Limbo.
University of Colorado officials sharpened their pencils and straightened the pictures on the office walls in the Dal Ward Center dozens of times Tuesday. Every time the phone rang a nervous excitement bubbled up only to fizzle away when the voice on the line didn't belong to Cincinnati football coach Butch Jones or his agent.
Jones was supposed to decide Tuesday whether to accept Colorado's offer to become the 25th full-time football coach in the school's history as well as its highest paid coach at approximately $2.7 million annually. But Jones apparently needed another night to think it through after reportedly meeting with Cincinnati officials and receiving a counter offer.
Jones and his wife, Barb, visited Boulder and the CU campus Monday and received the job offer at Chancellor Phil DiStefano's residence. They had informed CU officials prior to making the trip that they would not commit to taking the job while still in Boulder. They wanted to return home to Cincinnati to discuss what they saw and learned with their three children and Jones' coaching staff.
All indications are those conversations happened Tuesday afternoon and evening and Jones could announce a decision today.
But there is a possible wild card.
Arkansas announced Tuesday it had hired Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema to take over its program, suddenly pushing Wisconsin into the market for a new coach. The Wisconsin job is seen as one of the best in Big Ten Conference and in the Midwest where Jones has spent almost all his life. It's unclear if Wisconsin might now also have interest in Jones, who has talked with at least six different schools about job openings the past two years.
Jones also took part in a press conference at Cincinnati on Tuesday to discuss the Bearcats' appearance in the Belk Bowl against Duke on Dec. 27 in Charlotte, N.C.
Cincinnati officials asked reporters to limit questions to the bowl game and the teams involved and not ask about Jones' job status or plans for the future. Reporters responded by making the first two questions aboutJones' job status.
"I think all you have to do is look at my past and the past years of what's happened and I'm still the head football coach here," Jones said. "I think that speaks volumes."
After the second questioner asked Jones if he planned to coach the bowl game, he said he "has every intention to" and then threatened to end the news conference.
Meanwhile back in Boulder, athletic director Mike Bohn and several assistants gathered in a small conference room where pictures of CU's previous ADs adorn the walls just off the athletic director's main office and discussed their options if Jones turns them down.
Sources said they wrote at least one new name down on a dry-erase board. CU officials would be interested in talking with Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter, San Jose State coach Mike McIntyre and at least one other possible candidate whom they only began to consider Tuesday.
CU has either ruled out or been told there is no reciprocal interest from candidates such as Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, Brigham Young coach Bronco Mendenhall and Utah State coach Gary Andersen.
When the search for Jon Embree's replacement began more than a week ago, Bohn said he was targeting a coach with experience as a college head coach. But if CU doesn't hire a coach soon, it might be forced to add to that list by including coaches who have been coordinators and the college or pro level.
Bohn and his bosses also have previously ruled out taking a chance on a coach with serious NCAA violations or other problems in his past such as Jim Tressel or Bobby Petrino.
Follow Kyle on Twitter:
@KyleRingo ___
(c)2012 the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.)
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Distributed by MCT Information Services
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