Cobi Jones

Lore & Background

Jones grew up in Southern California. He played soccer with AYSO starting at age 5 in Westlake Village, California. After graduating from Westlake High School, Jones emerged as a talented player in college, making the UCLA soccer team as a non-scholarship player, ultimately becoming one of its most successful soccer-playing graduates. While attending UCLA, Jones was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, an international fraternity.

After playing in the 1994 World Cup held in the United States, Jones signed with English team Coventry City of the Premier League, where he spent one season. Jones trained with a German club 1. FC Köln of the Bundesliga before joining Brazilian club Vasco da Gama after impressive performances with the United States national team in the 1995 Copa America. After only a few months in Brazil, Jones signed with the new Los Angeles Galaxy franchise for Major League Soccer's inaugural season.

Jones's best year with the Galaxy came in 1998, when he was second in MLS with 51 points (19 goals and 13 assists), was named to the MLS Best XI, and was also named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. In 2005, he became the last player in MLS to remain with his original team since 1996. Jones announced on March 19, 2007, that he would retire following the season. Jones is currently the all-time leader of the United States in appearances, with 164 caps as of the end of 2004 (scoring 15 goals).

He played for the team in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He was named to the best XI at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup and won with the national team at the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also represented his country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. After playing in the 1995 Copa America, he also became a popular player in Latin America because the nickname used by an Argentine commentator to call him: 'Escobillón' ('swab'), due to his bleached dreadlock hairstyle and the similar pronunciation of his name, Is Cobi Jones, and the word 'escobillón'.

On November 9, 2007, Jones was announced as an assistant coach with the Galaxy under Ruud Gullit. After Gullit's resignation on August 11, 2008, Jones served as the interim head coach until the Galaxy hired Jones's former United States national team head coach Bruce Arena. In January 2011, Jones left the Galaxy to serve as associate director of soccer with the New York Cosmos and was with the club through 2012.

From England and Brazil to an MLS Dynasty

Jones launched his professional career in 1994, signing with Coventry City in England's Premier League for a single season after the World Cup was hosted on American soil. He subsequently trained with 1. FC Köln in Germany's Bundesliga and then joined Vasco da Gama in Brazil following standout performances at the 1995 Copa America. Yet his Brazilian stint lasted only a handful of months before he committed to the brand-new Los Angeles Galaxy for MLS's 1996 inaugural campaign.

That choice became the defining arc of his playing life. Jones spent eleven full seasons with the Galaxy, ultimately becoming the final player in the league's history to stay with his original franchise from its founding. His peak arrived in 1998, when he posted 51 points from 19 goals and 13 assists to rank second in the league, earned MLS Best XI honors, and was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. Over his tenure he added two MLS Cups, two Supporters' Shields, and multiple Western Conference titles before announcing his retirement on March 19, 2007.

A Record-Breaking International Career and a Latin American Nickname

Jones holds the all-time United States record for national team appearances, amassing 164 caps and 15 goals through the end of 2004. He suited up for three consecutive FIFA World Cups in 1994, 1998, and 2002, and also represented the country at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. His international trophy cabinet includes the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup title and a best XI selection at the 2000 edition of that tournament. Perhaps no episode illustrated his cross-border appeal better than the 1995 Copa America, where an Argentine broadcaster playfully dubbed him "Escobillón"—Spanish for "swab"—because his bleached dreadlocks and the phonetic rhythm of his name echoed the word.

The nickname stuck and made him a household name across Latin America, extending his recognition far beyond the English-speaking soccer world and cementing his status as one of the most internationally visible American players of his generation.

Coaching, Commentary, and a Versatile Media Career

After retiring, Jones moved onto the Galaxy sideline as assistant coach under Ruud Gullit in November 2007. When Gullit resigned in August 2008, Jones assumed the interim head coach role until Bruce Arena was hired. He departed the Galaxy in January 2011 to serve as associate director of soccer with the New York Cosmos, a position he held through 2012. Off the field, Jones cultivated a broad broadcasting portfolio.

He currently analyzes matches for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and has appeared on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Fox Sports, BeIN Sports, and the Pac-12 Network. He also hosts the Totally Football Show: American Edition. In a surprising earlier chapter, during the 1990s he fronted the MTV health program Mega-Dose, demonstrating a natural comfort in front of a camera that would later underpin his long-running soccer commentary and hosting career across multiple networks and platforms.

Roots in Southern California and a Lasting Legacy

Jones grew up in the Westlake Village area of Southern California, kicking a ball with AYSO from the age of five and later graduating from Westlake High School. At UCLA he earned a spot on the soccer squad without a scholarship and went on to become one of the program's most accomplished graduates, capturing the 1990 NCAA Division I championship and College Cup. He was also a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. In 2009 he married Kim Reese, a music consultant and former New Line Cinema executive, in a ceremony at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad; the couple has two sons, Cayden and Cai.

His contributions to the sport were formally recognized in March 2011 when he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Today he also participates in the ownership group of Angel City FC in the NWSL, continuing to invest in the growth of American soccer well beyond his own playing days.

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