Georgia Brings Jonas Hayes Home as Basketball Assistant

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to bring the right people home, and that's exactly what the University of Georgia basketball program is doing.

The Bulldogs officially announced the hiring of Jonas Hayes as assistant coach on Wednesday, completing a meaningful reunion that brings both Hayes twins back to Athens within a single week. Jonas joins his twin brother Jarvis, who joined the staff just days earlier in a hybrid assistant role.

Hayes knows Georgia basketball inside and out. The Atlanta native played 88 games for the Bulldogs from 2001 to 2004, averaging 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. His senior season peak came with a 25-point performance in a double-overtime win over a top-ranked Georgia Tech team.

This marks Hayes' second stint on the Georgia staff. He first returned in 2012 as operations coordinator before being promoted to assistant coach under Mark Fox. During that five-year stretch, the Bulldogs posted three consecutive 20-win seasons and reached the postseason four times, including the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Hayes brings impressive credentials from beyond Athens too. He served as associate head coach at Xavier and led the Musketeers to the 2022 NIT championship as interim head coach. Most recently, he spent four seasons as head coach at Georgia State before the program made a coaching change earlier this month.

Head coach Mike White expressed clear enthusiasm about the addition. "His love for the state of Georgia, UGA, the Athens community and Georgia Basketball is palpable," White said in a statement. "I know how excited he is to be back at Stegeman, and I'm confident he will make an immediate and sustained impact."

Why This Inspires

The timing couldn't be better for Georgia. With the transfer portal open and roster changes underway, bringing in coaches who deeply understand the program's identity provides stability during a crucial period. Hayes brings experience as a player, assistant, and head coach, giving him unique insight into every level of the game.

For a program seeking stronger connections between its past and present, the Hayes twins represent more than just coaching hires. They signal a deliberate choice to build the future on a foundation of genuine program loyalty and Atlanta recruiting ties.

Georgia hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2002, but under White's leadership, the Bulldogs have made back-to-back tournament appearances. Adding coaches who bleed red and black might be exactly what's needed to take the next step.

Sometimes coming home is the most exciting move you can make.