It’s not uncommon to see cars slow down as they pass by Troy Memorial Stadium, a 10,500-seat colosseum standing sentry along the banks of the Great Miami River. 

It is one of Troy’s crown jewels, a place where memories are made, young men can become legends and, since it opened in 1949, history has been written. 

From 2015 to 2018, Ryan Jones was in one of those cars that may have slowed down just a little every time it passed the stadium, just so he could get a closer look … and dream just a little bit. 

At the time, Jones was coaching at Troy Christian High School, but he had a different final coaching destination in mind. 

“I remember driving past that stadium and thinking, ‘That’s where I want to be,” Jones said. “‘I want to be coaching on that sideline some day. I want to be coaching that team some day.’ At the time, I didn’t know if it would ever be in the cards for me.”

It was, in fact, in the cards for Jones, who has been named Troy High School’s new head football coach, pending approval by the Troy Board of Education. He replaces Troy Everhart, who stepped down at the end of last season after posting a 33-14 record from 2022-2025. 

For Jones, who began coaching at Troy Christian in 2014 as an assistant under former Troy coaching legend Steve Nolan before becoming head coach from 2015-18, the move feels like a perfect fit.

“It does feel a little like a homecoming, even though I wasn’t born in Troy,” said Jones, a Wapakoneta High School and Miami University graduate. “Troy is where I bought my first home. It’s where I had my first high school head coaching job. So while I may not be from there, this feels as close to a homecoming as you can get.”

Just as Troy feels like a perfect fit for Jones, he feels like a perfect fit for Troy, said Troy Athletic Director Brandon Wright. 

“We are confident Coach Jones is going to do a fantastic job here,” Wright said. “We are excited for the future of Troy football under his leadership. He’s had tremendous success on the field every place he’s been, while at the same time building strong relationships in every school and community he’s worked in.” 

At Troy Christian, Jones went 22-9 in his three years as head coach, including an 8-3 record and playoff appearance in 2018. From there, he went on to Versailles High School, where he had even more success, winning  a Division V state championship in 2021. The Tigers were also the Division V state runner-up in 2023. Under Jones, Versailles went 76-39 playing in the Midwest Athletic Conference, one of the toughest conferences in Ohio, and 14-5 in the postseason.

Jones said he’s impressed not only with Troy’s proud football tradition, but its academic reputation. 

“Troy High School is a great school and Troy is a great school system with great leadership,” he  said. “You can see all of the improvements they’ve made the past few years through the statistics (state testing). It’s definitely something I want to be a part of. And they’ve got a football program with a lot of tradition and a lot of success.”

Troy High School Principal Alexis Dedrick said she’s looking forward to having Jones – who will also teach at Troy High School – join the THS staff. 

“We were impressed with Coach Jones as a football coach, obviously, but also as a teacher and leader,” she said. “We feel like he is going to be an asset to this district not only on the football field, but in the classroom. We are excited to have him joining the Trojan Family.” 

Jones said he hopes to bring an exciting – and winning – style of football to Troy.

“You’ll see multiple offenses,” he said. “We want to be balanced. We want to have the ability to run the ball and pass the ball. I’m not going to look at numbers and say we are going to be a 50/50 team, but we are going to run a variable offense with multiple looks.

“We are going to run an attacking-style defense. We want to put stress on opposing offenses and put them in situations where they don’t feel comfortable. We want our defense to be prepared.”

Jones met with the team for the first time Wednesday afternoon after an offseason workout, and is looking forward to getting to know every member of the team a little better.

“The most important thing for us is to be a team,” Jones said. “We need to see ourselves as a team. We need to be a group of individuals all working together toward a common goal. I want to meet the kids and to know who they are and what they want to do. I want to find out what it is they want to accomplish, and work with them to help them achieve those goals. 

“I think football is the best game there is, and I want our kids to develop a passion for the game. I want them to look back and remember they were a part of something special.” 

Jones said he is looking forward to once again being a member of the Troy community along with his wife, Kat, and their two sons, Victor (seventh grade) and Walter (fourth grade).

“The biggest reason I wanted to pursue this job, the big thing that made this such an attractive job is the community and the town itself,” he said. “The people are great. My son plays for the (Troy) Bruins (hockey team), so we are in Troy all the time. My wife and my two sons love it there. We are excited to be coming back to Troy.”