation as you hate to play the games because someone has to lose,’ James Jones said. ‘It’s hard to feel good about his successes because you are competitive, and it makes it difficult. It would be much easier if he was in a different league.’

The scenario of being in the same conference came about in 2003 when the coaching job at Columbia opened. James was the head coach at Yale, while Joe was serving as an assistant coach at Villanova.

Although James knew that if his brother became Columbia’s coach, the Jones’ would have to coach against each other, Joe said James helped him in securing the position.

‘When the position first opened, he was really excited for me and knew I really wanted to become a head coach and have the opportunity to be a coach,’ Joe Jones said. ‘Without him, I don’t know if it was a job I would’ve went for. I knew more about the league because my brother coaches in it, and he was really helpful in telling me things I’d have to understand about the Ivy League because it’s much different than being an assistant coach at Villanova.’

And the Jones brothers era in the Ivy League was born.

The first ever Jones showdown occurred on Feb. 6, 2004 at Yale, and James was able to come away with a 63-58 victory. James, who owns a 6-2 record against his brother, said the feelings that come with the game make it hard emotionally.

‘It was really emotional in a lot of ways,’ James Jones said. ‘A lot of family and friends came to watch the game, and that was hard, and once the game started it was just another game. It’s always the before and after that gets you. After the game is when it really hits you that you just played your brother, that you just lost to your brother or you just beat your brother.’

The game is not any easier for the parents.

‘You hate to see one of them lose, and you know somebody has to lose,’ said their father, Herman Jones. ‘Being a father, you hate to see any of your kids lose at any time because both of them are very competitive. When they score a point I’m thrilled because I played basketball. I enjoy just seeing good play and guys making good shots, and it excites me either way, but I don’t do any pulling.’

Davis, who has been at all of the Jones’ showdowns, said it has not gotten easier for her to watch the games, as she has seen both of her sons progress in becoming better coaches. Yale won the Ivy League in 2002 under James, while Columbia won its most games since 1992-93 under Joe last season.

The games might not be so hard on the brothers if they faced each other as members of different conferences, but as conference foes, each game is so crucial toward attempting to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Ivy League tournament representative is based on the regular-season champion.

For example, last season Yale was 9-2 in the conference heading into its senior night showdown against Columbia. If the Bulldogs emerged victorious, it would set up a first-place showdown with eventual champion Pennsylvania. Columbia, though, stopped any plans of a championship game with a resounding 82-64 victory.

‘We split last year, and I knew that (last) game really hurt them as they had been close enough to contend for the championship,’ Joe Jones said. ‘You really feel for him when the game is over.’

Whether one interprets the situation as beneficial or negative, the relationship between the two has not changed over the years. Joe says the bond has gotten stronger over the years. James puts it more bluntly.’It’s a very close and loving relationship,’ James Jones said. ‘You can’t get closer than Joe and I are to each other, and we’re both really competitive people. We’re just really close brothers.’

Both brothers admit that being coaches in the same conference is something that they don’t put too much emphasis on right now, but will look back on in later years and realize the meaning of it. But for now, the two will remain in the same conference – even against mother’s wishes.

‘No, my wish (of one of them switching conferences) hasn’t come true, but maybe one of them will move up one day,’ Davis said. ‘But it’s a blessing to have two kids that do as well as they do.’

Published on January 16, 2008 at 12:00 pm