The Jones Extension

[Rebel10]

I really think it depends on how SMU does this year on the field. The people who pay his salary may want him back if he goes to a bowl.

Perhaps there are other ways...like making him a dean or something if he retires.

Actually, I think the biggest problem everyone has is recruiting. As I have stated before, I don't think recruiting four and five star players to SMU football is as easy as some on this board think. Actually, with our mindset they loose a lot coming here. For one thing, we don't cheat (at least I don't think we do) and I feel confident most all large schools do. That being said, I wish we heard more positive things about SMU coaches getting in touch with high school players and staying in touch; contacting known four and five star players, etc. Our coaches are either very secretive about their contacts or they just aren't getting out to see the coaches and players they need to see.

Nonetheless, I hope we move forward as quickly as possible to a national football power.

Problem is not 4 or 5 star players but it is getting mid to upper range 3 star players with BCS offers. We should be able to compete with BCS bottom feeders for recruits. See USF.

[SMU2007]

Yea, you read that subject heading right.

We are in a bad spot at a bad moment in time. I, personally, don’t think this team is going to have a winning record. Frankly, I haven’t put the thought into figuring out if a bowl is really possible.

June has one more year left on his deal following the season. Conventional college football thinking is you don’t let a college coach enter the last year of his deal. It chills recruiting, so the theory goes. The theory also goes that the kids won’t play hard for a coach with only one year on his deal because the assumption is he is gone after the season.

It is for reasons such as this that Phil Bennett was extended after going 5-6, which he then went 6-6 and 1-11. Maybe Bennett didn’t deserve an extension (probably didn’t), but that is the way it is done. And financially, these things can be done in such a way that there is little risk to the university. Extend a year or two, reduce the buyout on both sides, maybe a small raise, and everyone is happy.

Why, it is just rare to see a coach reach the expiration of his contract. In fact the last college football coach that I can think of that finished his contract was … June Jones at Hawaii.

I think June desperately wants to leave SMU. Unfortunately, his record hasn’t merited someone giving him a job that pays him better. I am sure he blames SMU for his problems, though SMU fans can certainly list a few reasons why June has only himself to blame.

SMU has 3 options after the season. It can extend June; it can terminate June; or it can see the contract through to the end. Let’s table the last option for a moment because for the reasons above, it really is not a good option.

If SMU elects to terminate June, from the outside looking in, it will appear to be insane. I am big on reasonableness. Firing June will look unreasonable. To an outsider, SMU wandered the college football wilderness until June took over. All June did was go to 4 straight bowls, winning 3 of them. One sub-.500 season after 4 bowls does not merit termination at SMU to an outsider.

Now, I can list the myriad of reasons terminating June is absolutely the right thing to do, if not overdue. He doesn’t want to be here; he doesn’t recruit; the team has plateaued; he doesn’t really do anything to sell the program; he once managed to personally sabotage his own recruiting class in an unprecedented way. Frankly, I think there was enough on the ASU debacle to fire the man with cause, but too much time has passed.

Unfortunately, good reasons to fire June don’t really matter. Like it or not, SMU is not a plum job. It isn’t a bad job. It is just a job. We can list 100 reasons why SMU is a great job, but the truth is so can almost any school, and make no mistake, SMU has warts as well. And since we are not one of the top 25% of college jobs out there, it is important that SMU, at all times, appears to be REASONABLE (there is that word again).

Why is being reasonable important? Because we have to show a coach that SMU is supportive and will give the next coach time to put his system in place and recruit his players. SMU isn’t a good enough school to demand a coach’s head after 1 losing season. I always think of Southern Miss who fired Jeff Bower after 9 straight winning seasons, then hired Larry Fedora (who left after 5 years for UNC) and then fired the next guy after a single season-as an outsider I view So. Miss. as a bunch of friggin’ nuts with unreasonable expectations.

Outsider, by the way, includes any potential future coaching candidate.

So, win, lose or draw, I would be surprised if SMU terminated Jones. Again, I want to stress before I get killed- I will not weep the day June Jones is no longer the coach at SMU.

So, if SMU isn’t going to terminate June, it really has little choice but to extend him. Or, more accurately, try to extend June Jones.

