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3.23.2010

Another coach enters the search

Hey everyone. Auburn's search for a new basketball coach is beginning to take shape.

We know, courtesy of the Denton (Texas) Record-Chronicle, that North Texas coach Johnny Jones has been contacted and is expected to interview for the Tigers' gig this week.

I haven't yet been able to confirm this on the record, but we believe Jones will be on campus Thursday for an interview. He will be the first candidate to meet face-to-face with athletic director Jay Jacobs.

So who is this guy?

Here's what UNT has been doing ...

2000-01: 4-24 (year before he arrived)
2001-02: 15-14
2002-03: 14-17
2003-04: 13-15, 8-8
2004-05: 14-14, 6-9
2005-06: 14-14, 6-9
2006-07: 23-11 10-8 (made NCAAs)
2007-08: 20-11, 10-8
2008-09: 20-12, 11-7
2009-10: 24-9, 13-5 (made NCAAs)

Jones is 47 years old. He played at LSU from 1980-84. He also coached under Dale Brown and played a significant role during the days of Shaquille O'Neal, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Randy Livingston. He spent time as an assistant at Memphis prior to John Calipari's arrival and spent the 2000-01 season as an assistant at Alabama.

What can we glean from his record? There are two explanations. One is that he's a decent mid-major coach who occasionally takes a team loaded with experience and challenges for an NCAA bid. Call it Jeff Lebo Syndrome.

The other is that Jones is a guy who needed a few years to learn how to build teams and now has reached a certain level of celestial understanding. He has at least 20 wins in each of his last four seasons, which is significant given the UNT context.

Which is it? I really don't know.

106 Comments:

Blogger Seanzie said...

Yo

9:57 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

A nice guy to interview ... but not hire.

9:58 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

YO YO MA

9:58 AM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

I'm with Jet on this one, though that's what I believed about Lebo in 2004.

9:58 AM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

plays the cello.

9:58 AM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

I'm sure all these names are good and all, I'm expecting out of nowhere, Chizik style.

9:59 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

Cincy, you going to support the Tigers tonight in Bammerham?

9:59 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

Jay G ... I'll say that I have a little more confidence in those running the search today than when Lebo was hired. The handling of Mike Anderson was, as Michael might says, "poopcoolerish."

9:59 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Wonder if there will be more UAB or UNC fans at Bartow Arena tonight?

I will not be wearing green.

10:02 AM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Jet, I think that's fair.

I'm not a Hal Baird fan or basher, but he is (and was) too nice to handle a coaching search. Lebo was a poor choice. Slater was a poor choice. Nell was an outstanding choice, but I'll chalk that up to serendipity.

10:05 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

'serendipity'.... good Cusack movie.

10:05 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This guy doesn't seem any more impressive than the Dude. Whoever they hire, I'll support him, but this doesn't seem like a significant upgrade.

10:06 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

...as far as chick-flicks go anyhow.

10:06 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

I may be wrong, but I've always thought that Big Ed screwed up the Mike Anderson deal.

10:06 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Scottie...

I need to ask you something. What would be the best way to get in touch with you?

10:07 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

uh-oh, a bammer wants to ask me something. this could be trouble!

*click arnold
*click email
*email scottie

:)

10:08 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

An idea for Scott Chocolate, the Auburn coaching search chocolates. With chocolates resembling each candidate, feel free to eat them as they are eliminated.

10:08 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Note: Which coach chocolates contain nuts and which contain fruit filling will not be revealed until you eat them.

10:11 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

LOL. Email sent.

10:11 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

In related news, UA's appeal to the latest NCAA thing was denied today. Shula is still "close"....and winless against AU.

10:12 AM  
Blogger Norm said...

To me that means a loss by UAT today. That in itself makes today a good day in my mind.

10:18 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Shula was just misunderstood. He was one of my favorite Alabama coaches.

10:20 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

yup, Shula & Curry. love those guys.

10:22 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Don't forget Dubose and the screen pass from hell. That has to be one of the greatest moments in Iron Bowl history.

10:26 AM  
Blogger Loganville Tiger said...

Great Day!! - Just dropped my SEC Championship ticket renewal form in the mail. I struck thru the "Western Division" preference and wrote in "Auburn Section". Here's hoping (praying) my selection comes to pass.

10:29 AM  
Blogger IV said...

Doesn't sound like that this is the man.

10:35 AM  
Blogger michael said...

Did scottie B really say serendipity was a good movie earlier? 1) It's a chick flick, where are your balls man? 2) I don't know that a chick flick has made me more angry than that movie, and I still remember how mad it made me 10 years later.

10:44 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

Serendipity = Poopcoolerish.

