History indicates Jones may not be coach at end of game against Razorbacks

Red Wolves head coach clearly disagrees with Hogs' Sam Pittman on value of Hogs facing ASU

Arkansas State Red Wolves head coach Butch Jones gestures during the first half against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Centennial Bank Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As odd as it may sound, by the time the final whistle blows at War Memorial Stadium, Arkansas State coach Butch Jones may being coach somewhere else.

It's happened before and the state of Arkansas was indirectly involved.

According to Jones during his appearance on the Chuck and Bo Show this morning, the last time he coached a game against the Razorbacks was as an assistant to legendary SEC coach Nick Saban at Alabama.

Arkansas State Red Wolves coach Butch Jones complains about an offside call on an onside kick as they face the Northern Illinois Huskies during the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

He had a fellow staffer on the phone negotiating him a finalized deal to become the head coach at Arkansas State and had accepted the job before the game ended, putting him in a bit of an awkward position.

Afterward, he went into the locker room to let Saban know what he had done, then made his way to a nearby airport to catch a ride to Jonesboro while his Crimson Tide players and fellow coaches took a plane back to Tuscaloosa.

"I believe it was the last game of the year and I was actually coaching receivers and the guy who ran recruiting for me at Tennessee, who's now at Alabama, he's got my pone and he's negotiating my contract as the game's going on," Jones said. " I will never forget that game and going in the locker room after to tell Coach Saban I had accepted the job."

However, one thing Jones wasn't shy about is his desire to continue playing Arkansas if there is a chance to make it happen at all should he make it through the game without landing another job.

"We've had to go on the road at the University of Michigan," Jones said. "We've had to go on the road at Ohio State. We've had to go on the road at Oklahoma, you know. We've been, we've been in those big venues, but to be able to play our in state school and to play an SEC opponent.

“I do [want to keep playing it]. I think, you know, it's keeping everything in state. I think it's great for our fan bases, and, again, I understand where Arkansas is coming from too."

Still, if Arkansas decides this should be a special one-off meeting to honor War Memorial Stadium as the Hogs depart, Jones completely gets it.

"I also understand, you know, what's going through, Coach Pittman's {mind], and you know all the things that you go through," Jones said. "I've been on both sides of it, so I think I have a pretty good perspective of the game. But I think just for the entire state of Arkansas and for the health of college football in our state, I think it's extremely healthy. "

The only thing he doesn't like about playing Arkansas is how little notoriety the game is getting. It's not even on actual television as the once in history moment has been relegated to ESPN+ on streaming.

"I wish really what was going on in the state really got more national attention," Jones said. "If you really think about it, it's the first time that these two great schools have ever played.

“It may be like Coach Pittman talked about, it may be maybe the only time. Who knows? But, we're also playing it in our state capital. When you look at the landscape of college football right now with conference expansion and all different things that are going on, a lot of these natural type vicinity games have kind of gone away, and I think it is great for the entire state of Arkansas."

The one thing that he doesn't appear to expect to experience is a rivalry type atmosphere with his team. His roster boasts around a dozen players from Arkansas and not all are guaranteed to make the travel squad.

In fact, not only are they lacking Arkansas players, the large majority of those who will travel will be setting out for Little Rock for their first time ever.

Over half have barely had time to unpack their bags and figure out how to get to Wal-Mart in Jonesboro.

"We have 72 newcomers that weren't even involved in our program last year, and about 45 of them weren't even in spring football," Jones said. "We've really had to focus on, you know, continuing to build our culture, continue to build our connection, really what our DNA is going to be about.

“With this football team, every day is a new learning experience. And we had the Little Rock, we'll have a travel party of about 80 and 55 of them have never made the trip before."

Despite all this, it's still a big pseudo road game for the Red Wolves. It's a chance to get pumped up to play an SEC school in front of a slightly larger crowd than they will see throughout the year at home in Jonesboro, which is valuable.

"The situation's changed," Jones said. "It's you're staying in a different hotel that you're not used to. You can feel the energy. You're playing in the stadium that you've never been in before, and then you're playing in front of a sold-out crowd, and all that that goes into it.

“The maturity of a football team, the wisdom of a football team, and then really your overall preparation of what it takes to play winning football. You know, not just when you get to the game site or get to Little Rock, but throughout the course of a week."

The Hogs and Red Wolves will kick off at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and SECN+. Fans can hear the game on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-MOuntain Home.

For those wishing to see the full interview with Jones, please click below.

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— The Chuck & Bo Show (@chuckandboshow) September 4, 2025