SMU Extends June Jones Contract

[Rebel10]

There might be a lot of things in this contract to make JJ more accountable in all areas. And they were probably smart enough to have an out for next year.

What makes you think SMU is smart enough to put an out in his contract?????? I mean they gave him a [deleted] extension after he publically has bashed the school over and over. They're idiots

It would have cost a bunch of money to fire June this year so they could not. So I am thinking this extension is not iron clad but has less money to be paid out if a change is made. With that being said, it does not look good when a coach publicly down talks the school and then the school gives him an extension.

[smupablo]

IMO, I am one that is in favor of June Jones. JJ was hired to take SMU into one of big 5 conferences or BCS team. some of the Issues that took place were out of JJ control on conference realignment. Lets first be patient and wait to see what conditions if any were placed upon the extension:
1-Assitant Coaches
2-Hal Mumme
3-Recruiting
4-Public Appearances
5-Buyout Clauses
6-IPF

He can coach. Team and Players like JJ, He has the locker room.

IMO, SMU is well organized and has a plan that protects our recruits through February with hope of more than one year, with no cost to SMU for second year. The difference in not-being in Big 5, was about $8 - $15 million per year. Reportedly, The IPF has a donor but in order to pay for IPF, they needed to also redo Natatorium, Soccer & Track which would require some if not all of these TV contracts for big conferences. $10 million more a year, would have paid for $100 million in more facilities etc. This is how other schools are paying for facilities.

I have seen a lot of schools screw up coach transitions and SMU has kept low key and is working with private donors COC to consider all options. The COC are to be thanked for the contributions and efforts. This COC money has been a life saver for SMU. I think continuing to bash the program, its leaders, and administrators is unfortunate and NOONE knows the facts behind the scenes.

Go Ponies! Merry Christmas..

[couch 'em]

I have a hard time believing someone like Hart with a father who is an SEC AD would do this willingly. It must be beyond his control. He will still receive my angry emails regardless.

[ponyinNC]

My second email today (after getting his out of office):

""Wow. Not only do you extend Jones, but you announce it when the entire AD office is closed for the Holidays?? That is indeed a very spineless move. Hoping it will all blow over by the time you come back from vacation??

I see now that the lack of accountability with regard to SMU football comes from the very top!

With decisions like this, I have zero faith in your leadership of the Athletic Department at SMU and plan to make my voice heard in any way I can. """

[Rebel10]

IMO, I am one that is in favor of June Jones. JJ was hired to take SMU into one of big 5 conferences or BCS team. some of the Issues that took place were out of JJ control on conference realignment. Lets first be patient and wait to see what conditions if any were placed upon the extension:
1-Assitant Coaches
2-Hal Mumme
3-Recruiting
4-Public Appearances
5-Buyout Clauses
6-IPF

He can coach. Team and Players like JJ, He has the locker room.

IMO, SMU is well organized and has a plan that protects our recruits through February with hope of more than one year, with no cost to SMU for second year. The difference in not-being in Big 5, was about $8 - $15 million per year. Reportedly, The IPF has a donor but in order to pay for IPF, they needed to also redo Natatorium, Soccer & Track which would require some if not all of these TV contracts for big conferences. $10 million more a year, would have paid for $100 million in more facilities etc. This is how other schools are paying for facilities.

I have seen a lot of schools screw up coach transitions and SMU has kept low key and is working with private donors COC to consider all options. The COC are to be thanked for the contributions and efforts. This COC money has been a life saver for SMU. I think continuing to bash the program, its leaders, and administrators is unfortunate and NOONE knows the facts behind the scenes.

Go Ponies! Merry Christmas..

5-7 win regular seasons don't get you to a Big 5 conference. A head coach that has not been to visit Cedar Hill nor Dallas Carter nor other local schools when other coaches have does not help recruiting.

[ojaipony]

Personally I think this is a way over reaction. We already knew an extension was out there. The only question was whether or not Jones was going to accept. We needed either for Jones to leave or to have an extension in order to be able to recruit at all, good or bad.

If it is, as was speculated, a 2 year with no buyout after this year, I think we are in about as good a position as we could be unless the CoC was willing to ante up $2 million which it does not appear they wanted to.

For those abandoning the program after today, I will gladly welcome you back when you return. We want your support. I for one was hoping for a change but now will support the team as I always have.

This ^.

SMU gave JJ leverage a long time ago. Most important than anything is that we start making moves to hire our new coach, although 2 years (even 1 year out) is a long time.

[ponyinNC]

IMO, SMU is well organized and has a plan

You lost me at this point.

Care to offer any evidence to support this claim? I just don't see it.

[Bergermeister]

I'll check back in 2 years from now when our new coach has to dig us out of the recruiting hole that Jones left him with.

You've been leaving for 2 weeks.

[StallionsModelT]

Gutless, cowardly, and utterly leaderless. That's how I would describe our athletic department leadership.

[SMUer]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rebel10]

SMU football coach June Jones has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him on the Hilltop through the 2017 season, Director of Athletics Rick Hart said Monday.

