Georgia football staff member arrested, charged with reckless driving, speeding

“Yes, there will be internal discipline,” coach Kirby Smart said when asked Monday about Jones’ arrest. “It’s a personnel matter and I really can’t comment further on it.”

Just last month, UGA announced that Jones would be inducted into its Georgia’s Circle of Honor. The Circle of Honor is concerned the highest honor for a person associated with the school’s athletic program. It is designed to “pay tribute to extraordinary student-athletes and coaches who by their performance and conduct have brought honor to the university and themselves, and who by their actions have contributed to the tradition of the Georgia Bulldogs.” All recipients must have earned academic degrees.

UGA football players have been cited or arrested for speeding and/or reckless driving a total of 14 times since two members of the program were killed in a high-speed crash Jan. 15. Jones’ arrest is the first for a coach or administrator.

Smart acknowledged this summer that speeding is a cultural problem within the program and has vowed to do anything he can to stamp it out.

“I’ll be the first to admit we haven’t solved that issue or problem,” Smart told reporters during a news conference. “I don’t honestly know that anybody has. But certainly for us, it’s important to acknowledge it first. We’ve had a lot of intervention in terms of talking and visiting, and discipline measures have been implemented in terms of education. We’ll continue to do that.”

Jones, 33, was on the sideline with the team Saturday when the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs opened the season against Tennessee-Martin at Sanford Stadium.