Hanover College Women's Basketball

John Jones enters his 25th year on the sidelines for the Panthers and 11th as head coach. Coach Jones, popularly called “Jonesy” on campus, took over for former head coach Molly Jones (Hanover, 1986) at the beginning of the 2015-16 season. Molly Jones retired as the winningest female coach in school history with a career record of 440-312, including a 286-178 record in 19 seasons at Hanover. Due to his tenure on the Panther bench, Jones has had a seamless transition. Building on the foundation that he and Molly established together and continuing the up-tempo style of offense should lead to success in the future. A former player at Marian College (Ind.), Jones has collected more than 15 years of experience as a teacher, coach and administrator at the secondary and collegiate levels. Jones has a dual role at Hanover, also serving as associate athletic director. Prior to joining the Hanover athletic department staff, he served three years as athletic director at Southwestern High School in Hanover. He graduated from Marian in 1991. Coach Molly Jones will continue to work with the team conducting individual workouts as well as serving as the academic advisor for the team. The Joneses reside in Hanover and have three children; Kelsey (Hanover, 2015), Tyler, and Coleman (Hanover, 2022). Follow us on twitter @HanoverWBBhoops.

Alabama native, Zoe Watts, returns for her second season on the women's basketball coaching staff for the Hanover College Panthers during the 2025–2026 season. After one season as Intern assistant coach, she was promoted to fulltime assistant in June of 2025. Watts is a graduate of the University of West Alabama, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science. A standout student-athlete, she competed as a forward for the UWA women’s basketball team, finishing her collegiate career with an overall record of 49–52. Her team qualified for the conference tournament in all four seasons of her career. Recognized for both her academic and athletic achievements, Watts was a four-time member of the Gulf South Conference All-Academic Honor Roll. She also earned the prestigious University Scholar Award and was inducted into the TriBeta Biological Honor Society. Following her playing career, Watts served as a Graduate Assistant for the UWA women’s basketball program while pursuing her Master of Business Administration. In that role, she gained valuable experience in player development, game preparation, and program operations—skills she now brings to the Hanover coaching staff. Watts continues to contribute her leadership, competitive spirit, and academic excellence to the Hanover women's basketball program as she helps develop the next generation of Panther student-athletes.