Tony Jones Withdraws from BU Coaching Search

After a few days of articles by Mark Blaudschun in the Boston Globe saying it appeared to be a done deal, Tennessee assistant Tony Jones will not be BU's next head coach. Jones withdrew his name from consideration today. His statement to the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

“With the commitment the University of Tennessee has shown to the men's program, I feel it's in my best interests to remain a part of Bruce Pearl's staff,'' Jones said. “After long and thoughtful consideration, I've decided Boston wasn't the right fit for me at this point in my career.''

Hmm, this might have something to do with Memphis' failed pursuit of Tennessee's head coach, Bruce Pearl, and the pay raise Pearl was able to finagle because of it. An AP report in the Memphis Commerical Appeal said that Pearl "is expected to ask for a larger assistant coaching salary pool." A pay raise for Jones is probably his reason for staying - maybe UT is giving him more as an assistant than BU was offering as head coach.

Jones did the same thing -- withdraw after doing interviews -- when he was considered for the Tennessee State job.

The question is: where does BU turn now? And how does Blaudschun regain some credibility after being wrong on so much of this coaching search? Blaudschun is now flogging Villanova assistant Patrick Chambers (while still clinging to Jones as the frontrunner)... more on Chambers later today.