Mel DeLaura

[Ralph]

Mel DeLaura will be SMU new Strength and Conditioning Coach beginning Monday. He was demoted at UH after last season to S/L coach in the athletic complex to work with the women program. He was originally brought to Hawaii by JJ to work with him as his S/L

[Ralph]

oops S/L should be S/C

[Garret]

It should be pointed out that Mel was "demoted" at Hawaii two weeks *after* Vic left SMU. The timing of the "demotion" sure seemed to indicate that Mel would be going to SMU.

The lead sports writer for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Dave Reardon) said that he heard before the Hawaii Bowl that Mel would be going to SMU if Vic took the Florida State offer. He also said that Mel would not have been "demoted" if he had not taken the SMU job. He said this several weeks ago when the Honolulu Advertiser printed that Mel would not be going to SMU.

It sounds like Mel will be making close to six figures at SMU, almost surely a raise from his Hawaii salary with a lower cost of living in Dallas. Vic is making much, much more than that at Florida State so financially both Vic and Mel got upgrades it seemed.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Thanks Garret, I also heard he could be bringing a guy from Portland St., and he has some Hawaii ties as well. In the June Jones book, there is some interesting stuff on Mel, and you can tell June thinks a lot of him.

[Ikus]

Welcome to SMU!