JACKSON (AP) — When Alcorn State football coach Ernest T. Jones visits potential recruits there’s one question that may come up: ‘‘Coach, weren’t you just fired?’’

Jones was fired, on Dec. 11, exactly a year after being hired as the Braves’ head coach.

He has since appealed the firing and until his appeal is heard by a university grievance committee, Jones technically remains the head coach.

Despite his uncertain job status and his recently filed $3 million breach of contract lawsuit against the university, Jones is busy trying to convince parents to send their kids to a Division I FCS school in Mississippi that is fresh off a 2-10 season, that fired seven of his assistants only to reinstate them and then fire Jones days later.

Just how confused are potential recruits when Jones pays them a visit, wonders Ricky Lefft, a South Carolina lawyer who represents Jones and has represented several high-profile college coaches, including Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith.

‘‘If you don’t have the coach there, then there is a lot of uncertainties,’’ Lefft said.

‘‘You don’t know who their successor might be. You don’t know what kind of system they’ll run. They don’t know how they’ll fit into that system. Their parents have to feel comfortable about the person that they are turning their kids lives over to for the next four or five years,’’ he said.

Jones, who has referred all questions to his attorneys, has experienced a bizarre year.

It began when he was hired on Dec. 11, 2007, and, according to his lawsuit, worked without a contract until Aug. 11, 2008. He was hired by an interim president at a time when Alcorn State was still searching for an athletic director.

The school hired Darren Hamilton as AD in April 2007 and about one month later Hamilton issued a letter of reprimand to Jones for allegedly missing a meeting with him.

‘‘I … further warn you that future violations of this type will result in more serious action,’’ Hamilton said in the letter included in Jones’ lawsuit.

ASU president George Ross and Hamilton have refused to comment on the suit or Jones’ firing.

‘‘There’s no statement to release,’’ Ross said in a written statement after Jones’ dismissal. ‘‘There’s a number of legal issues going on. At this point, we have to let that go its course. Given the litigation, we’re not able to make a comment.’’

According to the lawsuit, Jones says his relationship with Hamilton never improved after the letter.

Hamilton is accused of freezing Jones’ budget in the summer, leaving the players without the necessary equipment to hold two-a-day practices. Lefft said the team was forced to practice in shorts and T-shirts because it didn’t have the appropriate pads, helmets and mouthpieces.

Jones also accused Hamilton of breach his contract by forbidding him and his staff from earning outside income, including money from sports camps.

Jones said Hamilton added a non-conference game, a rare 12th game for an FCS school, with FBS opponent New Mexico State, then failed to provide a new weight room from the game’s payout as he and Hamilton had agreed to before the game was scheduled.

Jones said he continued to work without a contract until August when he hired Lefft, who wrote a letter to Hamilton in an attempt to obtain one. A contract was signed three days later, but the suit says, many of the details Jones and Ross had agreed on were not in the document.

After the season, Hamilton declined to renew the contracts for seven assistant coaches, who say they learned of their firings on a television report. Jones said he didn’t know the coaches would not have their one-year contracts renewed.

However, Lefft’s letter does mention that Hamilton intended to not rehire ‘‘several of his coaches because he intends to reduce his line item for salaries for next year.’’

Hamilton has refused to further discuss why the coaches were fired.

‘‘State law doesn’t require me to provide a reason,’’ Hamilton said on Dec. 3.

The coaches were reinstated days later after Jones challenged the dismissals.

When they returned to work, Lefft said Ross, who is also a defendant in Jones’ lawsuit, signed off on funds for recruiting.

‘‘They submit it to the president … including a requisition for coach Jones to go out and recruit and the president’s office signs it … and the next day when he is on the road they send him a letter saying that it’s their intention to terminate him,’’ Lefft said.

Jones’ lawsuit ask for unspecified damages for interference with his contract and breach of contract, plus court costs and attorneys’ fees.

Meanwhile, the coach is on the road.

‘‘It is a challenge,’’ Lefft said. ‘‘But he is going to do his job. It is the coach’s intention that he is going to be the coach at Alcorn next year, so he’s trying to get the very best players he can for he and his staff to be successful.’’