Butch Jones is the leading candidate for the head coaching position at Arkansas State, sources told FootballScoop on Saturday.
We're told a deal could be done as soon as tonight. Alabama completed its regular season with a 52-3 win over Arkansas early Saturday afternoon.
Jones is currently the special assistant to the head coach at Alabama, but prior to that was the head coach at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Tennessee. He went 84-54 in 11 combined seasons, winning four conference titles at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. Jones's 2009 team at Central Michigan went 11-2 overall, unbeaten in the MAC, and became the only team in CMU history to reach the AP poll. He led Cincinnati to back-to-back Big East titles in 2011-12, and his 18-8 stretch from 2015-16 at Tennessee represent that program's best run in a decade.
Arkansas State is viewed as one of the top jobs in the Group of 5. The Red Wolves enjoyed nine consecutive winning seasons prior to this year, winning at least a share of five Sun Belt titles in that span; four straight head coaches left on their own terms for other programs, adding to the program's appeal in the coaching profession.
This is a developing story and more will be added as it becomes available. Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.