Word on the street (and the internet) is that June Jones is a 'front-runner' for the vacant Sun Devils coaching position.
Jones has been a coach for a very long time, including stops in the NFL and at Hawaii and SMU. As a college coach, Jones' career record is 99-69. His offenses are very pass-heavy, which poses an issue for the dynamic running backs the Sun Devils have on the roster.
After hearing that ASU had withdrawn from pursuing Kevin Sumlin, I was hoping that they would continue to pursue young, talented coaches that could be program-changers in Tempe for years to come. This move would be a departure from that methodology and another risky hire for Lisa Love, who brought in Dennis Erickson five years ago.
Why is Jones the apple of ASU's eye? Love sees the offensive side of the ball most clearly and is interested in creating a high-tempo offensive attack in the Pac-12. Why does ASU not pursue a defensive coach? Someone who will be able to instill an incredible defense while allowing Noel Mazzone to commandeer the offense? It just doesn't make sense to me.
June Jones is not a program-changer. His offenses are fun to watch and he is a good coach who is respected by his players, but he has never coached a team in a BCS conference. At age 58, it might be too late to start. Tread lightly, Devils.