Smu Coaching Rumors

Smitty · December 24, 2007

ESPN this afternoon was suggesting that Franchione is the leader for the SMU job, and said he was on campus yesterday.

However, they also said that SMU has a pending interview with a standing head coach who will be interviewed after his team's bowl game. One of their talking heads said that coach is June Jones at Hawaii.

UNTflyer · December 24, 2007

ESPN this afternoon was suggesting that Franchione is the leader for the SMU job, and said he was on campus yesterday.
However, they also said that SMU has a pending interview with a standing head coach who will be interviewed after his team's bowl game. One of their talking heads said that coach is June Jones at Hawaii.

I call BS. June Jones would leave Mānoa, Hawaii where be built a BCS-berth school to go to uptown Dallas and start from scratch?

But if true, that means another week of no recruiting.

Edited December 24, 2007 by UNTflyer

DeepGreen · December 24, 2007

ESPN this afternoon was suggesting that Franchione is the leader for the SMU job, and said he was on campus yesterday.
However, they also said that SMU has a pending interview with a standing head coach who will be interviewed after his team's bowl game. One of their talking heads said that coach is June Jones at Hawaii.

June Jones would be going backwards in his career. That is, unless the money is better at Smut, or Jones is getting tired of living on a rock.

BIG DAWG · December 24, 2007

Jones is getting tired of living on a rock

That is one hell of a rock though

untphd · December 24, 2007

That is one hell of a rock though

I lived there for two years, you can't wait to get off the rock. The local's call it island fever and will talk to you all day about having been to California or about how they are going to go.

NT80 · December 24, 2007

I lived there for two years, you can't wait to get off the rock. The local's call it island fever and will talk to you all day about having been to California or about how they are going to go.

I'd love to be there, but hear it's very expensive to live there, even away from tourist spots? Does the island just seem too small and isolated or what causes the island fever?

As for June Jones, he was a guest in the pressbox during the Hawaii Bowl last night (Boise/ECU). He was talking about drawing 50,000 for the UH/Boise game and how the Island has really come around to support his program. I can't see him leaving to come to SMUt and then trying to recruit there for his speed style offense.

UNTflyer · December 24, 2007

I'd love to be there, but hear it's very expensive to live there, even away from tourist spots? Does the island just seem too small and isolated or what causes the island fever?

I lived in Guantanamo as a teenager. I think it's more that you just know you CAN'T go anywhere outside the borders of the base, or in the case of Hawaii, the island shores.

NT80 · December 25, 2007

However, they also said that SMU has a pending interview with a standing head coach who will be interviewed after his team's bowl game. One of their talking heads said that coach is June Jones at Hawaii.

SMU looking at Hawaii football coach for vacancy

Interest in June Jones may be a reason search has yet to conclude

08:53 PM CST on Monday, December 24, 2007

By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News

khairopoulos@dallasnews.com

SMU is interested in Hawaii coach June Jones as its new football coach, according to a source with knowledge of the school's search.

The interest may help explain why SMU is still looking for a coach despite firing Phil Bennett on Oct. 28.

Jones has led Hawaii to a 12-0 record and the Allstate Sugar Bowl – one of five Bowl Championship Series games – against Georgia on Jan. 1 at the Louisiana Superdome.

A Hawaii spokesman could not be reached Monday evening, though as recently as last week, SMU had not asked Hawaii for permission to speak with Jones. SMU has declined comment on candidates while its search is ongoing.

Jones is known for his prolific run-and-shoot offense that helped quarterback Colt Brennan become a Heisman finalist this season. He is 76-40 in nine seasons at Hawaii.

Prior to revamping the Warriors in 1999, Jones spent 12 years in the NFL, including head coaching jobs at Atlanta and San Diego.

Jones, who spent part of his collegiate career playing at Hawaii, was also an assistant with the Houston Oilers.

June Jones has led Colt Brennan and Hawaii to the Allstate Sugar Bowl this season. Jones' current five-year, $4-million deal with Hawaii reportedly ends in July, and no new deal has been reached.

SMU athletic director Steve Orsini has raised around $10 million for the new coach and staff.

SMU, which has had only two non-losing seasons since 1989, has also reportedly interviewed former Miami coach Larry Coker and had contact with former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione.

Former Navy coach Paul Johnson interviewed in Dallas days before accepting the Georgia Tech job.

dodgefan · December 25, 2007

Hawaii is 12-0, playing Jan. 1st, in a BCS Bowl. I have doubts about this, but who know? It would be a shocker for sure.

