Hawaii Offered 1.5 Million

[Pony^]

After all was said and done yesterday, June Jones decided ... to sleep on it.

The man who led University of Hawaii football from national laughingstock to unprecedented heights was still the Warriors coach last night after a day of interviews with SMU officials. Jones also received some Texas-size hospitality from Mustang boosters, but it was at least equaled by a long-distance outpour of aloha from all levels of Hawaii society, from everyday fans to Gov. Linda Lingle.

Jones -- expected to sign with the Mustangs yesterday -- kept his options open.

"Frankly, I think that (Jones') lean and intention was to go ahead and take the new post," Jones' longtime agent and friend, Leigh Steinberg, said. "I think it was headed in that direction. I think all of the communications (from Hawaii) in the last couple of days has made an impact and caused pause."

And it was not just sentiment -- Steinberg, who is in Dallas with Jones, said a third proposal in the last four days came from UH to try to keep his client at Manoa. This one addressed facilities and other infrastructure questions that caused the nine-year Warriors coach to look elsewhere in the first place.

"We're less concerned with June's salary than we are about having a viable support system for the players and coaches to have a better chance at continued success," Steinberg said. "We received a letter with a general statement that addresses that, with examples of what would be done."

The latest salary offer from UH yesterday was $1.5 million, nearly twice Jones' current annual pay.

Steinberg said the examples included improvements to the football offices and practice field.

Lingle spoke with Steinberg for 15 minutes yesterday, and she also left a message on Jones' cell phone last week offering her support.

If this were a football game, Hawaii seemed hopelessly behind SMU at the start of the day. But government and UH officials talked to Steinberg while Jones went through his interview process. Negotiations became a collaborative effort on UH's end, with UH President David McClain participating.

Jones was scheduled to sign on as the SMU skipper at 1 p.m. Hawaii time, but what was described as a "snag" came up and Jones' acceptance of a five-year offer at between $1.7 million and $2 million per year was postponed.

Later, Steinberg said Jones was "still deciding" between SMU and UH.

"My own take on this is that I urged June to go to Hawaii from San Diego (in 1999, when Jones left the NFL to take the UH job)," Steinberg said. "I'm not about maximizing compensation; I'm about making (Jones) happy."

UH-Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw is also part of the effort to keep Jones with the Warriors.

"We all want Coach Jones to remain at the University of Hawaii at Manoa," she said. "So President McClain, Herman Frazier and I have been in continued discussions with Coach Jones and his agent to provide the best incentives for him to remain here, including both financial and nonfinancial matters."

Jones is the winningest coach in UH football history, with a career mark of 76-41. His teams are 4-2 in bowl games. Hawaii has had seven winning seasons under Jones, including two Western Athletic Conference championships.

In 1999, Jones' first season, Hawaii went 9-4, including a victory over Oregon State in the Oahu Bowl. It represented the biggest turnaround in college football history after the 0-12 season, and Hawaii snapped a 19-game losing streak.

Hawaii is ranked a school-record 10th in the major polls, although the Warriors' final rating will drop after their 41-10 loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last Tuesday.

http://starbulletin.com/2008/01/07/news/story01.html

[Pony^]

Or, maybe it's 1.3 million

Signs pointed to the momentum changing in the University of Hawai'i's favor as it negotiated deep into the night in an all-out effort to retain June Jones as its head football coach.

Leigh Steinberg, Jones' agent, said the Warriors' all-time winningest Division I-A football coach arrived in Dallas yesterday morning with the intent of becoming Southern Methodist University's next head football coach.

But Steinberg said Jones began to have second thoughts after receiving an outpouring of e-mails and cell-phone calls from Warrior supporters.

What's more, UH president David McClain, who took the lead in negotiations, addressed Jones' concerns about plans to improve the athletic facilities and the football program's resources.

"I don't think there's any question that June came here meaning to make the change," Steinberg said. "But, obviously, his heart has been in Hawai'i. These calls and interactions he's had (Saturday) in person and (yesterday) on the phone and by e-mail are making it difficult.

