Rabalais says Johnny Jones ain't gettin' canned if/when they miss the tourney

i'm surprised some think that that is news worthy

to some people actually still think he is getting fired?

Anyone who thinks Jones is getting fired this year is living in a fantasy world.

Taking bets on average attendance at the PMAC next season. I'll se tthe O/U at 7500.

its just fricking stupid, we know damn well next year's team isn't making the tournament. So why delay the rebuild any further? I'd much rather the new coach get next season to assess the damage vs. watching a lame duck Johnny squad. But whatever Joe.

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No tourney next year?

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Sure do feel like I hear this a lot

And I think that is fair. Given his price point and production so far, this is the first year we haven't improved under him.

I don't think he's a good in game coach at all, and our defense is pathetic, but he's ~10th in SEC pay while finishing 3rd and 4th in the conference the last 2 years

Save the money next year, spend several million to bring in a top coach if he fails.

I truly do not understand the logic in keeping him around for next year.

1. Any momentum that the program had going for it coming into this year is GONE! No one is going to show up at the PMAC next season. There aren't going to be many new request for season tickets. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if you have several season ticket cancellations. LSU built this season up as THE YEAR and then flopped. There is no great player coming into town next year. No great recruiting class. No momentum coming off a NCAAT run. Why is anyone going to be excited about LSU basketball with the same HC still in charge?

2. Does anyone really think Jones is going to drastically turn things around next season? If so, what are your reasons? He would be going into year 17 as a HC still with ZERO NCAAT wins in all that time. He's never even won an outright reg season conf. title? Is next year without Simmons, Hornsby, likely Quaterman and possibly Blakeney the year that all of a sudden changes?

3. Maybe a new coach could come in and get Quaterman and Blakeney to stay. Add them to Victor, Sampson, Patterson, even Epps, and LSU would have some decent talent on the team next year. The cupboard would not be completely bare, and the new coach could get a jumpstart on what looks to be two good upcoming years in Louisiana HS basketball.

4. If you don't think Jones and the LSU program are going to be negatively recruited by every other SEC coach for this season's results, then you're crazy. Plus, there are now 3 SEC coaches with deep Louisiana ties (B. Kennedy, White, Johnson). They have their eyes on the 2017 & 2018 LA classes as well.

5. He's the 3rd lowest paid coach in the SEC (soon to be second once Kennedy gets a raise at A&M). This isn't a Miles situation where the cost just to fire the coach would have been huge, let alone the cost of bringing in a new coach.


Everyone, including myself, wanted Jones to succeed at LSU. However, everyone (except the Dale Brown coalition) knew he wasn't qualified for the LSU job. The ONLY reason he was even considered for the LSU position is that he played/coached at LSU under Brown. If Jones played his college ball at say, Florida, LSU would have NEVER considered him for the job based upon his record/results at N. Tex. Keeping him for next year just prolongs the inevitable. In doing so however, you may also undo the best thing Jones did for the program, raise the overall talent level.

I think the LSU job can still be an attractive job if available this season. Wait until next year, and that may not be the case.

If they can't make it with the best player in the country how will they do it next year?

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No tourney next year? That's a different story apparently.

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So NEXT year we will make the tourney after losing the #1 draft pick? (and possibly others)

Genius approach!