Published: January 04, 2007 11:52 pm      

Assistant coach fills in for Jones

LORETTO — Bobby Jones was not on the St. Francis courtside Thursday night for the first time in his eight-year career with the Red Flash men’s basketball team.

Jones is taking care of his health after being hospitalized for two days because of some stroke-like symptoms suffered during the Red Flash’s game at American University on Tuesday.

Jones was cleared to coach on Thursday, but he did not coach the team after being released from Silbey Memorial Hospital in Washington earlier in the afternoon.

Jones told The Associated Press that he was feeling better.

“I’m OK,” Jones said by phone. “I just need a couple days’ rest.”

Central Connecticut State defeated the Red Flash 80-61 as assistant coach Rob Krimmel assumed Jones’ duties along with assistant coaches Winston Smith and Joey Goodson.

“This has been a challenging week for St. Francis basketball and for the St. Francis family,” St. Francis Athletic Director Bob Krimmel, who is Rob’s father, said after the game. “Coach Jones and I had talked about this, and it was my decision tonight to not have him make a trip up here on the mountain. Given the stress of the last couple of days, he needed the time to recover. I will meet with Coach Jones (today), and we will discuss things at that point.”

Central Connecticut coach Howie Dickenman empathized with Rob Krimmel’s role.

“It is very, very difficult for an assistant coach to fill in,” Dickenman said. “I had seven or eight opportunities to do that when I was an assistant to (Connecticut coach) Jim (Calhoun).”

Rob Krimmel has been an assistant coach to Jones for the past seven years after playing for him for one season.