Alabama football had an old friend attend practice on Saturday before the College Football Playoff’s Rose Bowl semifinal against Michigan. Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones was in the house.

Jones had suggested some of Arkansas State’s staff would be at the Rose Bowl to support his old school, before the Red Wolves fell to Northern Illinois in the Camellia Bowl.

“The exciting thing is it isn’t that far to Tuscaloosa,” Jones said of the game, which was played in Montgomery. “Half the (Alabama) staff is coming to the game in support. Then, we’ll show the same support when they play in the Rose Bowl.”

Jones walked past media members on the way into the practice facility in Carson, Calif., where UA is using fields at Dignity Health Sports Park. During the periods of practice open to media, Jones stood on the sideline, cheerfully chatting with Alabama staffers.

He took the head job at Arkansas State before the 2021 season. Before that he had been an offensive analyst and a special assistant to Nick Saban at Alabama from 2018-2020.

Jones joined the Crimson Tide after an unsuccessful tenure as head coach at Tennessee. He had previously held the head job at Cincinnati and Central Michigan.

Alabama and Michigan face off in the Rose Bowl Monday at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be aired on ESPN.