Arkansas State is hiring former Tennessee coach and current Alabama support staff member Butch Jones as its next football coach, the school announced Saturday. Jones, 52, has a career 84-54 record at three stops and will be introduced formally in a press conference "at a later date," according to the school.
"Butch Jones' outstanding record of success at both the G5 and P5 levels is evident, and we're excited to having him leading our football program into the future," Arkansas State athletic director Terry Mohajir said in a statement. "He is the only coach over the last 12 years to lead Tennessee to back-to-back nine win seasons, and he led Cincinnati and Central Michigan to four conference championships over a six-year period. Butch has also worked with one of the most-well-respected coaches in history in Nick Saban the last three years at Alabama. Our candidate pool was fantastic, but following extensive and positive conversations with Butch, while also looking at his winning history, coaching and leadership abilities and vision for our program, we became confident he was the clear choice to be our next head coach."
Jones will replace Blake Anderson, who is leaving to take the Utah State job after amassing a 51-37 record in seven seasons at the school. Though the Red Wolves are just 4-7 this season, the Arkansas State job has served as a quality springboard for coaches in recent years. Prior to Anderson, three coaches held the job for a year each before leaving for high-profile jobs.
Hugh Freeze had the job in 2011 and went 10-3 before leaving for Ole Miss. Then came Gus Malzahn, who led the team to another 10-win season in 2012 before heading to Auburn. Finally, Bryan Harsin held the job in 2013 before leaving to take the Boise State job. Anderson came in and provided continuity by taking the team to six straight bowl games before the program encountered its first losing season since 2010 this year.
Jones, 52, is best known for his five-year stint at Tennessee from 2013 through 2017. Though he led the program to a pair of nine-win seasons in 2015 and 2016, the bottom fell out on him during a four-win season in 2017 and he was fired with a 34-27 record in his stint with the Volunteers. He's been a mainstay on the Alabama sideline since while serving as a special assistant to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
"It is truly an honor and privilege to be the head football coach at Arkansas State University," Jones said. "It is a position that I take great pride in, and I look forward to connecting with our student-athletes to build upon the strong tradition of excellence both on and off the field of play. I am extremely grateful to Terry Mohajir, Dr. (Kelly) Damphousse and Dr. (Chuck) Welch for trusting me to be the caretaker of Arkansas State football."
