Poor $mu!

[UNTflyer]

Agent Leigh Steinberg said June Jones, moved by e-mails and phone calls from Hawaii supporters, is having a change of heart and is reconsidering a decision to become Southern Methodist University's next football coach. Steinberg said Jones arrived in Dallas today with the intent of joining SMU, but those plans have been put on hold.

Steinberg also said the UH president David McClain has assumed a lead role in negotiations. McClain, according to Steinberg, has addressed many of Jones' concerns about improving the UH athletic facilities.

Steinberg said he expects Jones to make a decision by early tomorrow.

Jones, whose five-year contract expires June 30, is the winningest football coach at UH, compiling a 76-41 record and seven winning seasons in his nine years at Manoa.

Jones reportedly was offered a five-year deal with an annual salary of up to $2 million to become SMU's head football coach.

UH, which made no contact with Jones or Steinberg during the 2007 season, tried to make a last-ditch attempt to keep Jones, offering as much as a reported $1.7 million. Jones' salary was $800,016 a year.

But Steinberg said, "the issue of June's compensation has never been June's concern. June's focus has been the facilities, and the ability to take the program to the next level. And I'll leave it at that."

Jones was hired by UH in December 1998 and resurrected a football program that had just finished the season at 0-12. He received a five-year contract extension and a raise from $320,000 in 2003. Since then, Jones had four winning seasons in five years, earned four bowl berths, and accumulated records of 11-3 and 12-1 the past two seasons. The 2007 season was capped by the school's first invitation to a Bowl Championship Series bowl, the Sugar Bowl in the Superdome in New Orleans.

According to close friend Al Souza, Jones resigned yesterday, a move that allowed Jones to formally entertain an offer from SMU, which has been without a head coach since firing Phil Bennett Oct. 28.

SMU has raised $10 million to give the next head coach during the life of a five-year contract.

SMU is a member of the 12-team Conference USA and finished 1-11 overall and 0-8 in the conference last season. The Conference USA, like the Western

Athletic Conference in which UH is a member, is not one of the six BCS conferences with an automatic berth to a BCS bowl.

Steinberg said Jones was inundated with calls and e-mails from fans imploring him to remain at UH.

"It was heart-wrenching," Steinberg said.

Steinberg said Jones was moved by the outpouring.

In an e-mail distributed to select friends Saturday, Jones included a copy of the letter of resignation he sent to athletic director Herman Frazier.

Souza said Jones broke down in tears as he mulled his decision Friday night.

"He doesn't want to leave," Souza said.

Last summer, Jones told UH officials that he would not negotiate a contract extension between the start and end of the recently completed season.

Frazier said the Board of Regents did not approve a measure to increase the ceiling for the head coach's salary until last July, not leaving him enough time to assemble an offer by Jones' deadline.

Frazier confirmed he did not have contract talks with Steinberg during the 2007 regular season.

In an e-mail to Frazier on Christmas Eve, Jones requested permission for Steinberg to listen to offers from other suitors. Frazier gave his blessing.

In an e-mail to Frazier on Dec. 26, Steinberg wrote that he was contacted by a school with a "time-sensitive situation." That school, it turned out, was SMU.

On Thursday, SMU asked Frazier for permission to interview Jones. Frazier gave his approval.

That night, Frazier, UH president David McClain and Manoa chancellor Virginia Hinshaw offered Jones a contract of about $1.1 million a year.

The next day, the UH trio told Jones they would make a second offer, even before hearing a response to the first proposal.

That second offer, according to Jones' friends, was close to $1.7 million annually.

But the second offer did not include any provisions promising improvement to facilities or added resources for the football program.

Frazier said his main focus was to make an initial financial offer, then work on the other concerns in future discussions.

Frazier said if Jones were to leave, he would release him from the final six months of his UH contract.

[Green Crazy]

I see this as a tactic to get more money from smu.

[UNTflyer]

I see this as a tactic to get more money from smu.

If SMU hadn't already exceeded the initial $1 - 1.5 million they started offering, I would agree.

[ADLER]

Poor SMU is right. I have never seen a fan base get it's chain yanked so many times and suffer so many letdowns as those people have been through this year.

June Jones has the ability to revive their program. Hopefully this works out for them.

[VideoEagle]

Number one, I want to write I'm NOT an SMU fan, but..

If this is true, 1. Orisini and the current SMU administration didn't do anything to deserver this kind of treatment.

2. Jones should be negotiating through his agent, not letters, the media or web sites

3. SMU has more than enough going for their program to not have to deal with this kind of s**t. They raised $10 million for a coach and staff, that can get someone with integrity.

I hope we beat SMU like a red-headed step child everytime we play them, but IF this is true, it’s ridiculous.

[good_ken]

Number one, I want to write I'm NOT an SMU fan, but..

If this is true, 1. Orisini and the current SMU administration didn't do anything to deserver this kind of treatment.

2. Jones should be negotiating through his agent, not letters, the media or web sites

3. SMU has more than enough going for their program to not have to deal with this kind of s**t. They raised $10 million for a coach and staff, that can get someone with integrity.

I hope we beat SMU like a red-headed step child everytime we play them, but IF this is true, it’s ridiculous.

If Jones has been Orsini's target all along, then I can feel a little bad for them.

If not, then Orsini should be fired. He canned Bennet in October 2007. Bennet was the first coach to be fired, all so that they could sort this out before recruiting season.

Jones is going to turn them down, and then they are gonna have to ask Coker/Fran/Shula," we really wanted you, please take our money."

[UNTFan23]

If this is true, SMU will be left standing at the alter ... again.

I think they held out too long on JJ. They should have been talking with some other potential coaches in order for this not to happen.

[NM Green]

Leaving Hawaii has to be one of the most difficult things to do. It is not like leaving California, Florida or even Texas. The people are truly family and after hearing about his emotions I think he stays in Hawaii. He could become Hawaiian Royalty like if he stays now and with a substantial raise, commitment to facilities - why on earth would he leave.

You don't move to Hawaii to make money and life a lavish lifestyle. You don't leave Hawaii because the place and people are not healthy to be around. You leave Hawaii for opportunity and to build your resume. If he can build the University of the state he loves and has resurrected athletically, why on earth leave paradise and the lifestyle it offers.

My decision to leave Hawaii last year was excruciating and it had to be SNAP, because the emotional drain brought on by the pain of the people, the aloha spirit, the sunsets, morning runs on the beach, sunday hibachis at Sandy's, hiking to the top of makaapu to watch the sun come up over the sea, oh yeah and the occasional whale jumping out of the ocean, makes it a truly challenging place to leave.

Now I hope Jones stays in Hawaii and listens to his heart.

Go Hawaii!

GMG

[trud1966]

Man, I have to admit, even though I cant stand SMU, I ACTUALLY feel sorry for them. That program is snake-bitten with a curse worse than the Kennedy's.

[Eagle1855]

Number one, I want to write I'm NOT an SMU fan, but..

If this is true, 1. Orisini and the current SMU administration didn't do anything to deserver this kind of treatment.

2. Jones should be negotiating through his agent, not letters, the media or web sites

3. SMU has more than enough going for their program to not have to deal with this kind of s**t. They raised $10 million for a coach and staff, that can get someone with integrity.

I hope we beat SMU like a red-headed step child everytime we play them, but IF this is true, it’s ridiculous.

well said, completely agree.

[jgb0607]

Leaving Hawaii has to be one of the most difficult things to do. It is not like leaving California, Florida or even Texas. The people are truly family and after hearing about his emotions I think he stays in Hawaii. He could become Hawaiian Royalty like if he stays now and with a substantial raise, commitment to facilities - why on earth would he leave.

You don't move to Hawaii to make money and life a lavish lifestyle. You don't leave Hawaii because the place and people are not healthy to be around. You leave Hawaii for opportunity and to build your resume. If he can build the University of the state he loves and has resurrected athletically, why on earth leave paradise and the lifestyle it offers.

My decision to leave Hawaii last year was excruciating and it had to be SNAP, because the emotional drain brought on by the pain of the people, the aloha spirit, the sunsets, morning runs on the beach, sunday hibachis at Sandy's, hiking to the top of makaapu to watch the sun come up over the sea, oh yeah and the occasional whale jumping out of the ocean, makes it a truly challenging place to leave.

Now I hope Jones stays in Hawaii and listens to his heart.

Go Hawaii!

GMG

I could not agree with you more! I simply love Hawaii and was married there this past September. 16 days and four islands later, my wife and I were enchanted by the people and the unworldly beauty of the islands. If it was'nt for family, friends and our careers, we would be planning to move right now. I also have family in Southern California and have spent a lot of time on the beach there. As much as I love that part of the country too, it holds NOTHING to the Aloha state.

I do not see this as a ploy or yanking of Smut's chain. I truly believe JJ really is having a change of heart.