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Report: LSU To Dismiss Johnny Jones
LSU is parting ways with Johnny Jones. The Tigers head coach is 10-20 this season heading into the SEC Tournament.
April 11, 2017
LSU is reportedly parting ways with Johnny Jones. The Tigers head coach is 10-20 this season heading into the SEC Tournament.
The Johnny Jones era at LSU is about to come to an end.
According to The Times-Picayune, the Tigers are prepared to dismiss their head men’s basketball coach after the team’s stint in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers play Mississippi State on Wednesday in the opening game of the event.
Jones headed into the 2016-17 college hoops season on the hot seat and failed to do anything to help his cause. The Tigers are 10-20 overall and 2-16 in the SEC one year after failing to make the NCAA Tournament with eventual No. 1 NBA Draft pick Ben Simmons on the roster. The Tigers were 19-14 overall, declining an invitation to the NIT, in 2015-16.
The Jones era started off strong, as he led the Tigers to a 19-12 record in his first year after being hired in 2012. He led the Tigers to 20-win seasons and postseason berths the following two years, going 20-14 with an NIT berth followed by a 22-11 mark the following season that earned the team a trip to the Big Dance, although the Tigers lost their first game.
Jones had signed an extension with LSU in October 2014 that lengthened his contract through July 2019, paying him $1.5 million per season.
This season, however, was a complete disaster.
LSU set a new program record with 15 consecutive losses, saw the dismissal of forward Craig Victor and guard Branden Jenkins was unable to get fully healthy.
During his time in Baton Rouge, Jones has put together a 90-71 mark, with his 90 victories being the fourth-most all-time by an LSU head coach and the most by any coach in his first five years. The 2016-17 campaign marked the 22nd year for Jones with the program.
He played for LSU from 1980-84 and was part of Dale Brown’s coaching staff from 1984-97. After stops at Memphis and Alabama as an assistant, Jones spent 11 seasons as the head coach at North Texas and led the Mean Green to five consecutive 20-win campaigns between 2006-11. UNT made the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and 2010 as No. 15 seeds.
“I’m a die-hard LSU guy, purple and gold,” Jones said at a press conference on Monday. “That’s who I am. I’m ingrained in it.”
Unfortunately for Jones, his current stint at LSU is nearing its end.
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