Post by coach79 on Jan 8, 2008 2:42:38 GMT -6
June Jones inked a 5 year deal to go to SMU
Story
NEW ORLEANS — Less than a week after Hawaii’s appearance in the Sugar Bowl, which was a high point in the state’s sporting history, Coach June Jones accepted the coaching job at Southern Methodist.
June Jones was introduced as the football coach at Southern Methodist on Monday. He resigned from Hawaii on Saturday. Jones will make $2 million a year for five years at S.M.U., according to his agent, Leigh Steinberg. He will face a daunting rebuilding job in Dallas, where Southern Methodist has still not recovered after it was shut down in 1987 for repeated violations of N.C.A.A. rules.
Jones resurrected Hawaii during a nine-year run in which the program went from 18 consecutive losses to an undefeated regular season.
“The biggest issue I was struggling with was my personal ties to Hawaii were so deep,” Jones said Monday in a telephone interview. “I was struggling with the emotions and burdens of leaving the kids and the people. The opportunity here was just so great.”
Many at Hawaii blame the athletic director, Herman Frazier, for Jones’s departure. Frazier waited until the final days to get into serious contract negotiations.
According to The Associated Press, Frazier’s resignation is expected to be announced Tuesday.
Jones said he was attracted to the S.M.U. job because it was a rebuilding situation, something he has been part of in the N.F.L. and at Hawaii.
“I thrive on those kinds of things and need to be re-energized again,” he said.
Story
NEW ORLEANS — Less than a week after Hawaii’s appearance in the Sugar Bowl, which was a high point in the state’s sporting history, Coach June Jones accepted the coaching job at Southern Methodist.
June Jones was introduced as the football coach at Southern Methodist on Monday. He resigned from Hawaii on Saturday. Jones will make $2 million a year for five years at S.M.U., according to his agent, Leigh Steinberg. He will face a daunting rebuilding job in Dallas, where Southern Methodist has still not recovered after it was shut down in 1987 for repeated violations of N.C.A.A. rules.
Jones resurrected Hawaii during a nine-year run in which the program went from 18 consecutive losses to an undefeated regular season.
“The biggest issue I was struggling with was my personal ties to Hawaii were so deep,” Jones said Monday in a telephone interview. “I was struggling with the emotions and burdens of leaving the kids and the people. The opportunity here was just so great.”
Many at Hawaii blame the athletic director, Herman Frazier, for Jones’s departure. Frazier waited until the final days to get into serious contract negotiations.
According to The Associated Press, Frazier’s resignation is expected to be announced Tuesday.
Jones said he was attracted to the S.M.U. job because it was a rebuilding situation, something he has been part of in the N.F.L. and at Hawaii.
“I thrive on those kinds of things and need to be re-energized again,” he said.