Nick Jones

Nick Jones brings over a decade of collegiate coaching experience, a national-level competitive background, and deep technical expertise in pole vault to the Next Step Vault Club. A former NCAA Division I pole vaulter at SUNY Albany, Nick has built a strong reputation for developing high-level athletes, leading successful programs, and fostering technical excellence.

As a high school athlete, Nick was a standout pole vaulter who set the New York State freshman indoor record at 13'6". He went on to win prestigious meets such as the Yale Invitational and W.F. Eddy Meet, ultimately reaching a personal best of 15' in the pole vault.

Nick continued his athletic career at UAlbany, competing in the pole vault for four years before graduating in 2008 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, helping guide America East champions and recruiting future All-Americans in the vault. During this time, Nick assisted in coaching standout vaulters Luke Schoen and Mike Dempsey, who achieved personal bests of 5.41m (17'09") and 4.90m (16'2.75"), respectively. He also worked with Celine Cauderlier, who set a women’s pole vault outdoor school record at 3.55m (11'7.75").

From 2011 to 2021, Nick served as Head Track & Field Coach at SUNY Plattsburgh, mentoring seven All-Americans, 32 NCAA qualifiers, and 51 conference champions while overseeing 42 school records. His leadership extended to Russell Sage College—where his athletes earned Rookie of the Year honors and claimed the program’s first Empire 8 Conference Championship—and later to NCAA Division II Saint Rose, where he led both cross country and track & field programs.

Nick has remained closely tied to the pole vault throughout his coaching career. While volunteering at RPI, he helped James Zeolla earn All-American honors with a fourth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships; James’s best vault that year was 5.00m (16'4.75"). Earlier in his coaching journey, Nick also coached at Shenendehowa High School, where he helped guide Suburban Council and Sectional champions, as well as the 2010 Nike Indoor Nationals Girls Pentathlon bronze medalist.

Nick holds multiple certifications from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), including Sprint, Hurdle, and Relay Event Specialist, Sport Psychology for the Track & Field Coach, and Advanced Strength & Conditioning Specialist.

At Next Step Vault Club, Nick focuses on individualized pole vault development, combining technical precision, biomechanics, and mental training. His coaching philosophy centers on maximizing each athlete’s potential through smart progression, confidence-building, and a supportive athlete-coach relationship.