stebo · December 25, 2007

Hawaii is currently paying Jones about $800K a year. That is a ton of scratch for a non-auto-bid BCS conference coach (I hate that phrase)... Jones' contract runs up in July. If SMU throws double the salary at him then who knows... maybe he will take it. I think that his QB is graduating and he might want to take advantage of the situation. Things can go sour quickly in the mid major world. I think that Hawaii is going to get pummeled by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The WAC was really down this year. Hawaii's schedule was very easy - and all they had to do was beat a bunch of terrible schools and run the WAC table... not hard to do. Even Boise, who was great just last year got beat up by a non-ranked ECU team in the Hawaii Bowl. They got it close but if you watched the game, ECU was in control from the beginning. The WAC is really bad, and running the table in the WAC was not that tough to do this year. The Belt teams should follow the Boise/Hawaii formula and schedule down to a pansy ass OOC schedule and hope to run the table in the Belt... if a team like Troy were to do that, or FAU... or even NT, we could be the talk of the country, just like Utah, Boise, and Hawaii. Everybody likes an undefeated team that isn't getting enough recognition. If it can happen in the WAC, it can certainly happen in the Belt... in fact our teams have an even better chance of making it happen due to less conference games. Load up with MAC, IAA, and lower level auto-bid competition - run the Belt, and we could have an undefeated team in the top 16, just like the WAC has done TWICE now.

STE · December 26, 2007

Hawaii is currently paying Jones about $800K a year. That is a ton of scratch for a non-auto-bid BCS conference coach (I hate that phrase)... Jones' contract runs up in July. If SMU throws double the salary at him then who knows... maybe he will take it. I think that his QB is graduating and he might want to take advantage of the situation. Things can go sour quickly in the mid major world. I think that Hawaii is going to get pummeled by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The WAC was really down this year. Hawaii's schedule was very easy - and all they had to do was beat a bunch of terrible schools and run the WAC table... not hard to do. Even Boise, who was great just last year got beat up by a non-ranked ECU team in the Hawaii Bowl. They got it close but if you watched the game, ECU was in control from the beginning. The WAC is really bad, and running the table in the WAC was not that tough to do this year. The Belt teams should follow the Boise/Hawaii formula and schedule down to a pansy ass OOC schedule and hope to run the table in the Belt... if a team like Troy were to do that, or FAU... or even NT, we could be the talk of the country, just like Utah, Boise, and Hawaii. Everybody likes an undefeated team that isn't getting enough recognition. If it can happen in the WAC, it can certainly happen in the Belt... in fact our teams have an even better chance of making it happen due to less conference games. Load up with MAC, IAA, and lower level auto-bid competition - run the Belt, and we could have an undefeated team in the top 16, just like the WAC has done TWICE now.

Except in the Belt – every team has to schedule 2-3 money bag games and the strength of schedule for conference games in the Belt isn’t as strong as it is the WAC. In other words, Hawaii gets more credit for beating Boise than Florida Atlantic would get for beating Troy.

Nothing is going to change between the Belt and the WAC in terms of the WAC being superior unless the WAC implodes or the Belt starts generating a lot more money. I think everything in college ball is tied to money which coincides with coaching.

You can have a situation where Monroe beats Alabama every once in a while or a situation where the Belt has a better Sagrins rating that Conf USA for a year – that’s what makes college ball great. However, on the whole, I believe a team’s/conference’s long term success is generally tied to money. The money of course leads to the individual schools ability to hire a good head coach and their ability to retain him and/or attract a good successor.

If you go to www.coacheshotseat.com you can compare the salaries of the WAC coaches to those of the Belt. The WAC teams are so far ahead of us it isn’t even close. The average salary in the WAC is $546,555 more than double that of the belt – $264,500 ($255,111 if you add in W. Kentucky).

Of course there are a few teams in the WAC that skew that average up (Hawaii, Boise, Fresno). However, the teams that skew their average down are the former Sun Belt teams. Moreover, it’s no coincidence that the teams with the best recognition/success are the teams with the highest paid coaches.

I doubt very seriously, we are going to see any Belt teams running the table with a coach averaging in the 250K range a year. I also doubt that we are going to see many and/or several Belt teams increase their salaries to be competitive with the WAC when our conference as a whole fails to generate the interest/money/bowl exposure that the WAC generates.

I don’t think anyone outside our conference really cares if Florida Atlantic beats Troy or vice versa. And that’s not going change anytime soon. The divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is only getting wider. One only has to look at what UH, SMU and/or Baylor are paying their coaches and/or are willing to pay to see the difference. Consequently, you have to ask yourself – what’s more likely – elevating UNT or the whole Sun Belt conference?

Having said all of that, I think we were very lucky to get Dodge with the salary we are paying. I also think that we are unique in the sense that we are one of the largest universities in the State in one of the largest metro areas in the country. Consequently, I believe we have the potential/alumni base to raise the money necessary to pull ourselves up by the boot straps and elevate our selves out of this conference and into respectability.

To really generate that type of support however we are going to have to find a large donor or tap into the average fan and/or potential fan. We're going to have to do better than just the hare core types on this board. We’re going to have to get the guy who attended UNT for 2 years and dropped out or the guy who graduated without ever attending a game or the family who lives in Denton. I think this would be a lot easier to do in the WAC or in Conf USA or some new variation thereof. I think it's a lot harder proposition in the Belt.

NM Green · December 26, 2007

Something about finding out that you are living in the most isolated populated land mass in the world - 2500 miles from the nearest land - San Francisco. I spent 3 amazing years in Hawaii and would go back in a heartbeat, but it definitely brings it into perspective when you are an 8 hour flight from Dallas and an 8 hour flight from Tokyo.

