Deneshia Faulkner will bring in her first recruiting class in 2024-25 as she begins her second season.
The Heidelberg native was introduced as Jones' 13th head women's basketball coach in May 2023 after a successful five-year stint at Meridian High School where she guided the Lady Wildcats to their first MHSAA girls' championship in 2021-22.
Faulkner is familiar with Jones having played at Heidelberg and she has sent several players to play for the Bobcats in recent years.
She led the Lady Oilers to an undefeated regular season – the first in 25 years at HHS – with their only loss coming in the MHSAA championship game. Faulkner was also instrumental in helping HHS students achieve high English scores on the state standardized tests.
After serving 11 years as a high school coach, Faulkner is most proud of the fact that 100 percent of her players have graduated, 23 have earned athletic scholarships and four have enlisted in the nation's Armed Forces.
Faulkner went to Alabama State University and won six SWAC championships in track and field between 2000 and 2004. She studied English and Language Arts at ASU and then went to William Carey University where she received a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in education.
After graduating from Carey, she became an English teacher and then head coach at Heidelberg High School.
Faulkner is married to former Jones College basketball player Scottie Faulkner and they have two daughters, Raygan and Riley.
