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Hire Butch Jones

ShovelMan66

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Jun 29, 2017
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Put all our eggs in that basket. Hope the new AD can get this guy. If Sumlin won't come, Jones is our man.
 
He's not coaching anywhere.

"Contrary to reports from some outlets, Tennessee will honor the terms of Jones’ current contract and pay him the full buyout on the deal, according to the letter. That means Tennessee will pay Jones approximately $8.2 million, but that figure will be mitigated by any salary Jones earns from his next job.

Jones will be paid in monthly installments until Feb, 28, 2021, according to the terms of his current deal with the university."
 
He won three straight bowl games and was fired after one losing season. Some Universities don't accept mediocrity.
 
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If we had SEC money we could fire our coach for winning by 20 instead of 21. Name one G5 university that fired their football coach after winning three straight bowls and producing one losing season?
 
If we had SEC money we could fire our coach for winning by 20 instead of 21. Name one G5 university that fired their football coach after winning three straight bowls and producing one losing season?

Here are some variations of coaches who were fired or forced out:

Mack Brown (fired after losing season and thee straight bowl appearan

Phillip Fulmer (one losing season, two bowl appearances, one losing season)

Bobby Bowden (won bowl games in last 3/4 years)

Larry Coker (won Nation Championship, Rose Bowl, and 2 other bowls in 4/6 years)

Mike Leach (made a bowl game in every year he coached at Texas Tech)

Les Miles (made a bowl game in every year he coached at LSU)

Frank Solich (made a bowl game in every year he coaches at Nebraska)

Mike Shula (fired after going to bowl games 3/4 years)

Mark Richt (made a bowl game in 15 straight seasons at Georgia)

Lloyd Carr
 
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Ok great. All those universities have cartel money. UTEP can’t even afford to pay a coach $800,000 as you have claimed in the past. Still the question stands. Name one G5 university that has fired a coach after three bowl wins for producing one losing season?
 
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Ok great. All those universities have cartel money. UTEP can’t even afford to pay a coach $800,000 as you have claimed in the past. Still the question stands. Name one G5 university that has fired a coach after three bowl wins for producing one losing season?

Wait, didn't you say UTEP can pay (but chooses not to pay) a coach $1 million or am I wrong?

Those are all great coaches who were fired, whether they won 2 straight or 3 straight bowl games. Some didn't even have a losing season at the end and still got fired.

The fact is UTEP accepts mediocrity.
 
This doesn't fit into the narrative, but Mario Cristobal was fired at FIU in 2012 after two straight bowl appearances (one win) and one losing season at the end. At UTEP he would have received a 5 year extension.

Ruffin McNeill is another one. Made bowl in 4/7 season at East Carolina and won one bowl game. He would be a legend at UTEP.
 
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Name one G5 university that fired their football coach after winning three straight bowls and producing one losing season?


Gary Moeller won 4 bowl games in 5 years at Michigan.

Tracy Claeys was at Minnesota for 2 years and was fired after winning 2 bowl games.

Pretty close, but Gerry DiNardo was fired after 3 straight bowl wins and 2 straight losing seasons.

Jim Leavitt was fired after going to bowl game in 5 straight seasons and winning his last two in a row.
 
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Yes I did say that if UTEP wanted to they could afford a football coach in the $800,000 - 1 million range. This is the kind of name I’ve been asking for. A proven established coach not some up and coming might win might fizzle out assistant.

I don’t think you know what a G5 is.
 
Yes I did say that if UTEP wanted to they could afford a football coach in the $800,000 - 1 million range. This is the kind of name I’ve been asking for. A proven established coach not some up and coming might win might fizzle out assistant.

I don’t think you know what a G5 is.


uhhh Here we go again that UTEP can afford to pat a coach $1 million if they wanted to. :rolleyes:

Didn't even see your G5 comment and missed it, but it doesn't take away from the fact that UTEP accept mediocrity.
 
How bout someone name the only school in FBS that kept their coach for 7 straight losing seasons during the middle of realignment? Not only was this coach not "fired", he retired instead.

