Errol Jones, who has served as running backs coach for the Bulldogs the last four years, resigned last Friday to become the boys basketball coach and an assistant football coach at Deshler High School.

"It happened abruptly," Anthony Jones said. "I'm happy for him, but I'm not happy about the timing of it. I'll never stand in the way of guys getting opportunities to better themselves. I wasn't happy about the way I found out about it, but life goes on."

Errol Jones, who served as an assistant coach at Russellville High School before coming to A&M, interviewed for the job on July 25. He was hired on July 28 and resigned the next day.

"I understand it's bad timing for A&M, but it was perfect timing for me and my family," said Errol Jones, whose family, his wife and four children, stayed in Russellville, while he lived with A&M's inside linebacker's coach Jay Martin while he was here. " In education, people resign and move all the time. I hated to leave on such short notice, but this gives me an opportunity to continue to do something that I love and get back with my family."

During his four seasons, Errol Jones tutored Ulysses Banks, A&M's all-time Division I leading rusher, along with Tony Green and Kaderius Lacey.

"Those three guys made my job easy," he said.

With the Bulldogs' season opener less than a month away, Anthony Jones said he doesn't have time to look for a new assistant.

"We're posting the job," he said. "We've got a couple of guys on staff that have worked with us. We don't have time to go out and hunt down a bunch of people, so we'll see what becomes of it and I'll make a decision as soon as I'm allowed to."

Former Auburn and Johnson High star Andy Fuller has spent the first two days working with the running backs. Fuller, who has coached the Bulldogs' tight ends the last five years, wants the job.

"I'm just waiting for the opportunity to go through the interview process and see what happens," he said. "I've never coached running backs, but it's all football to me. I've been with this offense the last five years.

"It's just a little more work on my part. If I can get the opportunity to get the position, I'm going to be the best coach that I can be and help us win the SWAC championship."

Anthony Jones stopped short of saying he planned on giving the job to Fuller.

"Andy has been working with me the last five years," he said. "This happened so abruptly. He's here with me and I need help there. He's going to move there. Hopefully, we'll be able to make some decisions on this very soon."

If Fuller get the running backs job, assistant coach Mike Brown, a former A&M receiver, will tutor the tight ends.

"Mike is helping too," Anthony Jones said. "Mike has been involved with us since he's been a Bulldog. He loves us and we love him. If that opportunity presents itself, as abruptly as this happened, I've got to go with guys who can make the transition and those guys are capable of doing that."