June Jones (official thread)

[DaddyBigBucks]

June Jones has resigned as Hawaii's head coach, according to a prominent member of "Na Koa", Hawaii's Booster Club. According to the member, Jones listed 19 conditions that were previously promised him that to date haven't been met (these conditions weren't conditions for him but rather for the program). The university denies receiving his resigniation letter, but Jones is currently enroute to Dallas to speak with SMU officials about the head coaching job.

When Spiels came back to Columbus after doing the Hawaii-BSU game, the first thing he mentioned on his radio show was how absolutely high-schoolish Hawaii's facilities were. Instead of coach's towers, they had a guy on a step-ladder filming practice. He went on from there, but that was one of the things that stuck in my memory.

Given #36's report on the facilities, it is easy to believe that Hawaii made promises to Mr. Jones that they have not kept.

 

[billmac91]

I think it'd be pretty cool to see SMU relevant again. I was too young the last time they were, but June Jones seems to be a good candidate to make them resepctable again.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Radio said his salary would at least be doubled and he's probably hit his zenith at Hawaii. Chance to dominate a weaker conference than the WAC and get into Texas talent. It'll be interesting to see how he does down there. The over on SMU games with CUSA's DOA defenses will make someone some money.

 

[sandgk]

Yahoo Sports piece on the resignation

Reports: Jones resigns as Hawaii football coach
January 6, 2008
HONOLULU (AP) -- June Jones has resigned as the University of Hawaii's football coach, according to reports Saturday.
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 of Jones' decision to leave.
Jones also sent letters to friends announcing that he is resigning, the Advertiser and television reports said.
Kent Untermann, a former Hawaii football player and a member of the Na Koa 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.

....The 54-year-old Jones just finished the most successful season in school history, and is being recruited by Southern Methodist University. 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.

Can't blame Jones for wanting a better chance at building a program, given the low investment possible in Hawaii.
But, if Jones does go to SMU should we start a watch for how long it takes before major infractions occur?

 

[HailToMichigan]

I think it'd be pretty cool to see SMU relevant again. I was too young the last time they were, but June Jones seems to be a good candidate to make them resepctable again.

I agree, I kind of dig SMU (old-school feel, cool unis and logo.) CUSA is just a small step above the MAC in quality, IMO, so there's no reason a good coach can't go to any school there and do well.

 

[BrutusBobcat]

There is no way on Earth that SMU will ever commit even the tiniest infraction between now and Judgment Day. The NCAA death penalty wiped that program out completely, and even 20 years later it's the sort of team that mid majors schedule as their OOC cupcake. This was once a true national power and legendary program which was killed by booster misbehavior, and there's not a chance that they'll risk anything like that again.

 

[Mike80]

When Spiels came back to Columbus after doing the Hawaii-BSU game, the first thing he mentioned on his radio show was how absolutely high-schoolish Hawaii's facilities were. Instead of coach's towers, they had a guy on a step-ladder filming practice. He went on from there, but that was one of the things that stuck in my memory.

Given #36's report on the facilities, it is easy to believe that Hawaii made promises to Mr. Jones that they have not kept.

I heard a story this week about how they actually filmed practice on a handicam that was won by June Jones in a golf outing.....

 

[HailToMichigan]

There is no way on Earth that SMU will ever commit even the tiniest infraction between now and Judgment Day. The NCAA death penalty wiped that program out completely, and even 20 years later it's the sort of team that mid majors schedule as their OOC cupcake. This was once a true national power and legendary program which was killed by booster misbehavior, and there's not a chance that they'll risk anything like that again.

Ahhhhh.....I wouldn't go that far. Even under Hayden Fry, they kinda sucked. They dominated for about four years, and it's probably not coincidental that they were punished for their behavior during that time. The death penalty smacked them down back to what they probably should have been all along.

It wasn't just booster misbehavior, by the way. The school itself was paying the players, and the university board itself lied to the NCAA about it. They were asking for that death penalty.

But your main point is definitely right. Most programs have something that sets them apart from everyone else. When you (OK, not you personally....I mean people around the country) think of Michigan, you think of the winged helmets and the big-ass stadium. Notre Dame, Touchdown Jesus and Rudy. Texas, the Hook 'em Horns sign. And SMU, the death penalty. There's no way the school is going to risk the NCAA going, "Oh, you guys again." That's probably part of the reason they've been doormats. I don't doubt they run the squeaky-cleanest program that side of the Mississippi.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

... This was once a true national power and legendary program which was killed by booster misbehavior, and there's not a chance that they'll risk anything like that again.

Ahhhhh.....I wouldn't go that far. Even under Hayden Fry, they kinda sucked. They dominated for about four years, and it's probably not coincidental that they were punished for their behavior during that time. The death penalty smacked them down back to what they probably should have been all along.

It wasn't just booster misbehavior, by the way. The school itself was paying the players, and the university board itself lied to the NCAA about it. They were asking for that death penalty.

But your main point is definitely right. Most programs have something that sets them apart from everyone else. When you (OK, not you personally....I mean people around the country) think of Michigan, you think of the winged helmets and the big-ass stadium. Notre Dame, Touchdown Jesus and Rudy. Texas, the Hook 'em Horns sign. And SMU, the death penalty. There's no way the school is going to risk the NCAA going, "Oh, you guys again." That's probably part of the reason they've been doormats. I don't doubt they run the squeaky-cleanest program that side of the Mississippi.

For the record, I just want to say that it's downright creepy when a Michigan fan expresses your thoughts on a subject so precisely. I need a shower.

 

[scooter1369]

C-USA with June Jones, Mike Price and George O'Leary.

Some big name coaches gathering in that conference.

 

[Muck]

Retreads have to matriculate somewhere.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Yahoo Sports piece on the resignation

Can't blame Jones for wanting a better chance at building a program, given the low investment possible in Hawaii.
But, if Jones does go to SMU should we start a watch for how long it takes before major infractions occur?

The Hawaii boosters are asking for the AD's (Herman Frazier's) head...they feel he's the real problem. Here's a Honolulu Advertiser article from a little over seven months ago that gives you an idea...

 

[sandgk]

That article was informative on more than one level - and I'm not soft soaping when I say that. :)
It had escaped my notice that Herman Frazier was the gold medal winning sprinter on the 4x400 '76 relay team.

Your local rag also has that Blame Game playing out front and center in the sports section.

Steinberg (Jones' agent) maintains there is a window of opportunity for UH to win back June Jones.

Is Norm Chow a possible HC candidate?

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif][SIZE=-1]Tennessee Titans' offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who has been prominently mentioned as a figure to be considered if there were to be an opening, said yesterday, "I've not given it one thought." Chow, a Punahou School alum and a former offensive coordinator at USC and Brigham Young, said, "I'm focused on our game with San Diego."[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[BrutusBobcat]

Ahhhhh.....I wouldn't go that far. Even under Hayden Fry, they kinda sucked. They dominated for about four years, and it's probably not coincidental that they were punished for their behavior during that time.

What? No love for Doak Walker? I mean, maybe SMU doesn't have the kind of 19th century tradition that you folks up north are accustomed to, but they did play some good football before 1980.

 

[808 Buck]

No June Jones decision yet
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Verdana]Advertiser Staff [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]The Dallas media expected an announcement on whether June Jones would become the next Southern Methodist University head football coach at 5 p.m. Central time (1 p.m. in Hawai'i). [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]But the projected time came and went, and now reporters have been told there will be a significant delay. It is not know if that means there's a snag in talks or whether details need to be worked out.[/FONT]

No June Jones decision yet - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper


The soap opera continues....