Garrett Jones is unafraid to apply for any job that interests him, even it seems like a long shot. You can’t score if you don’t shoot the ball. And Jones just sank the biggest shot of his career. He is joining the play-by-play team at Boise State University.
Jones will be the voice of BSU women’s basketball on radio, and for broadcasts of Broncos’ Olympic sports for the Mountain West Network. The digital duties include softball, volleyball and soccer. He makes the move after serving as the football/basketball voice at Houston Christian University since 2021.
“A step up to the Mountain West conference, and soon to be, Pac-12, in any capacity is something I had to go for,” Jones states. “Boise State has distinguished itself as one of the premier athletic departments in the country.”
Congratulations @GJonesOnAir on your new position at Boise State! Share on XCareer advancement, though, isn’t the only benefit of Jones’ move to Idaho. “Boise is an incredible place, and it comes at the right time for my very adventurous wife, Sarah, She has lived in Texas her whole life and is eager to try something new. We love Texas, but a reprieve from the heat will be much appreciated,” he laughs.
STAA connection
Jones is the third consecutive current or former STAA member to be the voice of Broncos’ women’s basketball, following Chris Lewis and Leonard Barry. Jones has been with STAA since 2019. “I realized that my STAA membership was making a difference when I landed my second job [HCU, now Boise State] that I came across from a [STAA] Job Leads email! My paths to HCU and Boise State have started right there.
“I’m just like anyone else, even if you want a new job, you don’t have time to scour the internet for every post. That’s why the STAA job leads emails are so big. On another note, I referenced the [STAA member] site’s tools and advice regarding job follow up. And not just for this job, but for industry advice in general.”
Taking his shot
Jones was unsure if he would hear back after applying for a position at a high profile school like Boise State. “I’m the type where I like to simply send an application in and see if there’s even a chance. If not, the worst thing they’ll do is send you an automated response. I got a [personal] response relatively quickly.”
Staying top-of-mind with the BSU hiring team helped Jones secure the position. “Follow-up is definitely the most important aspect,” Jones believes. “I was sure to reach out to the department lead the day I sent my application in. This process was three rounds long, and I made sure to send a polite note after each round. Nothing crazy. For example, after Round 2, I watched one of the school’s volleyball matches and sent a note complimenting the production quality. Following up after each interview is an underrated aspect of the job hunt. It’s really important to keep your name in front of the interviewer at least once a week. Polite persistence is key.”
Great memories
Though Jones is leaving HCU, he will miss the people and the growth he experienced there. “The list probably isn’t long enough to describe what I learned,” he grins. “Generally, I learned a job like this is what you make it. I am so grateful for HCU. In a short span of three and-a-half years, I improved my on-air fundamentals because experience is the best teacher. I learned engineering and broadcast production skills. I feel like I learned the broadcaster’s place within the athletic department and a team and how to build quality friendships that blossom over time.”
Jones also learned how to earn his way from freelance to a full-time position. “Learning how to make a living in this industry was huge. There’s no set path, but I arrived as a contract worker getting around 40 games a year, and slowly but surely through relationship building earned a full-time role, adding responsibilities as an athletic administrator. I also helped start the school’s first weekly coaches show, and this year even served as a professor on campus.”
Now Jones and his adventurous wife are onto their next experience in Idaho. “I’ve always had a desire to broadcast college sports at the highest level,” Jones says.
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