Tom Jones, 62; UCLA sprinter went on to a career as a track coach

Tom Jones, 62, a former UCLA sprinter who was the 1966 NCAA champion in the 220-yard dash and a longtime college track and field coach, died Wednesday at his home in Gainesville, Fla., after a long battle with cancer, his son Chris said.

Jones had coached the women’s track and field team at the University of Florida for the last 15 years. Before moving to Florida in 1992, he had coached the men’s and women’s teams at Arizona State University from 1988 to 1992, coached the men’s and women’s teams at the University of Texas-El Paso from 1984 to 1988 and led the men’s and women’s programs at North Carolina State University from 1978 to 1984.

He was named NCAA Division I indoor coach of the year in 1997 and 2002 and Division I outdoor coach of the year in 1997.

Born in Van Nuys on Sept. 8, 1944, Jones was raised in Madera, Calif. He ran track at Reedley College southeast of Fresno before transferring to UCLA in 1965.

In 1966, besides winning the 220 individual event, he ran a leg on UCLA’s 440-yard relay team that captured the NCAA title.

The Bruins, coached by Jim Bush, won the NCAA team title that season. Jones, who was also Pacific 10 Conference champion in the 100, 220 and 440 relay, was named UCLA’s outstanding track and field athlete of the year.

In 1967 he left UCLA to train for the Summer Olympics but was drafted and wound up training with the Army track team, never seeing combat. An injury forced him to miss the Olympic trials.

Jones returned to UCLA after his military duty and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1969. He received his master’s in physical education from the University of Washington two years later, then began coaching.