"June has been deluged with calls from the Islands exhorting him to stay," Steinberg added. "I received a call from Gov. Lingle, and she asked if there's anything she could do. I've been getting a series of e-mails and text messages. Every time I look down, there's another e-mail or text message, talking about how much he means to the school, the youth, the Islands. He and I both believe in community."

Steinberg said he expects Jones to reach a decision this morning.

Jones arrived in Texas yesterday to meet with SMU officials on the private school's Dallas campus.

"It was a very positive day at SMU," Steinberg said.

Jones and Steinberg met with SMU president R. Gerald Turner. They had lunch at the home of Gerald J. Ford, a billionaire who donated $20 million for the campus stadium named after him. Ford is a member of the SMU board of trustees.

They also had a meeting with the search committee, during which Jones was offered a five-year deal valued at between $1.85 million and $2 million annually.

Later, Jones and Steinberg had dinner with several SMU alumni, including Dan Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.

"It was a very positive, upbeat day," Steinberg said.

But UH would not back away. McClain sent Steinberg and Jones a list of proposed improvements for the football program.

UH also reaffirmed its offer of a five-year contract with a base salary of $1.3 million annually, according to sources. If Jones stays the entire five years, he would receive a $1 million bonus, sources said.

But Steinberg said Jones was not focused on producing the "best" financial deal. Jones earns $800,016 annually on a five-year contract that expires June 30. Half of the contract is paid by donors, the school said.

"It's never been about (money)," Steinberg said. "It was about commitment. It wasn't until (McClain's list yesterday that) I saw anything in writing about the (UH) facilities."

Steinberg said SMU did not impose a deadline.

"They've never pressured," Steinberg said. But "there's got to be closure for both schools, as a practical matter."

After the dinner, Steinberg said, Jones went straight to his hotel room.

"It's in his court," Steinberg said. "He has not made a decision yet."

Middle linebacker Solomon Elimimian said he can't imagine Hawai'i without Jones.

"I think Coach Jones identifies a lot with the Hawai'i culture," Elimimian said. "He's been here nine years. Everybody loves him. You can't mention UH football without Coach Jones."

Linebacker Adam Leonard said: "My wish is for him to make the right decision for him and his family. He's a great coach, a wonderful coach to play for."

But Leonard said he hopes UH officials "step up and deliver on all of the promises they made him when he first took the job."

Leonard noted that UH's facilities are inferior to those at other schools. The Warriors do not have an on-campus practice facility with artificial surface on days it rains. The infield at UH's Cooke Field has been condemned for nearly two years.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/ ... 70361/1001

[PK]

But Leonard said he hopes UH officials "step up and deliver on all of the promises they made him when he first took the job."

UH hasn't fulfilled their original promises yet??? He is a fool if he believes they will do it now.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

I would think 2 million in Texas goes alot farther than 1.5mil in Hawaii

[Nacho]

We (Ford and Sewell) should up it to $3 million. Let's see how much UH loves him.

[EastStang]

No, we shouldn't. He's a great coach, but come on. We've made a huge offer to him. The snag has to be something other than financial. My guess is its one of two things (1) he really doesn't want to leave Hawaii; or (2) we didn't step up in the model changes he wanted. At this point, its not about money, its about other things.

[PonyKai]

Not to be politically incorrect, but this is bordering on what a load of crap. The man is a football coach at apparently, a very poorly run university. We can't keep our promises and seemingly don't understand why he would leave, so let's collectively cry and sob about it and tell every heart wrenching story about him so he'll stay. On top of that, let's not offer him anything until he's 4,000 miles away and getting ready to sign with a new school before we offer not 1, not 2, but 3 different contracts. What, was he not worth the facility upgrades with the first offer? Suddenly he is?

You would think we were trying to sign away the Pope himself. It is football. It is a sport, and it is only a sport (yeah a business too). Orsini is fighting an entire state. Every reporter calling for info will tack on another 15 minutes to implore him to stay because he means so much! Does Kate implore him to come to SMU every time she calls? FRUSTRATING.