Sources: Jones to ASU premature
Southern Methodist University coach June Jones told his staff in a Wednesday morning meeting that the final details were being ironed out in a deal that would make him Arizona State's head coach.
However, Wednesday afternoon, a source close to the situation said a meeting involving Arizona State athletic director Lisa Love was called. The result was that the deal with Jones may be called off due to the displeasure expressed by several parties about the potential hire.
Advertisement
According to a source, Jones had told his coaches that the deal with ASU is 95 percent complete, with the last hurdle being a reported $2 million buyout.
ESPN's Joe Schad reported on Twitter that "Arizona State is preparing to announce June Jones as its next coach."
On Tuesday, Jones told his staff at SMU, which was out on the road recruiting, to return to Dallas for an emergency meeting, the nature of which was not specifically disclosed.
Jones, 58, is in his fourth year at SMU, which is in C-USA, which went 7-5 (5-3 in league play) in the regular season this year and is 23-28 since Jones took over in 2008, when the team went 1-11.
A perennial doormat of the conference, SMU had not been to a bowl game in 15 years until Jones led the program to back-to-back post-season appearances in 2009 and 2010. They'll again play in a bowl this season.
Prior to taking over at SMU, Jones was 76-41 in nine seasons at Hawaii, including a 12-1 effort and BCS bowl appearance in the Sugar Bowl following the 2007 season, his last at the school.
Jones is probably best known for his days as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons (1994-96) and at the University of Hawaii (1999-2007).
Jones' run-and-shoot attack led the Western Athletic Conference and ranked in the Top-5 nationally in each of his nine seasons at Hawaii.
Click Here to view this Link.In 2006, the Warriors averaged 46.9 points and 559.2 yards of total offense per game, with 441.29 passing yards per game, leading the nation in all three categories. The Warriors broke more than 400 school records and 50 NCAA records while Jones was the coach.
The year before Jones' arrival in Hawaii, the team was 0-12. Jones went 9-4 in his first year and earned a share of the WAC conference title. He went 76-41 in nine seasons, six of which saw his team win at least nine games. In 2007 his team finished 12-1 and lost to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
While in Atlanta, Falcons quarterback Jeff George put up impressive numbers. He threw for 3,734 yards and 23 touchdowns in Jones' first year and 4143 yards and 24 touchdowns his second year.