CMU Head Coach Butch Jones High on Several Teams’ WISH LIST

SpartanNation.com has learned, via sources at two schools, that CMU Coach Butch Jones is on the list of candidates for head coaching positions at two schools.

 

Marshall, in West Virginia, is now open and according to a source close to the program, “He is a great candidate. He knows West Virginia having coached here at WVU. He is incredibly successful and many of the WVU faithful want him to be their next coach. To get a great coach and have the chance to take him from your chief rival would be a great hire for us.”

 

Louisville also is open, and according to a source in the program he has all the “qualities” they are searching for. “He has the out of state recruiting connections. All you have to do is look at all of the Florida guys he somehow got to come to Mt. Pleasant. He can develop talent that other BCS schools don’t want and then beat them with it. At our school he won’t have to go fundraise for the essentials and all he would need to do is coach football.”

 

Jones should he a hot commodity. That is why about ten days ago, before his name was known to be on any short list, the CMU administration tried to head off his departure at the pass. They presented an “initial” offer according to a source in the President’s office at CMU. Although initial was exactly what it was, CMU needs Jones and they need to step to the pump and get the deal done. In fact, it was a poor attempt in my opinion.

 

Losing Jones to a Louisville or other BCS school is one thing. CMU shouldn’t be expected to compete financially with those schools. To lose Jones to Marshall would infuriate a fan base that has expanded and been developed to some of the best numbers in the program’s history.

 

Not only is Jones on the clock, but the Chippewas are also. Jones isn’t looking to jump. He loves the school and the administration. However, he can’t turn down a large sum of money. Coaching at CMU certainly gives a man a nice living. You can’t, however, think he would turn down a once in a lifetime job that would set he and his family for life.

 

According to sources at another MAC school, and confirmed via other sources, Jones is paid near the lower middle of MAC coaches (sixth) with a buyout at the very top. This is a fact that should embarrass CMU, and one I fully expect them to fix. Their “initial” offer would have only taken Jones from the sixth to the fifth spot as far as MAC coach salary and left his buyout at the top of the MAC.

 

I can understand them wanting his buyout to be at the top. I can’t understand them not wanting to pay him like it. Maybe they should remember what times were like under Mike DeBord as far as crowds and revenue and reconsider.

 

Losing Jones to a BCS school is nothing that should anger the CMU faithful. Losing him to Marshall would be an embarrassment. I fully expect CMU AD Dave Heeke not to lose Jones to a Marshall.