Former NFLer, Plainfield alum Donald Jones is named new Cardinals head coach

Plainfield has hired a new head football coach, and they’re keeping it local.

The Board of Education Tuesday night approved the hiring of Donald Jones – who played in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots – as the Cardinals’ new mentor.

But most importantly, he’s a Plainfield alum, and already working in the school district in the phys ed department. Jones played collegiately at Lackawanna, then Youngstown State before being signed as an undrafted free agent by Buffalo in 2010.

For the last three years, he’s been the wide receivers coach at St. Thomas Aquinas, which hasn’t lost a Big Central Conference football game since November of 2020, a 31-game streak.

The Trojans congratulated Jones with a post on social media.

And so, the choice would seem to check all the boxes: someone who knows the Plainfield kids, played in college, made it to the NFL, and has coached at a successful high school program.

And, being a Plainfield alum, he also understands the importance of the Cardinals’ Thanksgiving Day rivalry with Westfield. Plainfield won their matchup this year for the first time since 2011.

It’ll be his first head coaching job.

Click below to hear Donald Jones talk about becoming head football coach at Plainfield with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: