Dec. 6, 2007

Alabama A&M head football coach Anthony Jones has signed a contract keeping him on The Hill at least through the 2011 season. In six seasons leading the Bulldogs, Jones has a 49-21 record and won a SWAC Championship in 2006. His teams have won three SWAC Eastern Division titles as well. The new deal makes Jones the fourth-highest paid head coach in the SWAC.

Full Story Courtesy The Huntsville Times

by Reggie Benson

Finally, Anthony Jones signed a contract Wednesday that could keep him at Alabama A&M through at least the 2011 season.

After months of haggling over a new deal and four days after he met with Western Carolina officials about their vacant head coaching job, Jones elected to stay at Alabama A&M.

"People that know me know how thankful and grateful I am to be here," he said. "I try to show that by doing my absolute best on and off the field for Alabama A&M, the kids and the city I represent. This institution has been good to me.

"I'm glad this is over. We can move on and finish our recruiting and take this program to another level."

Contract talks began last February and the board of trustees approved the deal in June. Finally, almost three weeks after A&M finished the season, Jones and athletics director Betty Austin reached an agreement Wednesday.

"There was some language that I was uncertain of and I wanted to be certain of it," Jones said when asked what the sticking points were that held up his signature. "Once I was assured of it and understood what I was signing, everything was fine."

Austin was pleased that the process was over.

"There was never any doubt we wanted Coach Jones to remain the football coach at Alabama A&M," Austin said. "The university made a commitment to him and we're happy that he decided to stay."

Jones is slated to make $155,000 annually, including $142,500 in base salary. The deal makes him the fourth-highest paid coach in the Southwestern Athletic Conference behind Southern's Pete Richardson, Grambling's Rod Broadway and Jackson State's Rick Comegy.

Jones has compiled a 49-21 record in his six seasons with the Bulldogs and has won three Eastern Division titles and won the school's first SWAC championship in 2006. A&M has won eight games or more five times in his six seasons. Jones needs just five wins to move past former A&M coach Ray Greene into second place on the school's all-time wins list. Greene won 53 games in eight seasons.

District judge Lynn Sherrod, chairman of the athletic committee for the board of trustees, was excited that A&M had Jones signed, sealed and delivered.

"I'm very pleased that it has come to fruition," Sherrod said. "I regret that it has taken so many months. I'm pleased for the university and for Coach Jones."