CINCINNATI—When Butch Jones’ favorite all-time high school football team—Saugatuck—was playing in its first state championship game the day after Thanksgiving, the first-year University of Cincinnati head football coach wasn’t found anywhere near Ford Field in Detroit.
However, his two oldest sons were.
“Alex (14) and Adam (10) were at the game,” Jones said in a recent telephone call to this writer. “They went to the game with some friends.”
Jones’ two oldest sons (youngest son Andrew was at home with Butch’s wife and their mother, Barb) were probably not rooting for the Indians.
“They went to school at (Mt. Pleasant) Sacred Heart when I was coaching at Central (Michigan University),” Jones noted.
Jones was thrilled with the coaching job that Bill Dunn has done at Saugatuck.
“Bill has done a great job,” Jones said. “It’s great to see the success the program is having.”
Jones, who followed Brian Kelly not only to CMU but also to Cincinnati, chuckled when he heard that some local Saugatuck followers wondered if Notre Dame would be his next coaching stop.
“I’m very happy where I’m at and I know Kelly is very happy to be where he’s at,” Jones said.
Jones was the wide receivers’ coach under former University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia. Jones doesn’t expect Rodriguez, who was fired at U-M to be without a job for very long.
“Rich will probably take a year off, but he’ll be back coaching somewhere before you know it,” Jones said. “He’s a good coach and it won’t take him that long to get another job.”
Jones also thinks highly of Michigan’s new head coach, Brady Hoke.
“(Hoke) will do a good job at Michigan,” Jones said. “He’s highly thought of. I know him well.”
Jones did not enjoy immediate success at Cincinnati like Kelly did, going 4-8. There was a big reason for that.
“We had a total of 27 surgeries,” Jones said. “That’s the most surgeries we’ve ever had in all my years of coaching.”Jones, whose team plays in the Big East, couldn’t help but note that the Big Ten Conference did not win any bowl games on New Year’s Day.
“The Big Ten is still regarded as one of the toughest conferences in the country,” Jones said. “However, our conference is a lot better than it’s probably given credit for.”
Jones is thrilled to death with the job that Antonio Brown, his former player at CMU and a rookie wide receiver for the Super Bowl-bound Pittsburgh Steelers, is doing.
“I talk to Antonio often,” Jones said. “I’ve also spent a lot of time with (former Chippewa quarterback) Dan LeFevour (a backup signal caller for the Cincinnati Bengals). I try to keep in touch as much as possible with all of the players that I’ve coached.”
The Saugatuck and Ferris State University graduate doesn’t get back to Saugatuck that much these days.
“I wish I could say that I do but it’s pretty hectic around here, especially during recruiting season,” Jones said.
Jones will be disappointed if his second team at Cincinnati doesn’t enjoy much more success than his first squad.
“The Bearcats will be back,” Jones said. “I’m confident of that.”
http://www.allegannews.com/articles/2011/02/03/sports/2.txt
However, his two oldest sons were.
“Alex (14) and Adam (10) were at the game,” Jones said in a recent telephone call to this writer. “They went to the game with some friends.”
Jones’ two oldest sons (youngest son Andrew was at home with Butch’s wife and their mother, Barb) were probably not rooting for the Indians.
“They went to school at (Mt. Pleasant) Sacred Heart when I was coaching at Central (Michigan University),” Jones noted.
Jones was thrilled with the coaching job that Bill Dunn has done at Saugatuck.
“Bill has done a great job,” Jones said. “It’s great to see the success the program is having.”
Jones, who followed Brian Kelly not only to CMU but also to Cincinnati, chuckled when he heard that some local Saugatuck followers wondered if Notre Dame would be his next coaching stop.
“I’m very happy where I’m at and I know Kelly is very happy to be where he’s at,” Jones said.
Jones was the wide receivers’ coach under former University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia. Jones doesn’t expect Rodriguez, who was fired at U-M to be without a job for very long.
“Rich will probably take a year off, but he’ll be back coaching somewhere before you know it,” Jones said. “He’s a good coach and it won’t take him that long to get another job.”
Jones also thinks highly of Michigan’s new head coach, Brady Hoke.
“(Hoke) will do a good job at Michigan,” Jones said. “He’s highly thought of. I know him well.”
Jones did not enjoy immediate success at Cincinnati like Kelly did, going 4-8. There was a big reason for that.
“We had a total of 27 surgeries,” Jones said. “That’s the most surgeries we’ve ever had in all my years of coaching.”Jones, whose team plays in the Big East, couldn’t help but note that the Big Ten Conference did not win any bowl games on New Year’s Day.
“The Big Ten is still regarded as one of the toughest conferences in the country,” Jones said. “However, our conference is a lot better than it’s probably given credit for.”
Jones is thrilled to death with the job that Antonio Brown, his former player at CMU and a rookie wide receiver for the Super Bowl-bound Pittsburgh Steelers, is doing.
“I talk to Antonio often,” Jones said. “I’ve also spent a lot of time with (former Chippewa quarterback) Dan LeFevour (a backup signal caller for the Cincinnati Bengals). I try to keep in touch as much as possible with all of the players that I’ve coached.”
The Saugatuck and Ferris State University graduate doesn’t get back to Saugatuck that much these days.
“I wish I could say that I do but it’s pretty hectic around here, especially during recruiting season,” Jones said.
Jones will be disappointed if his second team at Cincinnati doesn’t enjoy much more success than his first squad.
“The Bearcats will be back,” Jones said. “I’m confident of that.”
http://www.allegannews.com/articles/2011/02/03/sports/2.txt
