Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

There are not many people who can refer to their youth basketball coach as “Governor.” 

But Ralph Jones can. 

The versatile Rutgers-Newark sophomore, who fills a host of roles as a reserve player for the Scarlet Raiders, has never called former New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey as anything but one thing. 

“I still call him ‘Coach,’” Jones said. “I don’t ever address him as ‘Governor.’ I’ve played for him on teams from fifth grade through high school. I played on a summer league team for him. He’s a great coach and we have a great relationship.” 

Jones played for Codey’s CYO program in his native West Orange for several years and now currently serves as a volunteer assistant coach in that same program. 

“To be honest, I’ve learned the most about the game of basketball from Coach,” Jones said of Codey, who has come to visit Jones and watch him play at R-N this season. “He saw the potential in me as a basketball player. Before I met him, I was a soccer player. So he brought it out of me. He does own a real passion for the game. Not many people see that side of him.” 

Jones’ relationship with Codey enabled Jones to move on to play for another coaching legend, namely Bob Farrell at Seton Hall Prep. It’s a combination of the knowledge from Codey and Farrell that have enabled Jones to become a solid role player for the Scarlet Raiders, who are enjoying a highly successful season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference this season. The Scarlet Raiders currently own a 17-6 record and recently clinched a berth in the upcoming NJAC Tournament. 

“I’ve been involved in winning basketball all my life,” Jones said. “With me, it’s all about doing whatever it takes to win. I definitely learned a lot from playing for Coach Farrell and from playing at Seton Hall Prep. Especially that year we won the Tournament of Champions (in 2005). I had to learn my place then and learned that I had to do a little bit of everything.” 

Jones’ experience of being a role player for the Pirates has paid dividends this year for the Scarlet Raiders. 

“We know that he’s going to give us solid minutes and we know that he can play different positions for us,” Rutgers-Newark head coach Joe Loughran said. “He has the ability to hit the jump shot and then has the ability to play at the post. He also plays good post defense. 
He’s a physical player who plays with a lot of energy. When he’s playing hard and taking a charge, he gets the team going. He’s diving on the floor for loose balls. He’s doing all the little things you need.” 

Loughran said that he recruited Jones because of his basketball savvy more than anything else. 

“He has a high basketball IQ,” Loughran said. “When you put in a concept, Ralph gets it right away. You don’t have to go over things with him. We had to beat out other schools, like Ramapo and William Paterson, to get him. I think he was intrigued with the idea of getting a Rutgers degree. I knew he was going to be a solid player for us, because of all the little things he does. You can rely on him, day in and day out. There’s no moaning or groaning from him. He puts his head down and tries harder.” 

Loughran said that he would like Jones to become more of a vocal player in the future. 

“We’re going to need him to be a leader on this team in the future, because we’re losing so many seniors,” Loughran said. “No question right now, he leads by example. He’s an excellent student. He’s an excellent teammate. Everyone likes him and roots for him. No question, when you work hard and don’t complain and then play hard, people just naturally gravitate towards you.” 

“I treat everyone the same, so I hope that people like me,” Jones said. “I like to think that I can get along with everybody.” 

Loughran believes that Jones is perfect for the role player who comes off the bench. 

“He’s the ideal role player, but he also has the ability to start,” Loughran said. “He’s started a few games this season (4) and he has given us great minutes as a starter as well. But he understands what it takes to come off the bench. He knows that when he’s doing all the little things, it energizes us. It gives us a lift.”

Jones is an accounting major at Rutgers-Newark. He hopes to take that degree into the corporate world and someday be a chief financial officer for a company. 

For now, he’s enjoying his role with the Scarlet Raiders. 

“It’s been a great year,” Jones said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve really come together as a team now. You can see it when we win. Everyone is chipping in and we’re winning big. We’ve come together nicely. Whatever it takes to win, that’s what we’ll do.” 

As for the future, Jones knows that he will eventually have to be a leader. 

“I’m preparing myself for that role, because I know we’re going to be a very young team next year,” Jones said. 

Just another role to play for the Scarlet Raiders’ quintessential role player. 

And when the time comes to apply for a full-time job, it won’t hurt to be able to put the name of a former New Jersey governor on the resume. 

“It’s a pretty good reference to have,” Jones said. “Don’t you think?”