Paul Jones, winning basketball teams and Kinston High School became synonymous during this outstanding coach's career. Born in Thomasville and a 1955 graduate of East Carolina, Jones coached from 1957 through 1995 at Kinston, rolling up 662 victories against 274 defeats. That 38-season stint included 18 conference championships, two NCHSAA state titles and four state runner-up finishes. Some 42 of his players went on to play college basketball, including three in the NBA. Jones also coached baseball for 15 years, compiling a 184-88 mark and winning six league titles to go with a state championship in that sport. He was a member of the first Board of Directors of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association and also served on the Board of the North Carolina Coaches Association.