By Tiffany Williams –
Donnie Jones isn’t putting a ceiling on what UAlbany football can accomplish in his first season.
He also isn’t making promises.
Taking over a program coming off a difficult season and picked 11th in the preseason conference poll, Jones is approaching his first year with the Great Danes with a straightforward philosophy: build the program one day at a time and let the results follow.
“We all, you know, want to win a championship, right? That’s always what you’re trying to do,” Jones said. “But I think we’re also trying to just stay within ourselves about, you know, having a positive day-by-day thought process, a growth mindset.”
It is a new era in Albany, and Jones has wasted little time reshaping the roster.
UAlbany has brought in nearly 50 players since the new coaching staff arrived, creating one of the biggest challenges Jones faces heading into the season — turning a collection of returning players and newcomers into one football team.
“We’ve got a lot to still get better at,” Jones said. “We’ve had a lot of new faces on our roster and a lot of guys that are, you know, new schemes, all that stuff that’s going to be new.”
So far, Jones likes what he has seen.
He praised the enthusiasm, work ethic and attention to detail his players have shown throughout the spring and summer, particularly as the Great Danes have worked to develop chemistry within a dramatically changed roster.
“The camaraderie and the energy and those things make me feel that we have the ability to be a pretty good football team,” Jones said. “But we still have to prove a lot.”
Jones came to UAlbany from the Division III ranks, and one of the biggest differences he has noticed is not necessarily what happens between the sidelines.
It is everything surrounding it.
The larger staff, full-time strength and conditioning resources and increased access to players have allowed Jones to spend considerably more time coaching and developing his team.
“That’s been one of the biggest changes, which is a huge positive for me because I want to coach,” Jones said. “I want to be around our guys. I want to see them on a daily basis.”
That opportunity was part of what attracted him to UAlbany in the first place.
Jones said his conversations with athletic director Mark Benson, university president Javier Rodriguez and others surrounding the program convinced him Albany was the right fit personally and professionally.
He also had connections to coaches who previously worked at UAlbany under longtime head coach Bob Ford, giving him additional familiarity with the history surrounding the Great Danes program.
“I thought we had all the pieces in place to be successful,” Jones said. “That means a lot to me. I want to be in a place we can win and be competitive and give our student-athletes a great experience.”
Jones will also have a direct hand in determining what UAlbany’s offense looks like this season.
After previously giving up play-calling responsibilities, Jones is back in that role and said he is excited to once again be directly involved in that part of the game.
“I love calling the plays,” Jones said. “I’m excited for that opportunity to get back in that chair and do it. It’s something I love about coaching — doing the coaching, not just being the game manager, being heavily involved in the outcome.”
The changes extend throughout the program.
Defensively, UAlbany has installed new looks and schemes under the new coaching staff. Returning players are adjusting to a different system while attempting to use the experience gained during previous seasons.
Offensively, wide receiver Jordan Ray is preparing for his own transition.
Ray recorded 19 receptions for 240 yards last season and believes the new offense can put UAlbany in position to take a significant step forward.
“I think Coach Perk has got a great offense going,” Ray said. “Coach Perk has done a great job assembling a staff. That staff has done a great job assembling a roster that fits that offense. So I’m excited to see what this offense holds this season.”
There will not be much time for UAlbany to ease into the new era.
The Great Danes open the season against New Hampshire in a conference matchup, immediately giving Jones and his rebuilt roster an opportunity to measure themselves against a program with a strong tradition.
Jones welcomes the challenge.
“If you want to be at the top, you got to play those people, right?” Jones said. “You got to do it right away.”
New Hampshire has undergone changes of its own, creating some uncertainty entering the matchup. Jones nevertheless expects a difficult test and believes his team will be prepared when it takes the field.
“We know we have a great opponent,” Jones said. “That program has a ton of tradition and I know they’ll be ready to play. They’ve got a lot of really good players.”
For Jones, however, opening night is only the first step.
He isn’t declaring UAlbany a championship contender before his team has played a game. His immediate goal is to move the Great Danes forward from where they finished last season and establish a foundation capable of sustaining success.
“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to contend for a championship,” Jones said. “I think we want to move the needle forward from where it was last season.”
And eventually, Jones wants that needle pointing toward the top of the conference.
“The goal is to put our program in a position to grow and be a contender,” Jones said.