Most of the negativity swirling around Tennessee football coach Butch Jones has come from people outside of the game.
Fans want him out, some of his own players appear to want him out, but nothing substantial has come of his talks. The heat from his seat is common knowledge, but on Saturday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum weighed in on just how hot he thinks it is.
According to a report by SEC Country, the respected college football analyst thinks that Jones could be fired if he loses his next game. Finebaum made his comments during an appearance on SportsCenter.
The Volunteers are on the SEC rival South Carolina Gamecocks next week, Oct. 14. The Volunteers are currently on a bye.
“I think they have the pink slip in Knoxville in pencil,” Finebaum said on the show. “I don’t think Butch Jones can afford a loss next week to South Carolina with Alabama the following week. If he loses at home to South Carolina with another pathetic performance, I think he is done.”
The Gamecocks sit at 3-2 and haven’t been a powerhouse either. Following a 41-0 route at the hands of Georgia last week, Tennessee wants to see some life from the program under Jones. If they don’t, Finebaum believes they’ll start the search for a new coach.
The Volunteers sit at 3-2, with their loss against Georgia being their ugliest. They also dropped a rivalry game to the Florida Gators earlier this season, and barely squeaked past a weak UMass team.
Butch Jones is likely coaching to save his job against South Carolina.
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