10:46 AM  
Blogger Norm said...

MJT - it didn't bother me a bit because I've never seen it and never will. So, mine are right where they're supposed to be.

10:46 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

Jay G ...

A theory/question: my sense is that when Hal Baird was running the hoops search he was more symptomatic of an overall problem. Auburn flat out didn't understand basketball, and perhaps it has a better understanding today because of the Lebo experience.

10:48 AM  
Blogger Quitstina said...

It's no Hugh Fidelity.

10:49 AM  
Blogger michael said...

Indeed, watching Serendipity made me more angry than if I had opened my cooler to find human poop.

10:49 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Loganville,

If it doesn't work out, I'll buy the tickets from you next year.. :-p

10:51 AM  
Blogger Loganville Tiger said...

*click Me
*click email
*email LT


Works pretty much the same way Faker!!

You can have first dibs - if you meet the reserve on eBay that is ;-)

10:54 AM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Someone send FSJ a digital slap.

Perhaps Apple could make such a product and call it iSlap. It has a better ring to it than iPad.

Poopcoolerish-great word, brings a smile to my face.

10:56 AM  
Blogger Emmett said...

How far has our basketball program fallen? Are we really trying to steal a guy from North Texas?
What if he turns us down...do we go after the waterboy from Tulane?

10:57 AM  
Blogger Tar Heel Tiger said...

football tomorrow!!! why are you folks talking basketball?

10:57 AM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Emmett, where did the program start? I'm not sure it's fallen that far. ;)

10:57 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

High Fidelity is by far the best.

sorry MJT. considering most of the crap i am subjected to by mrs. scottie, Cusack movies are the better ones.

10:57 AM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

I'm all about discussing other sports, THT, but spring football is just a tease. I did check out some minor league hockey on Saturday and I had a blast.

10:58 AM  
Blogger j-z said...

Tsk Tsk... Better off Dead is the go to Cusack movie.

11:02 AM  
Blogger Emmett said...

Seanzie -
I still like to think we are higher than this.
Also,
Did you see that the FA denied Vermaelen's red card appeal. So he is out for Arsenal's game in Birmingham.

11:05 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Emmett, remember that we snatched Pat Dye away from Wyoming.

11:09 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

jz beat me to the punch. Better Off Dead is it.

11:09 AM  
Blogger Quitstina said...

I agree, Better Off Dead and, since I am a chick, I have to throw Say Anything in there as well.

11:10 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

One Crazy Summer is 2nd

11:12 AM  
Blogger j-z said...

I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

11:16 AM  
Blogger j-z said...

ehyou's just saying that because Demi Moore is in One Crazy Summer.

11:17 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

I want my two dollars!

11:20 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

Emmett ... if I were hiring, you'd be cussing me because I'm inclined to hire the coach from IUPUI.

11:21 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

Cusack's character, Hoops McCann, is mentioned in the Steely Dan song Glamour Profession....for whatever that's worth.

11:21 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

My dog spit out her pills when I gave them to her, so I coated them in peanut butter. She swallowed them both. Hooray.

11:21 AM  
Blogger Jay 'W. not Tate' said...

I don't keep up with basketball near as much as football--I was always a basketball player growing up and nearly went to play in college, but the game has transformed into something I'm not fond of. The skill of shooting, ball handling, and systems has been tossed in favor of pure athleticism/dunking and blatant disregard for the most simple rules of the game.

Anyway, hence, I've posted very little, but I have been reading and keeping up.

With that said, I'm with Jet and Jay G here...this doesn't seem like the hire AU needs. I don't think Tubby is the hire we need either. I can only hope Jay J. can find a common middle ground that works. We need to open that arena with a BANG!

11:22 AM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Interesting.

11:22 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

i had no idea there were such strong feelings for John Cusack in this arena.

congrats PF. peanut butter always does the trick in my house!

11:22 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

This is pure snow! Do you have any idea what the street value of this mountain is?

11:23 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

What about 1408?

It does have the bonus of America's greatest actor, Samuel L. Jackson.

11:24 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

If you shove the pills far enough down their throat, they can't spit them out.

11:25 AM  
Blogger Emmett said...

Jet I am a Ron Hunter Fan...I would be happy to hire him.

11:26 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

I read the book, but never saw the movie. I'd like to.

11:26 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

PF, get pill pockets. You can get them at Petsmart and they make give dogs pills easy.

11:27 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

...or I could just coat them in peanut butter, which I already have, and which apparently works. Geez.

11:30 AM  
Blogger Harrison said...

Or you could get those pill pockets

11:31 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Peanut butter isn't exactly dog food. Pill pockets make it simple and dogs love them.

