SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It is with a wide array of emotions and an overwhelming sense of gratitude that we share the news that Bill Jones, senior athletic communications manager, has announced his retirement from Skidmore College.

Since 1984, Jones has served as the sports information director at Skidmore. During that time, he supported nearly 4,000 student-athletes, five College presidents, and 86 head coaches as well as hundreds of staff, fans, and colleagues on campus and around the country. And whether it's here at Skidmore or among peers in the athletic communications community, everyone says the same thing about "Jonesy" — he is one of a kind.

"Skidmore will always be special to me," Jones said. "I've had a ring-side seat to the growth of the athletic program that was in its infancy when I arrived 40 years ago."

When Jones came to Saratoga Springs by way of Plattsburgh State, where he launched the sports information department, the Thoroughbred nickname had just been adopted. The sports building, known today as the Williamson Sports Center, was brand new, and almost nobody knew who a sports information director was or what they did. Four decades, and a lot of Jones's special peppers and hot dogs later, Skidmore has one of the strongest athletic footprints in all of NCAA Division III. It also has a rock-solid local and national brand reputation thanks, in part, to the dedication of one man doing everything he could to increase the program's publicity and national standing.

Says Jones, "The list of colleagues who have been a part of this journey is long, but it was former athletic director Tim Brown who gave me a chance in 1984 and it has been current athletic director Gail Cummings-Danson who has let me be a part of the numerous successes of the program over recent years."

"The announcement of Bill's retirement is a well-deserved celebration after an unprecedented 40-year tenure at Skidmore College," Cummings-Danson said. "Bill has been a valuable asset and contributor to the promotion and growth of Skidmore Athletics. He has a wealth of information and institutional knowledge that we have been reliant on and will miss upon his retirement. Bill's tireless effort to position Skidmore Athletics to be as strong and successful as it can be has not gone unnoticed and has been appreciated and valued during his 40-year commitment to our institution. He will be missed!"

As someone who often touts being one of the very first people to have a Skidmore e-mail address and a Macintosh computer, Jones's tenure at Skidmore has seen rapid growth and transformation. He was part of the first-ever Skidmoreathletics.com, not to mention dozens of re-designs, and led numerous technological overhauls in stat keeping, media relations, photography, and more – from dark rooms, pencils, and paper to the rapid digital work of today. And rapid it has been.

The sheer quantity of work Jones has produced over the years, the stories told, could fill a library, (or rather ... his office). But it's the stories that kept him coming back for decades because, at the heart of them, are real people – student-athletes – pursuing their dreams. In Jones' words, "Student-athletes are the core of what we do, and it has been my honor to have worked with thousands over my career, including sons and daughters of alumni."

In his time at Skidmore, Jones was witness to eleven team national championships, over 200 All-Americans, nearly 100 conference titles, and 25 CSC Academic All-Americans®, just to name a few. And he has a story for every single one.

Ah yes, Jones the storyteller. If you've caught him when you're in a hurry, well, you know ... but he always sweeps you into something that brightens your day, makes you reflect, or makes you laugh. There are so many of them that you might occasionally wonder if the "Forrest Gump" of sports information is making some of this stuff up. (He might be.) But hang around long enough and you will hear a few repeats. The consistency alone is proof that he was there. And if you're short on time, just be wary of asking him about any number of specific topics, perhaps most famously his attendance at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid ...

Jonesy's contributions to Skidmore College and the athletic communications field are uniquely inestimable. For over 30 years he was a faithful member of the CSC Academic All-America® Committee, including 23 years as a national coordinator. He is a past president of East-Comm (formerly ECAC-SIDA), served on its board of directors, and hosted three workshops in Saratoga Springs. Jones was awarded CSC's Lester Jordan Award in 2021, the Pete Nevins Award in 2011, and the Irving T. Marsh College Division Award in 2004. And his status as a legend was officially cemented, though recognized far earlier, when he was inducted into the College Sports Communicators (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America) Hall of Fame in 2018.

According to Jones, though, his career achievements pale in comparison to his personal ones. His favorite job is father to his sons Zack '18 and Ryan, tied with husband to Vicky.

"The College has been generous in allowing me the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. Skidmore provided education for both of my kids. My oldest is a Skidmore alumnus and my youngest took advantage of tuition exchange to graduate from Syracuse University."

Vicky, Zack, and Ryan each deserve equal acclaim as the family of a long-time sports information director for giving up Fridays and Saturdays from September to May every year to allow Dad to do the job that he loved. But despite the pressures of the job, he still had time to be involved in the boys' activities and rarely missed a game. Active in the community, he volunteered as a coach in Little League, president of the school's Parent Teacher Association, a member of the Saratoga Youth Hockey Board of Directors, and president of the Saratoga High School Hockey Booster Club. Simply put, you would be hard-pressed to enter any establishment in Saratoga Springs without at least one person there who knows "Jonesy."

And the same is true here at Skidmore and in our industry. Attend a CSC convention with Jones, like I have, and you will quickly realize that admiration of him is widespread. Folks representing athletic departments, colleges, and conferences across all divisions and geographic areas flock to him in waves. He holds court and connects with people with masterful grace. He makes everyone feel important and valued.

Jones, your sense of humor and routinely self-deprecating nature will be missed, as will your commitment to doing what is right for our student-athletes and the Skidmore community. Skidmore College is better because you were here. Thank you.

And relax, Jonesy. You've earned it. We'll see you this summer at the track.

Bill's last day at Skidmore will be March 11.
 
Written by Kyle Lancto