As I said above, it could be relatively painless. As a private university, the contract is confidential and it could be structured in such a way that all sides can be happy, with minimal risk and with options out, but it would still be an extension that would, theoretically, help with recruiting and add some stability to the program.

Frankly, I half expect June to refuse to negotiate an extension. Why? Because he is a jack@$$. June believed he would come to SMU and Dallas would fully embrace him and fill Ford just to be closer to his aura and he is shocked and [deleted] it didn’t happen. An extension is the smart thing to do, but June doesn’t always do the smart thing. He let his contract at Hawaii expire (as an aside, I am not sure I can put all the Hawaii matters on June, if you have ever done business in Hawaii, it is frustrating as hell and is like working in backwoods Mississippi some times).

BTW, if June does refuse to sign an extension, I would draft up a press release announcing his termination, in no small part because his constant job hunting and refusal to extend his contract left SMU no choice but to terminate him because he was contributing to the instability to the program.

Nice post dooby. I think you are dead on. Specifically, that firing jones looks crazy from an outsider's view and that we need to look reasonable. Surely we can negotiate something with June. He hasn't wanted to be here for a couple years now, and we are certainly ready to move on.

[ponyte]

Strictly an opinion with absolutely no facts or information to back it up.

SMU doesn't fire Jones. As mentioned, that is utter insanity on display for all potential future coaches to see. Why would SMU fire the guy that brought SMU football back for the grave (after a mere generation)? SMU isn’t a well known place for coaches to succeed. Firing the one guy that has succeeded after a generation of futility would severely limit the next coach’s candidate pool. SMU isn’t in a position to attract top notch candidates regardless of many self inflated opinions of the program. Firing Jones only exacerbates a tenuous position that SMU holds.

I see offensive progress which indicates to me Jones hasn't 'checked out'. Heck, he hired another offensive minded coach to help improve the offense. Had he checked out, why recruit a guy like that? And the receivers and QB are on the same page for most plays. They have to have coaching to make that happen. So I don't think Jones has checked out.

The decision is up to Jones. Whether he stays, renegotiates his contract or retires is entirely up to him. And it might have more to do with the players and potential next year than the results of this year that influences his decision.

[SMU2007]

Honestly, I think we would be fine if June stayed, if we could just get a few staff members who were young and aggressive on the recruiting trail (like we had with Klemm.........). I don't think he's a bad coach, I just think his laid back attitude permeates throughout this team and extends to his approach to recruiting, without anyone else available to balance him out. If we had some fiery young guys to balance him and to lead the recruiting front, I'd be fine with June on the sideline. Unfortunately, he's had several chances to make hires, and the majority of the time, it's more of the same. I have little hope we'd be able to get the ideal situation.

[Rebel10]

Fedora had more success than Bower ever had, he won a CUSA championship for them which Bower never did. The best seasons Bower had were like 7 or so wins. USM was right to fire Ellis Johnson because he totally lost the team and had a staff that was not good.

[PonyTime]

If the choice is between June and Hal as is alluded to in the OP, I would go with June - 100%. What has Hal done in the last 15 years? Seriously, some of you all who would prefer to have Hal Mumme take over rather than Jones stay are insane.

I guess all of you are impressed by Hal's 4-28 record at New Mexico State. Or perhaps a Music City Bowl appearance some 15 years ago with Kentucky.

Be careful what you ask for... if it is to can June and have Hal step in, be prepared for those 1-2 win seasons to return...

[Rebel10]

If the choice is between June and Hal as is alluded to in the OP, I would go with June - 100%. What has Hal done in the last 15 years? Seriously, some of you all who would prefer to have Hal Mumme take over rather than Jones stay are insane.

I guess all of you are impressed by Hal's 4-28 record at New Mexico State. Or perhaps a Music City Bowl appearance some 15 years ago with Kentucky.

Be careful what you ask for... if it is to can June and have Hal step in, be prepared for those 1-2 win seasons to return...

There is that be careful what you ask for mess. Hal is running the offense now in case you had not noticed and Mason is running the defense. No one that I have read is saying Hal is the next in line because he is over 60 as well. I think everyone is looking for the sharp younger coach that could lead us to at least a 9 win season.

[Treadway21]

What makes anyone think June is going to voluntarily leave $2M on the table?

June will force SMU's hand. He won't retire.

