So is today D-Day?

[BRStang]

If there continues to be silence out of the Hilltop be the end of the day, can we just assume June is back for next year?

The carousel has already begun for other schools in similar positions (e.g., Wake Forest hired Clawson). I would think SMU needs to get this over with immediately if it intends to advertise for and bring in a new coach.

[couch 'em]

We could easily be conducting or even have completed a behind the scenes search

[couch 'em]

You'll remember June was on board before the bowls but it could not be public until after

[ponyinNC]

I beleive there is a Mustang Club event in NYC tomorrow night, and both Hart and Jones are/were supposed to be there. Not sure if the weather affects those plans at all.

But if Jones is not in attendance - I think that speaks volumes. Either he is gone or Hart knows that the natives are restless and would eat Jones' lunch during the event, so he will make up an excuse that Jones couldn't make it, etc.

[BRStang]

We could easily be conducting or even have completed a behind the scenes search

Don't we have to advertise for so many days? I thought that was the "rule" the last go-round...

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

I beleive there is a Mustang Club event in NYC tomorrow night, and both Hart and Jones are/were supposed to be there. Not sure if the weather affects those plans at all. But if Jones is not in attendance - I think that speaks volumes.

Some are saying that June claims he is "having trouble finding a flight", but people are saying they had no trouble booking flights to New York the last two days. Either June doesn't wanna go or something may be up.

[feelthehorsepower]

You'll remember June was on board before the bowls but it could not be public until after

Yes, next year's coach is going to a BCS bowl this year, you do not want to make it public until after it is played!

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Didn't Jones miss last year too?

[JasonB]

Didn't Jones miss last year too?

I believe so, yes.

IMHO, Jones probably lobbied for extensions for himself and his assistants prior to last season. This is all conjecture, but I wonder if Jones was offered an extension and refused to sign it until his assistants got extended. Then refused to participate in the mustang club lunches and the like because of it. Didn't go to NYC either.

FYI, I am under the impression that several assistants are under contract until January. So that all might play out until then.

I still think, however, that all this extension stuff is BS. Because it would have an impact on recruiting, there is no reason that Jones would be offered an extension in August instead of prior to that point. There is always the chance that the extension thing is a smoke screen, we wait until we can get our target after the bowl games, and then June gets bought out/retirement packaged and we we make the new hire.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

http://smu.edu/events/rsvp_form.asp?e=mustangclubnyc

[BRStang]

You guys who posit that SMU could be waiting until after the bowl games to announce the hiring of a new coach are sure putting a lot of unfounded faith in the Athletic Department and Administration based on their history of ineptitude.

Additionally, if Jones was being let go, I cannot imagine why SMU would not announce it immediately to get the best possible slate of candidates interested in the job. What other school would do this? I can see not announcing a new coach until after a bowl game (if that coach is even in a bowl game), but there is no reason not to announce June's return to the Islands. (And don't say recruiting is a reason....puhleez)

No, I could be wrong, but I say if an announcement is not made by the end of the day, all signs point to June being back next year.

[ponyfanman]

Why wouldn't they announce an extension immediately either? If they have already decided he's back, why wait? They obviously don't care what any of us think? The fact that it's quiet has me a little upbeat but who knows.

[Dooby]

I said earlier that if we didn't hear Monday, Then the ball is in June's court. Today is Tuesday and I stand by it.

The ball is in June's court. June and his agent are, first, trying to figure out how to get paid $2M and not coach SMU; they don't care if June is paid $2m by SMU to go away or paid $2M to coach somewhere else. That is their first priority. Second, if they can't find a way to get $2M and not be at SMU, they want to improve on the extension deal they already have in hand, which means they want more money guaranteed in the second and subsequent years.

June has no incentive to sign the extension deal described in the DMN.

This isn't about an IPF. This isn't about a weight room. This isn't about assistants. This isn't about a general studies degree.

[BRStang]

Why wouldn't they announce an extension immediately either? If they have already decided he's back, why wait? They obviously don't care what any of us think? The fact that it's quiet has me a little upbeat but who knows.

Because he may not sign the extension. He's shown he doesn't give a rats @ss about SMU. An extension only benefits SMU, not him. He may just be trying to stick it to SMU regarding recruiting and saying to SMU, "No, I think I'll just finish out the last year of my contract and collect my $2M before I pack up for Oahu."

[Rebel10]

Why wouldn't they announce an extension immediately either? If they have already decided he's back, why wait? They obviously don't care what any of us think? The fact that it's quiet has me a little upbeat but who knows.

Because he may not sign the extension. He's shown he doesn't give a rats @ss about SMU. An extension only benefits SMU, not him. He may just be trying to stick it to SMU regarding recruiting and saying to SMU, "No, I think I'll just finish out the last year of my contract and collect my $2M before I pack up for Oahu."

By extending the contract it would guarantee him more money and tie SMU hands if they wanted to get a new coach. It benefits him because recruiting is not good anyway.