sports spotlight: Dr. renee (roberts) Jones
By Mike Tupa
February 21, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
DR. RENEE (ROBERTS) JONES
(This is a corrected version of the article. A couple of details were incorrect in the original..)
Time is such an illusive scamp, often accompanying us on a path of experience one way and then partnering with us as we back track to ground we’ve already covered.
But nothing can ever be the same.
As author Thomas Wolfe wisely and ruefully observed: “You can’t … go back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.”
Dr. Renee (Roberts) Jones knows about the circuitous phases of time’s journey that connect the present with the past but knowing the past never can be repeated.
More than three decades ago she stormed the Bruin Fieldhouse hardwood as one of the best in Bartlesville High School history to handle a basketball. During her sophomore year Bartlesville ladies powered to the 1992 state championship game.
That was followed by a wonderful women’s college basketball career at Oklahoma State and a successful head coaching stint in Texas.
Jones then stepped away from coaching to concentrate on her doctorate studies in education and her career in educational administration.
In 2013, Jones’ path again intersected with past glories when she became a member of the Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame.
But approximately a year ago, Jones agreed — or rather was persuaded — to return to the coaching ranks as the head girls basketball coach at Terrell High School in Texas.
In fact, Jones had another idea in mind. It had everything to do with getting back in the basketball arena but nothing to do with coaching the team.
“I’ve been in Terrell since 2012,” Jones explained. “The girls basketball coaching job came open and the athletic director asked me if I was interested. I said no. I said that my daughter was going to be a freshman …. and I wanted to be the mom sitting in the stands and cheering for my daughter.”
Roberts relented however and decided to take charge of the struggling program.
The previous season Terrell had posted only four victories and had gone winless in district.
With Jones at the helm this past campaign (2024-25), Terrell improved to 14-20 and finished sixth in district.
When Jones became coach there were only seven girls in the program — but the number ballooned to 31.
“It was the building part of the program that intrigued me. For the first time since the 1990s we had three teams,” she added. “It was nice to be able to build it with my daughter and other kids I’ve known for a long time. I had been a principal for many of them in the first and second grade.”
With most her team set to return, “we’ll go to the playoffs next year,” Jones said.
An interesting component focused on Jones coaching her ninth-grade daughter, Danielle, for the first time.
“It turned out well,” Jones said. “I always told her one thing and that is having a relationship with her is more important than basketball. On our car rides together we didn’t talk about basketball. We set some boundaries. We did pretty well together and everything worked out.”
Watching the girls grow as athletes, improve their basketball I.Q. and off-the-court experiences provided Jones her biggest emotional payback.
During her last stint as a coach, about 20 years ago, Jones guided a private school named Liberty Christian (Argyle, Texas) to the state tourney even though she had no seniors on the squad. After the left, the program won back-to-back state championships.
Jones was born in Bartlesville to Raymond and Rita Roberts; she would leave an indelible impact on Lady Bruin sports.
During her varsity basketball career she averaged 18 points, six rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and served two seasons as team captain.
She also finished fourth in the 200m dash and third in the 4-x-100m relay in track.
Jones was a four-year starter at Oklahoma State — missing only one game (due to illness). She scored 1,243 career points. Jones also achieved one of the most impressive career state lines in team history — 1,243 points, 554 rebounds and 226 assists.
She was named All Big-12 Second Team in 1997.
During Bartlesville’s powerful season of 1991-92 — navigated by head coach Rod Berger and Gerald Thompson, both of which Jones’ remains in contact with — the Lady Bruins bolted to a 24-4 record, including a 19-2 regular season mark and only one conference loss.
They recorded a double-digit margin of victory in all five playoff wins. Midwest City edged the Lady Bruins in the Class 5A state final, 49-46.
It would be another 27 seasons until Bartlesville girls basketball got back to state (2017-18).
Meanwhile, time continues its march. Renee (Roberts) Jones’ path has again intersected with basketball. This time it’s a family affair.
Dr. Renee (Roberts) Jones and her daughter, Danielle.