Now this school plays in a conference where it is 1 of 4 teams that was not in 1AA or didn't even have a team 25 years ago. Can someone this school?
 
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A proven established coach not some up and coming might win might fizzle out assistant.

So if UTEP hires that type of coach will they be winning a bowl game next year, the year after that, winning conference championships?
 
So if UTEP hires that type of coach will they be winning a bowl game next year, the year after that, winning conference championships?
I’m not a fortune teller but it will speed up the process and send a message that El Paso will take football seriously.

You’re right UTEP does accept mediocrity that’s why we have one of the lowest paid football HC in the entire nation. Some FCS coaches made more than SK.
 
I’m not a fortune teller but it will speed up the process and send a message that El Paso will take football seriously.

You’re right UTEP does accept mediocrity that’s why we have one of the lowest paid football HC in the entire nation. Some FCS coaches made more than SK.

So let's say we pay a coach $3 million over three years and they have zero bowl appearances. Then what?

See, this is why I'm not in favor of this. If paying big money won't help, then will we go back to paying what we pay now? I say hire a young assistant and rebuild instead. I really don't think, even if we pay $1 million, anything will be fixed quickly. I actually like what Doug Martin is doing at NMSU. It took time, but it looks like they are finally turning a corner.

Without taking money away from other sports, where is this $1 million to come from? Which proven, established coach do you think will actually want to coach at UTEP?
 
So let's say we pay a coach $3 million over three years and they have zero bowl appearances. Then what?

See, this is why I'm not in favor of this. If paying big money won't help, then will we go back to paying what we pay now? I say hire a young assistant and rebuild instead. I really don't think, even if we pay $1 million, anything will be fixed quickly. I actually like what Doug Martin is doing at NMSU. It took time, but it looks like they are finally turning a corner.

Without taking money away from other sports, where is this $1 million to come from? Which proven, established coach do you think will actually want to coach at UTEP?
Doug Martin is a horrible example. For one he is not a young assistant. They had four straight seasons of not winning more than three games. Even this year is not guaranteed they hit .500.

Without taking money away from other sports then the money comes from a good AD fundraising. The excitement of hiring a proven coach should automatically result in more sold season tickets and donations.

I’m not sure which established coach would want to come coach here. The F_U’s convinced good coaches to take over their problematic programs.

The title of the thread is “Hire Butch Jones” why don’t you attack the OP and tell him how delusional he is.
 
He won three straight bowl games and was fired after one losing season. Some Universities don't accept mediocrity.
That doesn't matter. Making a bowl game takes 6 wins. Tennesee wants SEC titles and national championships. There was no progression and the Vols are having a down year therefore he will be let go.

UTEP is shooting to win its mid major conference and get to a bowl game and win a bowl game. You are comparing apples to oranges and please don't say that I accept mediocrity because I don't. UTEP would probably never fire their coach after 3 straight bowl games just because of a down season. Now having multiple down seasons and losing out on progression is different. I agree with you there 100% and that mentality needs to change if UTEP ever wants to have a chance at something great.
 
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I'm telling u I think it's Keeler from SHS been saying it since the start, it won't be a head coach from a Power 5 I don't believe at least.
 
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I'm telling u I think it's Keeler from SHS been saying it since the start, it won't be a head coach from a Power 5 I don't believe at least.
Any coach that has won over 200 games is ok in my book. Wish we would have hired Fritz instead of Kugler last time around.
 
Doug Martin is a horrible example. For one he is not a young assistant. They had four straight seasons of not winning more than three games. Even this year is not guaranteed they hit .500.

Not at all. NMSU was in far worse shape than UTEP and won't even be in a conference next year. Now the tables have turned.

You want to spend $1 million. I say no and pay what we pay now and see what happens. Hire a young assistant, hire somebody like Doug Martin, whatever. I just want progression.
 
That doesn't matter. Making a bowl game takes 6 wins. Tennesee wants SEC titles and national championships. There was no progression and the Vols are having a down year therefore he will be let go.

