P5 in Nashville tonight! Had a great time leading some laps and battling at the front, getting more comfortable! Definitely feels like we’re making headway! 😀
Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years. But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams. I was super eager for us to get on better terms. But it was he who made the effort for that to be possible. We did some media together also to laugh through some of the things we put each other through many years ago. Most recently we had even been discussing him running my Late Model at Wilkesboro this summer. He seemed extremely happy and we had planned to meet up next Thursday to get his seat to the shop. He laughed over the idea of his fans and JRM fans having to cheer in unison during that race.
Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. No one can deny that. But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family. I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.
I’m not his agent, but I do know what success in college basketball looks like. When a coach builds up two programs, wins, and cares deeply about mentoring, teaching valuable lessons, and serving as a role model, that’s the person you want to hire. Mike Jones is all of the above. @UNCG_MikeJones
Coach Jones has a long and successful résumé in the game, it could be a big blessing in disguise that UNCG went in a different direction. If the only goal Is the NCAA Tournament or win the regular season title at UNCG he didn’t do it-but he was winning (57–33 in conference games.)
The fact that his two best players left for greener pastures: imagine still having Kenyon Giles now at Wichita State (19 ppg) or Donovan Atwell at Texas Tech (45% from three)
A Final Four assistant at VCU, he then took Radford to their third NCAA tournament as he won the Big South Tournament in 2018.
He won two Big South regular-season titles in 2019 and 2020. He was also a two-time Big South Coach of the Year (2018, 2020) and the SoCon co‑Coach of the Year (Media) in 2023.
He is a thorough and excellent evaluator of talent and knows how to develop players. Don’t forget Javonte Green at Radford (2015–2019); he became the first player in program history to make an NBA roster. Carlik Jones was next.
The profession knows success, Mike Jones will be a head coach again.
This is what conviction looks like. Once, one of the most hated men in America. Eventually became one of the most beloved people in the world. Hold firm to your beliefs.