Jones brings a history of success as a player and coach to his role in Tulsa, entering his eighth-overall season as a professional head coach and joining the third IFL team in his coaching career. "I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the first head coach of the Tulsa Oilers Football team for its inaugural season," said Head Coach Marvin Jones. "I am very excited to put together a competitive team for our quickly growing fanbase."
Jones was born in Miami, Florida, where he attended and played football at Miami Northwestern High school, notable for producing NFL players such as himself, Amari Cooper, Teddy Bridgewater and 34 others since 1965.Â
Jones attended Florida State University, playing linebacker and defensive line from 1990-1992. In 1992, Jones became the first Florida State player to acquire two national awards within the same year, earning both the Butkus Award, as the nation's top linebacker and the Lombardi Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi, under award criteria. The former All-American earned Sporting News "College Football Player of the Year" in 1992, and a spot in the Florida State Football Hall of Fame in 2000 while having his number "55" retired by Florida State. Jones solidified his legacy as one of college football's greatest linebackers, entering the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.Â
Following his collegiate career, Jones was selected fourth overall in the 1993 NFL draft by the New York Jets. The FSU great played 11 seasons for the Jets from 1993-2003, excluding the 1998 season.The former Seminole played 142 NFL games, compiling more than 1,200 tackles, with over 700 of those being solo.Â
"I'm so excited to be adding a head coach with the amazing football background Coach Jones brings to the Oilers Family," said Owner Andy Scurto. "We were looking for a head coach with experience, leadership, a great love of the game and commitment to the fans, and we're confident we found that in coach Jones. I'm looking forward to working with coach Jones and helping him build an amazing team for our awesome Tulsa fans!"Â
Jones began coaching in 2014, serving as the Linebackers Coach of the Brooklyn Bolts in the FXFL. The Bolts led the league in all defensive categories, winning the championship that year. In 2015, Jones held the Defensive Coordinator role with the Hudson Valley Fort of the FXFL before returning in 2016 to the NFL as a coaching intern for the outside linebackers of the New York Jets under Todd Bowles, the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach. In 2017, Jones entered the IFL for the first time as the Defensive Coordinator and eventual Interim Head Coach for the Colorado Crush. 2018 saw Jones move to the Cedar Rapids Titans of the IFL as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. His defense finished first in the IFL in passing yardage allowed. Jones moved to the CIF in 2019, joining the Omaha Beef as the Defensive Coordinator and making it to the Northern Conference Championship. He eventually became the Interim Head Coach, taking the job full time after the 2019 CIF season. Jones' role as Head Coach with the Beef lasted three seasons, from 2019 through 2022, excluding 2020 with the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19. Beginning in 2019 and still to this day, Jones serves as Defensive Coordinator of the Spiral Tropic Bowl in Daytona, Florida, which showcases college athletes through an all-star game that features them in front of NFL and CFL teams. "I am looking forward to evaluating the great talent in the northeast Oklahoma area and beyond," said Jones. "We are encouraged by the pedigree of young football talent that comes with being in this region for our recruiting process."Â
The former Omaha Beef head coach comes to Tulsa, having posted an 18-8 record with Omaha, winning a championship in 2021 and making it to the championship in 2022.Â
Jones also founded the "Marvin Jones Charitable Foundation" in 1999 to serve underprivileged kids to help create productive citizens and serve their community
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Billy Back
Offensive Coordinator / Assistant Head Coach
Back, most recently was the Head Coach/OC for the Tucson Sugarskulls in 2024 and 2025. Before his time with Tucson the new Oilers' coach led the Frisco Fighters to the best record in the Indoor Football League for two consecutive seasons (2022/2023). Under his guidance, the Fighters were near the top of the league in points scored. Back's Fighters had the top rushing offense in the league and sported the best run defense in the IFL under his guidance.
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The former Fighters head coach joined Frisco in 2022 after leading the Spokane Shock to the 2021 IFL Playoffs. In 2022, Back led Frisco to the Conference Championship game with the best regular season record in the IFL at 14-2.
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The five-time champion spent two seasons in Carolina, where he led the expansion Carolina Cobras in 2018-19. The Cobras quickly became the NAL's top team as Back took them to consecutive title game appearances in 2018-19, winning in 2018.
 Other head coaching stops for Back include the Nashville Venom of the Professional Indoor Football League, where he led the team to a league championship in 2014. He also coached the IFL's Texas Revolution in 2013 and 2015, as well as the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League/United Football League from 2009 to 2012. Back guided the Commandos to three championships, including a perfect 12-0 season in 2011, and was named Co-Coach of the Year in 2010.
Before his coaching career, Back played six seasons in various indoor football leagues and during college, attended Miami University in Ohio, where he was later inducted into the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a student-athlete.
