North Texas’ Johnny Jones will interview for Auburn job
North Texas coach Johnny Jones will interview to be Auburn’s new basketball coach some time this week, the Denton Record-Chronicle is reporting tonight.
Jones’ candidacy is the latest example of the revved-up pace to Auburn’s coaching search this week, as a number of top candidates are now officially done for the season after exiting from their respective tournaments.
Jones, 50, took North Texas to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the past four seasons this year after beating Troy in the Sun Belt Tournament. The 15th-seeded Mean Green lost their first-round game to Kansas State last Thursday, 82-62.
Before Jones’ arrival in 2001, North Texas hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1988. Jones has been with the Mean Green for nine seasons, compiling a 150-121 record, which includes the 24-9 mark from this season and two postseason appearances.
Jones has plenty of SEC ties. Nicknamed “The Bullet,” Jones spent four years as a player at LSU and 13 years as an assistant, appearing in two Final Fours (1981, 1987) and nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments. He also served as an assistant coach at Memphis for three seasons and Alabama for one before taking the job at North Texas.
Jones recently had his contract extended at North Texas through the 2014-15 season. He makes $200,000 per year plus incentives.
Athletic director Jay Jacobs, who has refused to comment on potential candidates, said he plans to give Auburn’s new coach a competitive SEC salary. Lebo made $785,000 per season, the lowest among the league’s coaches.
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