MADISON, Wis. – A beloved Madison high school basketball coach died Tuesday from a stroke.
Tony Jones was a longtime coach for multiple teams in Madison including multiple schools within the Madison Metropolitan School District and Wisconsin Dynasty.
MMSD Athletic Director Jeremy Schlitz said he was grateful to have spent time coaching alongside Jones.
“I was fortunate enough to share a bench as a basketball coach with Tony about a decade ago,” Schlitz said. “He truly cared about this community and made an impact on generations of basketball players by showing them his love of the game.”
Most recently, Jones coached for the La Follette boys basketball program. Jones’ son, DeJon, used to attend Leopold Elementary School. Jones’ partner is a teacher at Writght Middle School
A post from Wisconsin Dynasty said the team has “heavy hearts” to share the news of Jones’ death.
“Coach Tony touched so many lives, and we are forever grateful for all the lessons on and off the court,” the Facebook post from Wisconsin Dynasty said. “We know you’ll be looking over us, love you coach.”
The La Follette and Wright Middle School Student Services teams are providing support for students and staff.