UTEP is shooting to win its mid major conference and get to a bowl game and win a bowl game. You are comparing apples to oranges and please don't say that I accept mediocrity because I don't. UTEP would probably never fire their coach after 3 straight bowl games just because of a down season. Now having multiple down seasons and losing out on progression is different. I agree with you there 100% and that mentality needs to change if UTEP ever wants to have a chance at something great.

I agree with you. The comment was above was mostly said in jest.
 
Not at all. NMSU was in far worse shape than UTEP and won't even be in a conference next year. Now the tables have turned.

You want to spend $1 million. I say no and pay what we pay now and see what happens. Hire a young assistant, hire somebody like Doug Martin, whatever. I just want progression.
So basically keep doing the same thing but expect different results. Got you.
 
Nope, just hire a football version of Tony Barbee, Billy Gillipie, or Doc Sadler.

If progress can be made at NMSU I know the same thing can be done here.
I wouldn’t call 14-43 progress. We just fired a coach for going 18-36.

You want to hire another Lee, Nord, Kugler type of coach. Cuz all those projects failed already.
 
I wouldn’t call 14-43 progress. We just fired a coach for going 18-36.

You want to hire another Lee, Nord, Kugler type of coach. Cuz all those projects failed already.

Currently being 4-5 at NMSU is progress. Just a short time ago they were worse off than we were. Now we are 0-10 and NMSU will probably be bowling this year. NMSU has passed us in basketball and is now doing the same thing with football.

Gary Nord won a conference championship in his first year and would have done fine if he stayed longer. He didn't fail miserably.

I want to hire somebody who is hungry for a head coaching gig, like the 3 former UTEP basketball coaches I stated above. I want progress. I want winning seasons. I want to win a bowl game.
 
Currently being 4-5 at NMSU is progress. Just a short time ago they were worse off than we were. Now we are 0-10 and NMSU will probably be bowling this year. NMSU has passed us in basketball and is now doing the same thing with football.

Gary Nord won a conference championship in his first year and would have done fine if he stayed longer. He didn't fail miserably.

I want to hire somebody who is hungry for a head coaching gig, like the 3 former UTEP basketball coaches I stated above. I want progress. I want winning seasons. I want to win a bowl game.
Nord did kind of fail miserably. That bowl team was a hold over of his recruiting under Bailey regime. Would be seniors went to Stull and said "Hire Nord or we walk!". So Stull hired him.

Funny thing with seniors; you can't sign them to new contracts. Palmer was a pup and was so so under Nords' pro set, I formation. Players were caught playing on their cell phones on sidelined. Lost to Cal Poly and so on and so on.
 
Nord did kind of fail miserably. That bowl team was a hold over of his recruiting under Bailey regime. Would be seniors went to Stull and said "Hire Nord or we walk!". So Stull hired him.

Funny thing with seniors; you can't sign them to new contracts. Palmer was a pup and was so so under Nords' pro set, I formation. Players were caught playing on their cell phones on sidelined. Lost to Cal Poly and so on and so on.

Nord won off Bailey's players and Price won off of Nord's players. The fact is at least they won. Kugler put UTEP in a position it hasn't been in for many years. Kugler failed miserably.

I wouldn't say winning a conference championship (the first in 44 years) makes you a failure.
 
Who cares who won with who's players. Nord won and Price won. UTEP needs to act fast and hire the new coach. 0 commits and we're looking at another winless season. NAU is Top 25 in FCS and the later the coach is hired, the greater chance UTEP loses that game.
 
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Ummm, well yes and no. Nord recruited well under Bailey. What Nord would do is recruit under the radar players: Undersized, not noticed players from unkown Texas and Cali (So. Cal) areas because he knew a young player was still growing and not polished. He would then groom them to the position he felt they would be good in. Thomas Howard is a good example. Howard was undersized and asked to walk on out of Lubbock. He was that small but Nord saw his potential. He grew into a beast of a linebacker. The rest is history.

Then Nord became HC. Those he recruited were under him and UTEP did make a bowl. They then graduated and the years after that saw no progress. You want to see progress.
 
