, Jones will be joined by fellow Novocastrian Clayton Zane who will act as assistant coach.
Jones, 50, was most recently in charge of Adelaide United's youth development program and has held a number of roles at the Jets, including assistant coach when Newcastle won the A-League championship in 2008.
Jones fought off competition from the likes of to secure the job, which will see him take over a side who has failed to make the top six since 2010.
“It’s a proud day for me to be appointed coach of Newcastle Jets, my hometown club,” Jones said.
“It is no secret that this is a position that I have long coveted, and to realise my ambition of becoming a Head Coach in the city I love is a dream come true.
“But now the hard work begins. The Club has assembled a competitive and balanced squad brimming with local talent, A-League experience and international know-how for the A-League 2016-2017 season, and I am personally excited to work with each and every member of the squad.”
“While it’s true that there’s not long until the new season commences, the work that has been done in preparing the squad has been good and I believe that we can kick-off the new campaign in a very competitive fashion.”
“I will leave no stone unturned in making my tenure at the helm of the Newcastle Jets a successful one for our Members,” Jones concluded.
The Jets have had a busy off-season after a substantial clear-out of players at the end of last season, signing Finnish striker Aleksandr Kokko, Croatian left-back Ivan Vujica and promising Australian midfielder Andrew Hoole.
