June Jones...from DMN

[TheBestAvailable]

The three best players I've had in this program were Pisa Tinoisamoa (now a linebacker with the St. Louis Rams), Colt Brennan and Davone Bess, and I recruited all three of them from jail," Jones says. "We can't get a kid like that to come to Hawaii. If a kid like that doesn't have legal trouble, he's going to USC or Colorado or somewhere."

THE ANSWER: None of these guys get into SMU

Have you ever heard of sarcasm? I don't think he meant for you to take that statement literally.

[Stallion]

I've been fully aware of all these stories for some time-he is not being sarcastic-UH is a "Second Chance U". Not trying to be disrespectful because it makes me throw up to hear fans reveling over the legal problems of their rival players. My point is not to judge them-just to point out none of these guys are getting into SMU. See the articles about the legal problems of each and how no other schools would touch these players.


http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:nb5 ... cd=4&gl=us

[Pony^]

because Hawai'i, 2,500 miles from Los Angeles, can't recruit top prep talent the way other major college programs do. While plenty of teens like to go away to college, few want to make at least a 5-hour plane trip to get back home.

"We're 0 for 500. It just doesn't happen," Jones said. "It's becoming more of a possibility, but as of now, it's about a 0 percent chance, unless they have a tie here."

Also, recruiting and facilities suck in Hawaii. Further, the school has a very minimal budget for recruiting on the mainland.

I think JJ could recruit a lot more successfully at SMU than at Hawaii due to location, facilities and a reasonable recruiting budget. SMU would not need to become Second Chance U.

[EastStang]

I must assume that if Orsini was waiting this long to officially include Jones in the process, there must have been some unofficial interest expressed to Orsini by Jones. Orsini isn't rose colored glasses stupid. That's at least one theory on all of this. Why else have we passed on Fran, Bower, Neuheisel, Bowden, Barnett, and Coker this long if there wasn't a gem we were waiting and thought we had a legitimate shot at landing.

[TCU owns YOU]

Prior to revamping the Warriors in 1999, Jones spent 12 years in the NFL.

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

June Jones has been HC at Hawaii for 9 years and was a player there before.... I don't see him leaving....and certainly not for a lateral non-BCS move.

Why in the hell is SMU interviewing Coker. That guy does less with more than anyone in football history. He inherited a Miami program that sent more players to NFL than any cfb team in history. They coasted to a MNC and then he destroyed the program to its current non-Top25.

FRAN IS THE MAN!

[Roach]

Here's what I've heard from a friend in the industry. Read as much or as little into this as you like.

• Jones HAS expressed interest in SMU to friends. That doesn't mean he's coming to Dallas by any means — but it does suggest that he is curious enough to look further into this.
• He absolutely loves living in Hawaii (who wouldn't?)
• He is frustrated by the comically small budget out there — seems like EVERY dollar goes into travel for the team.
• He is irate that university officials want to spend much (if not all) of the Sugar Bowl money on upgrades on university-wide facilities, not just the football program.
• I can't believe this is true, but my guy told me that Hawaii's entire recruiting budget is $60,000. I'd be willing to bet we're paying more to the two guys (Stigall/Ross) who are holding down the fort right now. If Steve-O has raised $10-12 million for the program, I'm fairly certain the recruiting budget will dwarf that $60K.
• He recruits from a very small pool of players, and seems to think Texas and the surrounding states has a greater pool of talent.

That's what I heard from someone who knows a lot more folks in coaching than I do. Again, take that for what it's worth.

[Pony^]

• I can't believe this is true, but my guy told me that Hawaii's entire recruiting budget is $60,000.

I think it's $50,000.


http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsne ... mpion.html

http://uhfootball.blogspot.com/2007/12/ ... -bess.html

[EastStang]

Not sure who leaked this to Kate. If the leak came from Jones agent's camp, then this is a Jones ploy to get some concessions out of Hawaii. If the leak came from our side, then either Jones is not a candidate and we're sweating another candidate out, or we have someone who is incredibly stupid who leaked this information. Either way, I guess we'll know more by January 6.

[ponyinNC]

Not sure who leaked this to Kate. If the leak came from Jones agent's camp, then this is a Jones ploy to get some concessions out of Hawaii. If the leak came from our side, then either Jones is not a candidate and we're sweating another candidate out, or we have someone who is incredibly stupid who leaked this information. Either way, I guess we'll know more by January 6.

If you look at the timing, Kate's story came out first and then the Hawaii paper said JJ had no interest. Seems to me that the leak came from our side, as Kate says in her story "from a source close to the SMU search" or something like that. If JJ 's agent wanted to leak something, seems to me he would do it in Hawaii.

[EastStang]

Maybe, but then JJ would not be able to deny it in the Hawaii papers. Agent leaks to Kate, Kate publishes, then JJ denies it to Hawaii papers. Brilliant.