June Jones resigns at Hawaii

[WarTiger 3,916]

could be on his way to SMU..

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3183007

HONOLULU -- June Jones has resigned as Hawaii's football coach, reports said Saturday.

Kent Untermann, a former Hawaii player and member of Na Koa, the school's booster club, told KHNL that Jones' was leaving because of frustration with how the athletic department was run, not because he felt his salary was too low.

"He wants to be here but he has come to the point where he feels nothing is going to change," Untermann said. "He feels he has done his part but hasn't gotten the support and leadership from the administration."

Jones, 54, who just finished coaching the most successful season in Hawaii history, is being courted by SMU for its head coach opening.

Jones was en route to Dallas on Saturday to talk to SMU officials and could not be reached for comment.

The Dallas Morning News reported SMU has offered Jones between $1.7 million and $2 million a year.

Jones currently earns $800,016 a year under a five-year contract with Hawaii that expires June 30.

The Honolulu Advertiser, citing Jones' friend Al Souza, reported Jones resigned Saturday morning.

Jones said he would leave the university because of a lack of commitment from athletic department leaders, among other reasons, the paper said.

"This breaks his heart," Souza said.

Jones also sent letters to friends announcing that he is resigning, the Advertiser and television reports said.

He thanked his friends for their support in the letter, in which he listed several reasons why he would no longer coach at the school. Full details of the letter were not available.

Untermann held on to the hope Jones could still be persuaded to remain in Hawaii.

"I don't give up easily. Even if he semiofficially resigned, if he hasn't taken the job with SMU there's always a last-minute hope there's something we can do," Untermann said.

Reports of the resignation came even though Hawaii offered Jones a new contract that would make him the highest paid coach in the Western Athletic Conference.

Hawaii would not say how much it offered Jones. But figures provided by the university show Fresno State's Pat Hill, who earns an annual salary of $1,229,996, is currently the highest-paid WAC coach.

Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier said he asked Jones to call him before deciding on SMU's offer.

The Warriors finished this season 12-0 before losing to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl -- the school's first bowl appearance on the mainland since 1992.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[quietfan 233]

I understand the difference in $$$, and his concern if the Hawaii PTB aren't as committed as he likes.

But in terms of living conditions, leaving a paradise like Hawaii for central Texas? ...tough decision!

[PChamp119 96]

Again... there goes loyalty in sports. Even the state of Hawaii isn't even good enough for some people. "Yea, I had a great job in paradise, but I've decided to go to the worst program in football, located just outside of Dallas."

[AU alum 2]

It would be hard to turn down a job to double your salary.

[PChamp119 96]

It would be hard to turn down a job to double your salary.

I agree, but... it's Hawaii. How much money do you need? I'm sure he knows what he is doing, just... wow...

[wakeriderof87 31]

Ever tried to live in Hawaii? His salary is doubling and living there will probably cost half as much.

I think he is wanting to be able to recruit better players, while SMU isn't a better program than Hawaii, it is in a much better place recruiting wise. He saw last week that he could never compete with the big dogs at Hawaii, at least at SMU he can pick up some players from Texas that want to play immediately in the Run n Shoot. Also its a step toward getting a job at a real program

[CircleDrill 178]

I understand you guys saying "it's Hawaii....what more do you need," but it's a little different coming from us who only visit there than from those Alpha-male Coach personalities who want to compete and live there. I've heard that it's extremely hard to recruit from Hawaii, among other things.

June Jones realized that this year's Hawaii team is as good as it is going to get for them, and anyone who watched the Sugar Bowl saw that it still ain't very good. They would not have had a winning season in a real conference.

I can actually understand him leaving. He has made a silk purse out of a sow's ear over there and his market value is as high as it will ever be right now, so it's a wise move for him.

[SouthLink02 8]

Hawaii's recruiting budget is nothing, their facilities are a JOKE compared to others, and traveling to away games has to be terrible (or maybe that is my hatred for flying though I do it often)

[AUloggerhead 2,252]

I understand you guys saying "it's Hawaii....what more do you need," but it's a little different coming from us who only visit there than from those Alpha-male Coach personalities who want to compete and live there. I've heard that it's extremely hard to recruit from Hawaii, among other things.

June Jones realized that this year's Hawaii team is as good as it is going to get for them, and anyone who watched the Sugar Bowl saw that it still ain't very good. They would not have had a winning season in a real conference.

I can actually understand him leaving. He has made a silk purse out of a sow's ear over there and his market value is as high as it will ever be right now, so it's a wise move for him.

Bingo. Suppose he turns around SMU in a couple of years the same way he turned around Hawaii? His stock will be even higher. He went as far with Hawaii as he could go.

[AuburnChopper1 0]

I've not lived in Hawaii, but from everyone I've known that was stationed there in the AF, and others that have lived there, it's NOT a paradise. Yes, some people love it, but a lot of people who live there for a while start to recognize quickly that they're on an island. There is no place to go, and it's very expensive. There is also the ever present "next" tourist around the corner making life difficult for locals.

There's a LOT of different reasons, but for those not on vacation, it's a little different.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Remember after last season when Colt Brennan trashed the UH Athletic Dept for not supporting the program? I know he went on and on about conditions there and facilities etc.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I've not lived in Hawaii, but from everyone I've known that was stationed there in the AF, and others that have lived there, it's NOT a paradise. Yes, some people love it, but a lot of people who live there for a while start to recognize quickly that they're on an island. There is no place to go, and it's very expensive. There is also the ever present "next" tourist around the corner making life difficult for locals.

There's a LOT of different reasons, but for those not on vacation, it's a little different.

I went to Hawaii a few years ago and have no desire to go back. I was very disappointed. I had much rather go on to the Tahitian Islands (Moorea, Bora Bora, etc.). They are more like Hawaii was years ago when it earned it's reputation as a paradise. I'd rather spend my time in the Virgin Islands than Hawaii and they are a lot closer.

[jw 4 au 526]

WHO CARES!!!

[TitanTiger 20,509]

Again... there goes loyalty in sports. Even the state of Hawaii isn't even good enough for some people. "Yea, I had a great job in paradise, but I've decided to go to the worst program in football, located just outside of Dallas."

You've got to be kidding me with the "there goes loyalty" jag. Jones has stayed at UH longer than anyone with those facilities and recruiting budgets would ever be expected to. If anyone isn't showing loyalty, it's UH by continuing to be obstinant. The man took over a program that was 0-12 the year before and hadn't had a winning season in 7 years and went 9-4 his first season. Hawaii is a school that shouldn't be able to compete at all and he has flat put them on the map.

SMU is a nice school in a beautiful area of Dallas, has nice facilities and plenty of money to compete again. To toss the accusation of "disloyal" at a guy who has given 9 seasons to a program that gives nothing back to make his job easier and help them move to the next step is ridiculous. Most other coaches would have cashed in long ago after 3 seasons and Jones stuck it out, taking UH to places it has never been before.

[Guest mtn_tgr]

It was just said during the GMAC Bowl that he may stay. They said Hawaii is in the workings of making a counter offer to him to attempt to get him to stay.