11:32 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

Or I could shove my finger way down her throat so that she hates me and runs when the pills come out.

11:32 AM  
Blogger j-z said...

Or you could do what I do and just take the pills yourself. No worms here.

11:33 AM  
Blogger Jet said...

Or you could shoot your dog.

11:34 AM  
Blogger j-z said...

Yeah, there's that option too.

11:34 AM  
Blogger Norm said...

If you shoot the dog, be sure to cover her in peanut butter first. Once that's done and she's been shot, YOU swallow the pill pocket you got from PetSmart.

11:36 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

Dogs love peanut butter. Most of her favorite treats that I spend big money on are 90% peanut butter. My vet says peanut butter is fine as dog food. Are you a vet?

11:36 AM  
Blogger michael said...

PF, you should get pill pockets.

11:36 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

I have been trying to teach her to play dead with the shotgun app on my phone. Shooting her may be easy.

11:38 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

I recommend suppositories.

11:38 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

If I get pill pockets, I'm going to buy the expired ones off of Amazon.

11:39 AM  
Blogger Norm said...

ehyou - do you coat them in peanut butter and do they taste better than pill pockets?

11:39 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

What if I give her a suppository, and she just poops it out. Do they make pill pockets for that end? Should I coat the suppositories in peanut butter to make them stick.

11:41 AM  
Blogger michael said...

Only creamy peanut butter, PF. Crunchy is considered animal abuse.

11:42 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

I need a Flugtag team. It's on my bucket list, and this summer actually works well for me. Miami July 10. Anyone want to join my awesome team? I'm thinking we could make a giant pill pocket or something.

11:43 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

Norm...
They're awful, I don't know why they can't make them taste better.

11:44 AM  
Blogger ehyou said...

That's funny PF. I saw the tour was going to be in Miami and I wondered if you were planning to enter.

11:44 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

11:48 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

If I can get a team together, I very much want to. It really has been on my bucket list (in writing) for a long time. Well, it reads "Compete in a Red Bull sponsored event: Flugtag, AirRace, or SoapBox." I'm guessing I'm not going to ever make the the Air Race, and Flugtag seems like more fun than Soap Box, so I'm considering going for it.

11:49 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

soooo..... 2010 HABOTN FLUGTAG TEAM?

11:50 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

Does that mean you're in, Scottie? We'll probably just need a weekend to build it (why spend more time than that for something that we're just going to throw in the ocean and destroy).

11:53 AM  
Blogger j-z said...

Can suppositories fly?

11:58 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

I saw a peanut stand, heard a rubber band,
And seen a needle wink its eye
But I be done seen about everything
When I see a suppository fly

12:00 PM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

PEANUT BUTTER...

12:02 PM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

BEASLEY!

12:02 PM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

sounds fun PF, but i see no way i can make it to miami. thanks for the invite, though.

12:02 PM  
Blogger Norm said...

I had to Google Flugtag. Looks like a perfect excuse for drinking. I think they held a soapbox event last summer at Piedmont Park in ATL, but since it was raining and about 30 minutes away from me I didn't go watch.

12:06 PM  
Blogger Harrison said...

i can't build anything, but i can drink a lot

12:10 PM  
Blogger Loganville Tiger said...

Same here Norm - I had no clue what FlugTag was/is.

12:16 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

I don't think there's anything flugtaggian enough to get me airborne.

12:22 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

That record does seem very Leboish.

12:24 PM  
Blogger Quitstina said...

I see we are back to being the Randomest Auburn Blog on the Net.

12:26 PM  
Blogger ehyou said...

Evidently Jacobs will also interview Bob Marlin of Sam Houston State.

12:27 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Wasn't Sam Houston State one of the nobodies that beat us last season?

12:32 PM  
Blogger Norm said...

Zookeeper, I'm not necessarily saying the randomness is your fault but you haven't been around to keep us in check for awhile. So, yeah, maybe I am gonna blame you.

12:32 PM  
Blogger Quitstina said...

I don't mind. Blame me. I love random.

12:33 PM  
Blogger Norm said...

The little voices inside my head continue to disagree over what to set fire to first.

12:37 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

If the football search is a worthy guide, then we will see a few interviewees, then a name will emerge from nowhere, interview the next day and be hired the following day. That person has likely been identified.

12:49 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

Norm ... the voices are saying to light AE's arrow, so he can shoot it into roof of your biology teacher.

12:50 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

New thread UPZ. This happened while I was at lunch. Bummer.

12:53 PM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

HE SAID NEW THREAD UPZ.

12:56 PM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

what'd he say?

1:06 PM  
Blogger Tar Heel Tiger said...

He who?

11:27 AM  

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