After battling leukemia for the last few years, Rick Jones passed away on Tuesday. Jones was a fixture in the water polo scene both locally, and on the national scene, for four decades. In 1968 he took over as the head coach of the Jordan water polo team, where he coached for four seasons before moving to Poly in ’72. He was at Poly for six years, winning the league title in `1976—in ’78, he moved to Wilson, where he spent the next thirty years of his life, in one capacity or another. As the coach of the water polo team, he won league titles in all but one season, and a CIF title in 1981 (he also won CIF coach of the year that season).
Rick also served as Wilson’s athletic director for a number of years, which is how many came to know him. “I met him because he was involved in the hiring process when I came on as an assistant,” says Bruins football coach Mario Morales. “I respected him tremendously—he was always the guy who’d remind everyone what the right thing to do was. More importantly he was a good friend, a good guy to talk to, and he’d always make you laugh.”
Outside of Long Beach, Jones was better-known for his association with the national water polo program. For fourteen years (1977-1990) he was a team manager, and he served as Vice President of US Water Polo from 1984-1990.
“Rick was a devoted family man, coach, mentor and friend. He was passionate about the sport and a true friend to all. He gave his own time to truly care for the athletes he coached. I will greatly miss his smile, laugh and his genuine friendship,” said Jody Campbell, Jones’ friend and a Water Polo Olympian from the 1984 and 1988 Games, in a quote from the US Water Polo web site.
Rick Jones will surely be missed by a Wilson campus that just recently said goodbye to co-principal Diane Brown. He leaves behind his wife of 33 years, Maria, and two children, Lexi and Taylor. We haven’t yet heard whether there will be a public memorial service, similar to the one held for Brown, but we will post a notice when we get an update.