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Dyneshia Jones-Elder left a lasting legacy on Charles Henderson High School and her name will now forever be etched on campus as the road leading to the CHHS Gym has been named Jones-Elder Drive.

Jones-Elder was recognized during a ceremony at a Charles Henderson basketball game last week and she said that she never expected the school to honor her in such a way.

“I was so excited,” she said. “I was very excited about them doing this and I was never really thinking that they would do something like that. They got me on that. I have to thank the City of Troy, Troy City Schools Board of Education, Charles Henderson High School and all of my players. I wouldn’t be here without them, especially my players. They made me who I am.”

Jones-Elder retired following last season as the winningest coach in CHHS Girls Basketball history. After a stellar college playing career at Troy University, Jones-Elder remained in Troy to lead the girls basketball program at CHHS for more than two decades.

Not only did she lead the program to it’s first ever state championship, but her teams won two state crowns, made the Elite 8 11 times and made the Final Four nine times. She retired with a career record of 433-223 and was one of the winningest coaches in AHSAA history, as well.

All of those accolades are impressive but to Jones-Elder, her career was much more than just wins and championships.

“I hope that the legacy I left was about the hard-working young women and successful young women we built (at CHHS),” Jones-Elder emphasized. “I would tell my players that basketball is important to me and it should be important to them but it goes way beyond basketball. I like to see them be successful outside of just basketball.

“I like to see my girls going to college and having nice jobs and taking care of themselves. It’s so much more than just basketball, it’s about being successful in life. Those championships and the tournaments and the wins were all just icing on top of everything else.”

Now, Jones-Elder gets to enjoy watching her children from the stands, including current Belmont University star Tuti Jones.

“It’s been great,” Jones-Elder said of retirement. “I’ve been able to watch my former team, my girls play, from the stands and be able to sit and watch my son play from the stands. I’ve also been able to go to all of my daughter’s home games. I really am enjoying it.”