Today has been an embarrassment to everyone associated with Arizona State University athletics. First, we were about to hire June Jones away from SMU. Then, after boosters got wind of the development, their outrage spurred a change of course once again for the beleaguered search committee.
At this juncture, you have to wonder about the future for Lisa Love, who has been marred deeply by this spectacle. Unable to lure an up-and-coming coach such as Kevin Sumlin or Larry Fedora, the committee settled for Jones, a 58-year old who has never coached in a BCS conference before. He is basically a Dennis Erickson clone and does nothing to further the mission of the department, which is to become nationally relevant in football.
Who is really in charge here? The fans. Those who hold the gold make the rules, and today was a textbook example of "money talks" starring Sun Devil supporters.
Here's everything that happened in the past 30 minutes.
@ASUDevilscom
ASUDevils.com Source: ASU has "cold feet" over Jones deal due to booster pressure. Meeting to take place now. Deal in serious jeopardy
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@DougHaller
Doug Haller 2:15 Update: Arizona State has broken off talks (for now) with SMU coach June Jones, per a source.
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@ASUDevilscom
ASUDevils.com Source: ASU "unlikely in the extreme" to hire June Jones
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These aren't random internet sources - these are the real deal Phoenix media. Pretty quick, huh? It's also incredibly sad and an extremely poor reflection on my alma mater and the state of its leadership.
Enough is enough. I am personally talking about Lisa Love, Michael Crow and Steve Patterson. Get it together, hire a coach with experience (but not an old guy) and move on already. This dance has made our school a laughingstock, and I'm tired of hearing about it.