Misty Jones enters her 15th season at the helm of the HBU women’s soccer program this season and the 17th season as a head coach in her career. She has totaled 123 wins during her tenure with the Huskies with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances thanks to two Southland Conference Tournament championships.
In 2019, the Huskies finished 3-13 overall and 2-0 in conference play, breaking a stretch of five consecutive SLC Tournament appearances from 2014-2018. In 2018 she guided the Huskies to their best SLC record, 8-2-1, since joining the league to place second in the standings with an overall record of 10-8-1. Since Jones led HBU into the SLC in 2013 her teams have qualified for the tournament in five out of seven seasons.
In 2017, HBU posted a 7-7-3 overall record while tying for fourth in the Southland Conference with a 6-3-2 mark. The Huskies had seven players receive all-conference recognition, two academic All-SLC selections with senior Ellee Hall earning all-region honors.
2016 saw Jones and the Huskies earn their second NCAA Tournament berth in the last three years, making a run through the Southland Conference Tournament as the four seed and knocking off second-seeded Stephen F. Austin, 1-0, in the championship match. For the season, HBU went 10-11-1, 5-5-1 in the Southland, falling to top NCAA seed Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Huskies put five players on the All-Conference team, had three All-Academic selections and six players on the SLC All-Tournament team, including MVP Allison Abendschein. 2016 was also the third-consecutive year that the women’s team was recognized by the NSCAA with the Team Academic Award.
2015 saw HBU achieve its highest Southland Conference win total in program history with an 8-3-0 mark in conference play and a 10-6-1 overall record. The Huskies garnered six All-Conference selections, two Academic All-Conference honorees and one NSCAA All-Region selection.
During the 2014 season, the Huskies went 7-1-3 in Southland Conference play, won the SLC Tournament, and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in HBU’s second season in the SLC. The team’s only regular season loss came at the hands of regular-season champions, Stephen F. Austin, a squad HBU defeated in the SLC championship match, 2-0. HBU fought hard, but lost at No. 5 Texas A&M, 5-0, in its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies won a plethora of postseason hardware, earning four All-Conference honors, three Academic All-Conference accolades, and senior goalkeeper Patty Walrath was named HBU Jan Edds Female Athlete of the Year and SLC Tournament MVP.
In 2013, HBU went 5-12-2 overall and 4-7-1 in conference play. Senior Molly Missimer earned Honorable Mention All-SLC Conference honors. In 2012, Jones guided the Huskies to another impressive season, going 10-7-3 overall and 4-1-0 in the Great West Conference. The only regular season loss came at the hands of eventual tournament winner, Utah Valley. The Huskies lost in the first round of the tournament by Howard, 2-1. HBU was well-represented at the post-season awards dinner, as seven Huskies were named All-Conference, including five First Team honorees. Defender Blake Martin was named Great West Conference Newcomer of the Year.
In 2011, she led the Huskies to an 11-9-1 overall record and an impressive 4-1-1 conference mark, as the Huskies reached the GWC championship game for the third-straight season. The Huskies lost in double-overtime to Utah Valley. M. Missimer had a breakout season, leading the team with 22 points, which was the eighth-most in a single-season in program history, and the most points in one season since 2008. Five Huskies were placed on the GWC All-Conference teams, with Arielle Rodriguez, M. Missimer, Lindsay Matlock, and Natalie Hager placing on the First Team, and Kelsey Missimer placing on the Second Team.
In 2010, the Huskies won the Great West Conference championship on their home field with a shootout victory over North Dakota. HBU ended the season with an overall record of 7-13-2 and a conference record of 2-4-0. Rodriguez earned All-Conference honors and Cindy Hedden was named Tournament MVP. In 2009, HBU finished the year with a 9-9-3 record and a 3-1-2 mark in the Huskies’ first year in the Great West Conference. The Huskies advanced to the GWC title match, where they lost to Utah Valley, 1-0. In 2008, Jones led the Huskies to a 9-7-1 mark in year two of the school’s transition back to NCAA Division I. The campaign was highlighted by four shutouts and a 5-2 record at Sorrels Field.
The 2007 squad finished 11-5-3, including an impressive 10-1 mark at home. In 2006, she led the Huskies to a successful 11-6 campaign in the first season of HBU women’s soccer since 1987, coaching an All-America selection in Sara Faulkner and having five athletes receive all-conference honors. The Huskies finished that inaugural season as the fourth-place team in the Red River Athletic Conference and managed to stun their conference foes by finishing as the RRAC tournament runner-up, defeating top-seeded College of the Southwest 1-0 in the semifinals.
Jones came to HBU after a successful six-year club coaching stint in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, recruiting and developing players while coaching some of the top teams in north Texas. She coached the Texas Lightning Soccer Club to a top-10 finish, placing second in the Lake Highlands Girls Classic League DII and finalist in the Texas Cup.
As head coach for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club, Jones’ team ranked in the top 20 in the region, winning numerous league and tournament championships. She coached a Region III finalist and the first 1987 girls’ team in north Texas to win a national championship, winning the Director’s Cup in 2004. After the championship, all 17 players continued their soccer careers at four-year colleges.
Before starting the HBU women’s program in 2006, Jones had prior experience in beginning an intercollegiate soccer program. She started the women’s soccer team at Northwood University, serving as the head coach from 1998-2001. While at Northwood, she posted a record of 46-30-1 and led the Knights to an NAIA Region VI runner-up finish in 2001. Prior to that, she was the assistant women’s coach at Judson College for two years, where she helped Judson to an NCCAA regional championship and national tournament appearance.
Jones played collegiate soccer for four years, serving her teams as captain in each year. She began her playing career at Bakersfield College, leading her team in goals and assists and receiving all-conference honors and her team’s most valuable player award.
She continued her collegiate career at Judson College, where she received her bachelor’s degree. While at Judson, she led her team in goals, setting a new record for most career goals. She again received her team’s MVP award, as well as all-conference and all-region accolades. Jones also was named academic all-conference while at Judson.
In her collegiate coaching career, Jones has always instilled in her athletes the importance of keeping academics first, while building strong moral character. In 2006, she had seven athletes named academic all-conference by the RRAC and in her nine years of collegiate coaching experience, she has coached or assisted three schools to seven playoff appearances.
Jones is married to the former head coach of the HBU men’s soccer team, Steve Jones, and the coaching couple has two sons: 21-year old Brandon and 17-year old Trevor. Misty and Steve led a college select women’s soccer team on a trip to China with the mission organization Uncharted Waters in 2000.
In her collegiate coaching career, Jones has always instilled in her athletes the importance of keeping academics first, while building strong moral character. In 2006, she had seven athletes named academic all-conference by the RRAC and in her nine years of collegiate coaching experience, she has coached or assisted three schools to seven playoff appearances.
Jones is married to the former head coach of the HBU men’s soccer team, Steve Jones, and the coaching couple has two sons: 20-year old Brandon and 16-year old Trevor. Misty and Steve led a college select women’s soccer team on a trip to China with the mission organization Uncharted Waters in 2000.
