Report: June Jones resigns at Hawaii

[jmcclain19]

Pretty shocking timing if true

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/...010608aab.html

Reports: Jones Resigns As Hawaii Football Coach
June Jones has resigned as the University of Hawaii's football coach

Jan. 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.

"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."

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.

The Warriors finished the season 12-1, losing to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl - the school's first bowl appearance on the mainland since 1992.

[reds44]

I don't think it's shocking when you consider his contract was up. He'll go to SMU now.

[pedro]

I don't know Josh, not sure I find it shocking at all. At least not now.

OTOH, I lived in Atlanta when June was coach of the Falcons and I surely didn't see this day then, I can tell you that.

[KronoRed]

Hawaii to SMU doesn't seem like much of a step up.

[reds44]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

Hawaii to SMU doesn't seem like much of a step up.

$$$$$$$

[pedro]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

Hawaii to SMU doesn't seem like much of a step up.

While I'm no fan of Texas, having spent a lot of time in Honolulu myself, I can see where it could be pretty limiting over the long term.

[jmcclain19]

Personally - he's seen as a god in Hawaii and has shown that he can take his team to the BCS.

Or maybe he realized that he just caught lightning in the bottle with this year's team and wants to get out before it all goes crashing downhill. Suddenly 8-4 doesn't sound so hot when you've won 12 and done the BCS dance the year before.

And SMU just seems like a lateral at best move for him. If he is wise, he'll sit out this year's round and wait for the next year of head coaching jobs to open up. Could be lots of high profile BCS jobs open due to firings - Arizona, Notre Dame, Washington, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Syracuse - and I'd bet cash money that next year is the year that Jeff Tedford moves on to greener pastures after he has his own June Jones moment at Cal.

[Unassisted]

I heard a Honolulu sports radio guy tonight who said June was facing a lot of inertia from school administration there to upgrade the stadium and practice facilities. Apparently their facilities were falling behind their peers in the WAC and June was afraid it would hurt recruiting.

It's both amazing and telling (about the aforementioned inertia) that June worked to the end of his contract. When was the last time you heard of a D-1 coach doing that?

The reporter thinks he's gone and I do too. He can work some magic at SMU, bring home more money and not have to deal with the bureaucracy of a public university.