LSU Gives Jones Extension: Does He Deserve It?
Posted by David Changas on October 24th, 2014LSU announced earlier this week that head coach Johnny Jones‘ contract has been extended for two years through the 2017-18 season, and that he has received a $400,000 raise. Jones had been one of the lowest-paid coaches in the SEC, and will now make $1.5 million per season as the leader of the Tigers (with incentives, that number could reach as much as $2.1 million). While that is still well below what the highest-paid coaches in the SEC earn, the question that must be answered is why LSU thought this was the right time for an extension.
Johnny Jones and LSU Are Happy
Jones has been at LSU for two years now but he has yet to lead the Tigers to an NCAA Tournament berth, and last season was a disappointment. Despite being picked to finish fourth in the conference, LSU went 9-9 in league play and 20-14 overall. The Tigers reached the NIT, but they were beaten handily by SMU in the second round. The Tigers were unable to finish better than .500 in league play despite having the talented services of Johnny O’Bryant, who departed for the NBA after the season, and freshman sensation Jordan Mickey, who was selected earlier this week to the preseason all-SEC first team. The Tigers also had Jarell Martin on hand, a player who came in as a five-star recruit but did not produce on the level of the less-heralded Mickey. And although attendance at the Maravich Center increased from Jones’ first year on the job, it is still not on the level it was even a decade ago and questions remain as to whether he can bring the program back to a level it was for much of Dale Brown’s tenure.
Jones came to Baton Rouge two years ago after a successful run at North Texas that included two NCAA Tournament appearances, and the former LSU player and long-time Brown assistant seemed to be a great fit as Trent Johnson’s replacement. Still, the timing of this extension seems odd, given last season’s disappointment. Clearly, the LSU administration believes in him and thinks he will be able live up to high expectations this season with Mickey and Martin leading the way. Jones has also secured a commitment from the nation’s top-rated high school senior, Ben Simmons, who will arrive on campus next summer. Simmons is expected to sign his letter of intent next month, and getting him into the fold will be important. There has been no indication that Simmons is waffling on his decision, but with Mickey, and possibly Martin, on their way out after the season, it seems as though administrators could have waited to see how this season plays out before making an offer of extension. If this year’s team again fails to live up to expectations and make a run into the Big Dance, that decision will look even more curious. Ultimately, Jones can make the administration look smart if his team performs up to its talent level, but even if not, Jones appears set to be settled in Baton Rouge for the foreseeable future.
