The SIU Athletics Department will hold a Celebration of Life service this fall for legendary coach Richard "Itchy" Jones.
Jones passed away on February 17 at the age of 87.
Jones coached 39 years at the collegiate level at MacMurray, SIU and the University of Illinois, and he retired as one of college baseball's top-20 all-time winningest coaches with 1,242 wins. 738 of those wins came as a Saluki in his 21-year coaching stint at his alma mater. He led the Salukis to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and three trips to the NCAA College World Series.
The $4 million stadium renovation of Abe Martin Field honored Jones as it re-opened for the 2014 season as Abe Martin Field at Richard "Itchy" Jones Stadium. His SIU baseball jersey No. 1 was retired at Southern in 2022.
The Celebration of Life service is scheduled for Saturday, October 25 at 11 a.m. at Itchy Jones Stadium. In the event of inclement weather, the memorial service will be moved to the Charles Helleny Pavilion inside Banterra Center.
The event will coincide with SIU's homecoming festivities.
