UofH Claims JJ Still Owes $400,008

[MrMustang1965]

HONOLULU (AP) — The University of Hawaii has not been able to resolve its dispute with former Warriors football coach June Jones over $400,008 the school says it is owed for the early termination of his contract.

Jones' agent, Leigh Steinberg, told The Honolulu Advertiser that the matter was in the initial stages of being submitted to an arbitrator.

The university said it is owed $400,008 in damages, representing half of Jones' annual salary at Hawaii, for terminating his five-year contract that expires June 30, 2008.

The contract specifies payment within 60 days of his departure, which passed on March 7.

Jones resigned and accepted a job worth about $2 million a year at Southern Methodist six days after Hawaii's New Year's Day loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, following a season without a loss.

rSteinberg said there was an agreement with former athletics director Herman Frazier that "after three years, there would be no penalty if coach Jones were to leave the university. If that were not the case, coach Jones would always honor a contractual obligation."

The university said there was no record on file allowing an early exit and no changes to the contract. Frazier was fired a day after Jones' announcement and has not been available for comment.

Under the contract, Jones was prohibited from accepting employment "under any circumstances" as a football coach at any NCAA school or professional team in the United States before the expiration date ... "without first obtaining a written release or a negotiated settlement."

"In the event the university releases coach of his obligations under this agreement, coach shall be responsible for paying to the university liquidated damages," Jones' contract states.

[SMU 86]

Well at least he is not like Rich Rodriguez who is fighting West Virginia over a 4 million dollar buyout. That one is getting ugly.

[expony18]

Well at least he is not like Rich Rodriguez who is fighting West Virginia over a 4 million dollar buyout. That one is getting ugly.

no that could be us in a few years...

[peruna81]

I'm in for the $ 8 if it will get JJ's attention on TCU and off this petty contract.

[jtstang]

I think he'll probably have to pay.

[peruna81]

jtstang:

RR or JJ or both?

[RGV Pony]

ahhhh, screw it. I'll chip in the eight bucks. Where do I send the check?

[peruna81]

I already got the eight bucks, RGV...see above.

I feel like I'm already a member of the 'circle of er...wage-deprived idiots'

should have taken something other than liberal-arts courses....

[MrMustang1965]

I'm in for the $ 8 if it will get JJ's attention on TCU and off this petty contract.

TCU? Shouldn't he get his attention on Rice first? Ya know...'one game at a time'...and all that stuff?

[peruna81]

agreed...but the purple haze group gets my blood boiling quicker than smart Houstonians...

[RGV Pony]

I already got the eight bucks, RGV...see above.

I feel like I'm already a member of the 'circle of er...wage-deprived idiots'

should have taken something other than liberal-arts courses....

Sounds good. So it's down to $399,992.00...

[jtstang]

jtstang:

RR or JJ or both?

Jones. Somebody posted a link to his UH contract at one point. I'm not following the Rodriguez debacle, except to say I know it's out there.