Butch Jones says a current Tennessee Vols coach still sends him a text message every single morning
Former Tennessee Vols head football coach Butch Jones didn't leave Rocky Top on the best terms with the fan base when he was fired a little over seven years ago (which is almost always the case for fired coaches), but he apparently still has some friends in UT athletics. Jones, who just wrapped up his […]
Former Tennessee Vols head football coach Butch Jones didn't leave Rocky Top on the best terms with the fan base when he was fired a little over seven years ago (which is almost always the case for fired coaches), but he apparently still has some friends in UT athletics.
Jones, who just wrapped up his fourth season as the head coach at Arkansas State, joined the Second to None podcast earlier this month and he revealed that a current Tennessee coach still sends him a text message every single morning.
"When you become a head coach, and these are some of the things that I've spoken [about] to a lot of the young head coaches that have become head coaches for the first time, your inner circle shrinks," said Jones. "It becomes very, very small. So really, as much as I talk to other head coaches, I also talk to — like, Rick Barnes is an extremely close friend of mine. I still get a text message from him every single morning. (Miami Heat head coach) Erik Spoelstra, people like that that. It may not be the same sport, but they're going through the same things. And then you do have some individuals that you're very close with in the coaching ranks, and you're right, we're all going through the same battles."
It's not a surprise to hear that Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes is still a source of encouragement for Jones (Jones' time at Tennessee overlapped with Barnes for two years). Barnes is one of the best humans in collegiate sports and he's well-known for being an uplifting presence.
As for Jones, he has Arkansas State on the right path after a couple of rocky seasons to start his tenure. The Red Wolves went 8-5 in 2024 and as a result, Jones received a contract extension through the 2029 season.