Ummm, well yes and no. Nord recruited well under Bailey. What Nord would do is recruit under the radar players: Undersized, not noticed players from unkown Texas and Cali (So. Cal) areas because he knew a young player was still growing and not polished. He would then groom them to the position he felt they would be good in. Thomas Howard is a good example. Howard was undersized and asked to walk on out of Lubbock. He was that small but Nord saw his potential. He grew into a beast of a linebacker. The rest is history.

Then Nord became HC. Those he recruited were under him and UTEP did make a bowl. They then graduated and the years after that saw no progress. You want to see progress.

That doesn't sound like somebody who failed miserably.

I would be happy with a conference championship and then three losing seasons. If Nord coached UTEP in 2004 and beyond I have no doubt he would have done the same, or better, than Price.

I want progress. I don't want to go 0-12. I want to win a bowl game, a conference championship.
 
If UTEP goes with retreads it better be a Sumlin type coach. La Tech had success with Holtz so there is validity in the former HC of FBS schools scenario because there is so much at play from where the former HC came from. Strong at USF has shown that.
 
While we're dreaming --

I'd like Jimmy Johnson to coach at UTEP. He had a lousy ending in the NFL and would probably love to start over. He won a national championship 30 years ago.

If not him how about Barry Switzer? He ran a loose ship, but had great success winning 3 national titles running the wishbone. He's a proven winner.

No? What about Jim Tressel? He's probably bored of that administration job and wants to get back on the field! He'd love to move to El Paso and build a program!

Is it possible to get Steve Spurrier out of retirement? Maybe he'll like it here because we have similar colors to UF.

I hear Hugh Freeze is out there! I loved The Blind Side!
 
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A few thoughts:

Gary Nord was a good recruiter for a school like UTEP. While the whole "taking pictures of the recruits with their shirts off" thing drew ridicule at the time, the success of the players he recruited proves that he was adept at finding under the radar talent. Had he stayed, however, I strongly doubt that he would have had the same success that Price had his first couple of years. By the time Nord left he had completely lost the respect of his team. The team that Price inherited was energized to be playing for the new coach, and would have run through a wall for him. Nord ended up being a good recruiter, but poor head coach.

I was not here for the Bailey tenure, as I was living in San Diego at the time, but from afar it did not seem that the Bailey years were as bleak as they are painted out to be. It's true that he never had a winning season, but his last two or three teams were competitive, and he came real close to being bowl eligible his final year here. Were it not for an uncharacteristic fumble in the red zone by Paul Smith, and a decision to go for 2 that backfired, against Fresno State, his final season would have looked a little different. Also, I think that one other thing hampered him that season - the two headed quarterback system of his OC, Gary Nord. I firmly believe that if we had stuck with a full time QB - either Stuckey or Perez - we would have had a winning season that year. Switching the starting QB every quarter never truly allowed either one of them to get into a rhythm. While I don't believe that Nord would have had the same success in 2004 that Price did, I do believe that Bailey would have had the same success in 2000 that Nord did.

Typically a school will use one of the following options to hire a new coach:
- promote from within (typically only used when the team is successful, not an option here)
- hire a proven coach from a smaller school
- hire a hot shot coordinator from a bigger school

The Price hire was unique, where, because of the scandal, we were able to hire a proven coach from a bigger school. At the time I, like most, thought that it was a brilliant hire. Unfortunately this proved not to be the case.

I am personally fine with either the second or third option listed above. As others have said, it is important that whomever we hire be able to recruit. I will add a caveat: whomever we hire has to be a proven recruiter to a school like UTEP. It is hard to lure away highly regarded recruits from the other Texas schools, the Oklahoma schools, the Arizona schools, and the southern California schools, all of whom compete for recruits from the same areas that we do. We need a coach that has had success both in sometimes being able to out-recruit the bigger schools, and in being able to find the under the radar talent. These types of recruiters are out there, we need to hire one.

Finally, one thing that we need to avoid is hiring a position coach. There are, no doubt, several position coaches that will make fine head coaches. However, if they haven't at least been a coordinator before, it is difficult to know how successful they are at being a leader and being able to delegate authority to subordinate coaches. We can't afford another gamble like we took with Kugler.
 
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