Jones would be smart to get out now - but smu? I guess if the money talks and it would certainly be a new challenge. What are his long range goals because exposure would be greater on the mainland for sure - does he want a big time program? Does he want back in the NFL? If not, stay on the rock, hibachi on the beach, surf the north shore and watch all the freezing people on the weather channel and say, "gosh am I glad I am not there."

Disagree on the Belt team not busting the bcs. If a Troy, NT, FAU ran the table we will be in a bcs bowl. We all play tougher teams than what Hawaii did this year.

By the way received all the Hawaii gear in the mail for Christmas, so I am rooting for the Bows to pull the upset! GO COLT!

GMG

NT80 · December 26, 2007

I don’t think anyone outside our conference really cares if Florida Atlantic beats Troy or vice versa. And that’s not going change anytime soon. The divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is only getting wider. One only has to look at what UH, SMU and/or Baylor are paying their coaches and/or are willing to pay to see the difference. Consequently, you have to ask yourself – what’s more likely – elevating UNT or the whole Sun Belt conference?
Having said all of that, I think we were very lucky to get Dodge with the salary we are paying. I also think that we are unique in the sense that we are one of the largest universities in the State in one of the largest metro areas in the country. Consequently, I believe we have the potential/alumni base to raise the money necessary to pull ourselves up by the boot straps and elevate our selves out of this conference and into respectability.
To really generate that type of support however we are going to have to find a large donor or tap into the average fan and/or potential fan. We're going to have to do better than just the hare core types on this board. We’re going to have to get the guy who attended UNT for 2 years and dropped out or the guy who graduated without ever attending a game or the family who lives in Denton. I think this would be a lot easier to do in the WAC or in Conf USA or some new variation thereof. I think it's a lot harder proposition in the Belt.

Good post. We are very fortunate to have Dodge for what we pay. The SBC is still bottom of the 1-A food chain and sustained success will get a coach a look by the next rung. Troy's coach had an interview with I believe Houston and probably would have had others had Troy won the conference and Bowl game. The Troy OC did get promoted to Auburn. NT needs to get up to that next level as a conference member ASAP. I still believe the WAC is a step up, although an expensive step but it wouldn't have to be for long if it helped us eventually gain a preferred CUSA spot. All it takes is more $$ from supporters, for better facilities and coaching $ecurity.

OldTimer · December 26, 2007

ESPN this afternoon was suggesting that Franchione is the leader for the SMU job, and said he was on campus yesterday.
However, they also said that SMU has a pending interview with a standing head coach who will be interviewed after his team's bowl game. One of their talking heads said that coach is June Jones at Hawaii.

TODAYS NEWS (12-26) IS THAT JUNE LONES IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE SMU JOB......THAT LEAVES FRANCHIONE?

GoMeanGreen1999 · December 26, 2007

TODAYS NEWS (12-26) IS THAT JUNE LONES IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE SMU JOB......THAT LEAVES FRANCHIONE?

Shows you how far Franchione has fallen off the job radar if SMU is basically his only choice. I think he is probably a pretty good coach, it's just that he took over an Aggie program with such high expectations from the fans that they were basically unachievable.

Eagle1855 · December 26, 2007

Shows you how far Franchione has fallen off the job radar if SMU is basically his only choice. I think he is probably a pretty good coach, it's just that he took over an Aggie program with such high expectations from the fans that they were basically unachievable.

There is no reason why A&M shouldn't be a 8-10 win team every year, so I don't think their fan's expectations are unachievable by any means. There is no reason for Javorsky Lane to not touch the ball til the 4th qtr of their game against OU. The guy made questionable- at best- play calls and gameplan decisions all year. Where was the offense we saw against UT all year? I think Fran is an above average recruiter and a below average coach that basically rode LT to his last 2 coaching gigs.

Anyways, Im glad Jones isn't interested in the SMU job. Last thing we need is more competition for a high-powered passing offense.

Edited December 26, 2007 by Eagle1855

GoMeanGreen1999 · December 27, 2007

There is no reason why A&M shouldn't be a 8-10 win team every year, so I don't think their fan's expectations are unachievable by any means. There is no reason for Javorsky Lane to not touch the ball til the 4th qtr of their game against OU. The guy made questionable- at best- play calls and gameplan decisions all year. Where was the offense we saw against UT all year? I think Fran is an above average recruiter and a below average coach that basically rode LT to his last 2 coaching gigs.
Anyways, Im glad Jones isn't interested in the SMU job. Last thing we need is more competition for a high-powered passing offense.

I thought he did fairly well at Bama his second season. I forgot though about the OU game, and you do have a good point question on where that offense that played UT was all season. I still think he would be a good fit at SMU.

I have no idea why June Jones would go to SMU. If you can build Hawaii to a top 25 team with a recruiting budget of 50,000, doing no recruiting on the mainland, you have a pretty good idea of what you are doing.

Edited December 27, 2007 by GoMeanGreen1999