Jones led SMU to back-to-back Conference USA Western Division Co-Championships in 2009 and 2010, and guided the Mustangs to four straight bowl berths.

“I appreciate the opportunity to continue the work we began six years ago. There is no place I’d rather be than here at SMU,” Jones said. “I am proud of the progress we have made thus far, but many goals remain unfinished, including restoring SMU football’s championship tradition.”

“Coach Jones and his staff have successfully engineered our football program’s journey from relative obscurity to competitive relevance,” Hart said. “Under their direction, we have participated in a conference championship game a school-record four-consecutive bowl games. We look forward to partnering with Coach Jones as we now set our sights on the next phase of our rise to prominence: establishing SMU football as a championship program. Coach Jones and his staff share and embrace the high expectations for our program and the challenge of taking SMU football from good to great.”

Said SMU president R. Gerald Turner: “Athletics is and always will be an integral part of the SMU experience. As we take the next step in our quest to establish SMU football as a championship program, it will require increased effort from the entire university community, and I can affirm the campus-wide commitment to this goal.”

Except ASU?

[blackoutpony]

There's a joke about "rushing the field" somewhere in here

[Mustangs_Maroons]

I'm not sure why we're surprised. We all expected he would get an extension. Wish we could get the details on the contract, the buyout clause, etc. What I don't understand is how the COC could have agreed to an extension that pays him (what I can assume) will be the same $2mm salary moving forward until 2017.

When I met Hart in the NYC event, he seemed like a nice guy, but I could tell he doesn't believe SMU football will ever be better than where we are now. He has every excuse in the book for why we can't be successful. In short, he believes we're in the worst part possible (a small private school that is good academically but not great), so we can't compete against the public schools (UCF, Houston) and we can't compete against the top academic schools (Duke, NW, etc).

He is a "yes-man" for this administration. He is not an AD that will drive changes, but I don't think he was brought here to do that, unfortunately. We can whine and moan. Our attendance can't get any worse, can it? I believe we should focus on building ourselves as a basketball school while we wait until Jones decides to be merciful on us and leaves and then assess if it makes sense to continue having a football program. I genuinely believe we will continue to get worse each subsequent year, as has been the trend over the last few years.

[birddogger]

Personally I think this is a way over reaction. We already knew an extension was out there. The only question was whether or not Jones was going to accept. We needed either for Jones to leave or to have an extension in order to be able to recruit at all, good or bad.

If it is, as was speculated, a 2 year with no buyout after this year, I think we are in about as good a position as we could be unless the CoC was willing to ante up $2 million which it does not appear they wanted to.

For those abandoning the program after today, I will gladly welcome you back when you return. We want your support. I for one was hoping for a change but now will support the team as I always have.

This move makes financial sense for the AD. We don’t know what was discussed during negotiations and we don’t know what’s in the contract as far as salary, buy-out terms, incentives, 2nd-3rd year pay, etc. I’m sure it’s not lost on the administration or the monied supporters that SMU has recruited poorly. Perhaps there are requirements made to or commitments from JJ as to staff and recruiting and if there is no buy-out requirement for year 2 or 3, then this won't be the end of the world.

I will not turn my back on the program, but I am disappointed that this is a 3-year extension. My expectations are so low at this point that I can’t get excited about next year (or the next or the next).

Mrydel, I hope you are in good health. Take your vitamins and get plenty of exercise, you may be in for a long wait.

[feelthehorsepower]

June:

“I appreciate the opportunity to continue the work we began six years ago. There is no place I’d rather be than here at SMU,” Jones said. “I am proud of the progress we have made thus far, but many goals remain unfinished, including restoring SMU football’s championship tradition.”

Hart:

“Coach Jones and his staff have successfully engineered our football program’s journey from relative obscurity to competitive relevance,” Hart said. “Under their direction, we have participated in a conference championship game a school-record four-consecutive bowl games. We look forward to partnering with Coach Jones as we now set our sights on the next phase of our rise to prominence: establishing SMU football as a championship program. Coach Jones and his staff share and embrace the high expectations for our program and the challenge of taking SMU football from good to great.”

RGT:

Said SMU president R. Gerald Turner: “Athletics is and always will be an integral part of the SMU experience. As we take the next step in our quest to establish SMU football as a championship program, it will require increased effort from the entire university community, and I can affirm the campus-wide commitment to this goal.”

Here's my take: There's nothing we can do. June is already extended and we will have to live with it. No amount of [deleted] and moaning will change this. Let's make the best of it and take their word for it. At least all 3 have mentioned restoring our "Championship Tradition" and that is something that I will jump in the bandwagon with them if we are going to do it. However, I do believe we should push Hart to reinstate the coach happy hours and the luncheons...If June is staying he needs to connect with our campus and with our community. Larry Brown has done a tremendous job with Basketball, so if June is what we have for Football, we have to stand behind him and do our part to increase our attendance and get our students/alumni/community to go.

ARE YOU IN OR OUT? I'm in for my school and our football program and look forward to seeing us improve these next few years.

PS: I think I owe two SOBs here some drinks...