Just when we thought Butch Jones had fallen off — because, well, he did — the former Tennessee head coach came down the catwalk into Alabama’s Pro Day yelling, “ROLL TIDE, WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE!”

Get a load of Jones donning his Alabama windbreaker last Wednesday and chatting up the last guy to lose the Super Bowl. What’s more? We’re still having a conversation about whether or not Alabama coach Nick Saban has even offered to hire Jones as an offensive analyst. If he hasn’t, Jones’ Halloween costume is innovative, if ill-timed. Still, he’s committed, and that’s worth everything in college football.

Meeting of the minds here at @AlabamaFTBL Pro Day.

We are live on @SECNetwork starting at 1pm est.@mspears96 @TomLuginbill @MattBowen41 pic.twitter.com/dXFsjVEXZj

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) March 7, 2018

College football coaches can demonstrate they’re quite mediocre at their jobs, and athletic directors will let that slide because they look and act like they’ve won 10 games and a New Year’s Six bowl every season. (See: Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz). 

There are three things that get you jobs and you only have to know two of them: be good at your job, show up on time, and be likable. And, just so we’re clear, Jones’ firing led to the most expensive head coaching search in history — count that paper, Greg Schiano — so nobody likes Butch Jones.

But there's a larger question here: Has Saban put together his version of a reform school for coaches without the rest of the nation paying much attention? If that’s the case, the pitch must be:

Welcome to Nick Saban’s Halfway House for Misfit Coaches. Here’s a cup of coffee, a hot meal, and a national championship ring. We won’t make you reform. We won’t make Tuscaloosa seem livable. We just take away your tweeting privileges, alcohol, and, Butch, put that damn trash can down right now.

Two more recently fired big-time college football head coaches were at Alabama’s Pro Day in former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and former Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez. Pro Day in Tuscaloosa is like a high school career day where nobody wanted to be there unless they have a job already.

Along with Butch Jones, I’ve spotted Bret Bielema and Rich Rodriguez at Alabama’s Pro Day. pic.twitter.com/tNadxzD7Eh

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) March 7, 2018

This also explained the smile on Bielema’s face — as he reportedly appeared as a plus-one with Bill Belichick — and the sweat on Rodriguez’s face. Use one of those wrist sweatbands to wipe away that nervous energy, Rich. Surely someone there believes in your shotgun version of the Wing-T. 

I don’t, but you sell it, son! 

Then again if Rodriguez can convince Saban he’s worth saving, there’s more than a little reason to believe he’d be back on his feet and coaching his own program again in no time.

The list of men to pass through the doors of Saban’s Halfway House for Misfit Coaches is distinguished, too. Current FAU head coach Lane Kiffin ended up with a national title ring after showing exactly why he wasn’t cut out to be a big-time college football coach — twice. Steve Sarkisian failed up into an offensive coordinator position with the Atlanta Falcons, and newly hired Buffalo Bills OC Brian Daboll showed up just in time for a backup quarterback he didn’t recruit to win him a national title. 

So u wanted to be the OC for coach Saban. "Those are called ass chewings son! U are to sit there and say yes sir u are right. ? @finebaum @espn @SECcountry Don't come to #thefaU ?‍♂️ https://t.co/bJO38OelCv

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 2, 2018

None of these men stayed long, but all of them took public, weekly butt-chewings at the gnarled teeth of Saban on the sideline as his offensive coordinator.

Perhaps this is the line Jones hopes to take. There’s no disputing that this trajectory leads to a better job. And if it ends with his riding the coattails of another ridiculously good defensive coordinator like Kirby Smart or Jeremy Pruitt to a national championship, then it might have been worth it. Even if he has no butt to sit down on by season’s end.

Until then Jones has his $8.2 million buyout to comfort him through each practice where Saban yells loudly, “That’s why you got fired at Tennessee and came to me on bended knee!”

Don’t talk back, Butch. Just genuflect.

RJ Young is a former Oklahoma Sooners football and basketball beat writer, investigative journalist, essayist, novelist, and Ph.D student. His memoir "LET IT BANG" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) hits shelves and earbuds in October. His YouTube channel is fire if you're into storytelling and topics ranging from Baker Mayfield to The Rock's early wrestling career to this one time when a guy got a little too interested in RJ's "Black Panther" cup at a urinal inside of a movie theater.