Cincinnati inks head coach Butch Jones through 2017
The battleship that is the Bearcat football team will retain its captain for at least another five years.
By Anthony Orozco | Published: 01/25/12 8:58pm | Updated: 01/31/12 11:54pm | No comments
by Sam Greene |
Head coach Butch Jones discusses a penalty with an official in the third quarter of a game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. WVU won by a final score of 24-21. (The News Record/Sam Greene)
The battleship that is the Bearcat football team will retain its captain for at least another five years.
It was announced Tuesday morning at the UC Board of Trustees meeting that Cincinnati head football coach Butch Jones received a contract extension through the 2017 football season.
The deal is a three-year extension from his original contract, which continued to Dec. 13, 2014.
“I’m very grateful of the support shown from UC President Dr. Gregory Williams, the UC Board of Trustees and director of athletics, Whit Babcock,” Jones said. “This a commitment to our staff and to the football program as a whole. Its another illustration of the tremendous support our administration as we continue to work on a daily basis to build a college football program of
national relevance.”
Jones — the 2011 Big East Conference Coach of the Year — recently finished his second season with the Bearcats, leading UC to a share of the 2011 Big East Championship.
With the Bearcats’ win in the 2011 regular-season finale against Connecticut, Jones earned his third conference championship as a head coach (2007, 2009 at Central Michigan, 2011 at Cincinnati) and his 40th career victory.
For his successes, Jones’ pay will also see a raise throughout his new contract, receiving $1.57 million in the first year of the contract, followed by a $1.6 million salary for 2013 and 2014. He’s then slated to receive a $50,000 raise in 2015 and again in 2016, totaling in $1.7 million. The last year of Jones’ contract will earn him $2.05 million.
“I have tremendous faith in Coach Jones and his ability to lead our young men on the football field, in the classroom and in the community,” Babcock said. “I appreciate his loyalty to the University of Cincinnati and we look forward to great things in future seasons.”
Under Jones, the Bearcats’ overall team GPA for the fall 2011 quarter was a 2.73 — up from the 2.69 GPA of fall 2010. Forty-three student-athletes achieved a 3.0 GPA or better. Twenty-three student-athletes earned spots on the Dean’s List, with quarter GPAs of 3.4 or above.
The Bearcats were the only NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision team to earn a league championship and the conference’s team academic excellence award in 2011.
To date, Jones holds a 41-24 career mark, a 27-10 record in conference play, four bowl appearances and three league championships in five seasons as a collegiate head coach.