This.^

June knows he has us over a barrel for the reasons Dooby alluded to in his initial post. So what incentive does he have to get out gracefully? He really doesn't care about SMU as evidenced by his ASU actions. I am not saying he does not care about doing a good job, but his is not attached to SMU the way he was to Hawaii, and it shows. And just look at how he left the Hawaii job - his dream job.

The only way this things plays out where he leaves is for our money men to step up and pay, and I am not sure that will happen.

We are in a kind of purgatory.
(With the usual caveat that I am grateful to JJ for at least getting us to consistent mediocrity, which was no easy task).

[peruna11]

Honestly, I think we would be fine if June stayed, if we could just get a few staff members who were young and aggressive on the recruiting trail (like we had with Klemm.........). I don't think he's a bad coach, I just think his laid back attitude permeates throughout this team and extends to his approach to recruiting, without anyone else available to balance him out. If we had some fiery young guys to balance him and to lead the recruiting front, I'd be fine with June on the sideline. Unfortunately, he's had several chances to make hires, and the majority of the time, it's more of the same. I have little hope we'd be able to get the ideal situation.

Staying on Klemm for a second, I think it goes beyond a laid back attitude that permeates the staff and team. As we saw with the "Projector Debacle", coach's ego erupts into a defensive frenzy when another staff member excels or appears to show him up. JJ couldn't stand for that.

We had 2 guys on staff that were energetic and fired players up. They were both discarded. AK proved we could land 4 stars, and he promptly took them with him to UCLA. Reinebold (despite what some might say about his actual recruiting efforts) at least knew how to use social media and showed some genuine aloha for SMU.

Let's then assume both were terminated with real cause. June had every opportunity in the world to back fill his staff with energetic recruiters, but chose not to. Granted, Phillips seemed promising but we have neither recruits nor receivers who can catch.

The only person on staff I trust anymore is Mason, and I fear he is now beat down beyond repair.

[ponyinNC]

I think this gets settled with a mutually negotiated buy-out so that both sides can save face.

JJ gets to retire /move on, and will say I did my job - I returned smu to relevance.

SMU says thank you to JJ, gives him $$, he signs a non-disclosure/no publicity so that he can't bad mouth the university, and we go about hiring a new coach to take us to the next level.

Now, this all depends on the $$ we are willing to spend. And by we, I mean CofC.

I found it troubling that SID said we don't have the $$ for alternate helmets...I think he said it would cost $200k or something. If we don't have $200k - how are we going to buy out $2.5M, plus staff, and then hire a new coach and staff??

Someone like Morris is going to command as much or more as JJ did. Or we go with a younger asst coach (like Monty at Baylor) and spend the $$ on quality staff. Either way, we need $$.

I pray to God that we don't pull an SMU and let him finish out the K without an extension.

[Stallion]

What is meant by "leaving money on the table". Unless you mean he won't retire without a settlement. Obviously. He has a year left on his contract and is owed 2 million (or whatever) whether he coaches or not? He won't be leaving that "money on the table" either way. We will be writing that check whether he is the coach or not.

[Rebel10]

What is meant by "leaving money on the table". Unless you mean he won't retire without a settlement. Obviously. He has a year left on his contract and is owed 2 million (or whatever) whether he coaches or not? He won't be leaving that "money on the table" either way. We will be writing that check whether he is the coach or not.

If he retires without a negotiated settlement he wouldn't get anything right?

[ponyinNC]

What is meant by "leaving money on the table". Unless you mean he won't retire without a settlement. Obviously. He has a year left on his contract and is owed 2 million (or whatever) whether he coaches or not? He won't be leaving that "money on the table" either way. We will be writing that check whether he is the coach or not.

If he retires without a negotiated settlement he wouldn't get anything right?

correct - he would be in breach.

[Stallion]

OK not likely

[ponyte]

One wonders who gets to 'write' the check if there is some form of ‘buy out’.

Originally, one was lead to believe that Jones' base was paid by donors, not the Athletic Department (unknown if that is fact or speculation). But assuming it is paid by donors, then the 'buy out' might not be the decision of the AD or Turner.

Perhaps the Jones contract and the potential options after this year are more limited than any of us know. A great deal of speculation may not, in fact, even be a possibility as the money and decision are not apparent to those speculating on possible options.