Jones: Control of stadium could take UH 'to the top'

By Stephen Tsai
and Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writers

University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones said the school's athletic department will never "get to the next level" until it is granted control of Aloha Stadium.

June Jones is "disappointed, in some ways, that people will question my heart and my integrity." Advertiser library photo

In a wide-ranging interview with The Honolulu Advertiser, Jones spoke of his contract negotiations, reiterated his commitment to the university, defended agent Leigh Steinberg and warned that not installing new turf in Aloha Stadium could eventually cost the state the Pro Bowl.

Jones said he plans to honor the financial terms of his contract, which has two years remaining, and vowed he would never accept another college coaching job. Jones said he turned down the chance to fill the coaching vacancies at Georgia Tech and California.

"I hope it works out where I can spend the rest of my life here," Jones said.

• On UH's attempt to control Aloha Stadium:

"If I were to die 10 years from now or tomorrow, and we have the stadium, whoever's coaching will have a chance to go (to the next level) because they'll have the wherewithal to go. ... We can continue to be where we are. But to get to the next level, we can't. We're winning in everything and we're going to be in the frickin' hole (financially)."

• On the changes UH would make:

"No. 1, we want to manage it (under) exactly the same conditions that there are right now (between the state and Aloha Stadium managers). That's what we asked to do. No difference. The maintenance? Well, who's taking care of those things now? We want the same agreement, but we want to manage it.

"(Stadium officials) Scott Chan, Eddie Hayashi, those guys have been frickin' great to me since I've been here. I don't have any problems. The deal is, I know we can do a better job. (By taking control) we don't have the $800,000 to $1 million rent that we pay (now). We have an increase in parking revenues that will give us an unbelievable amount of money.

"I know we can make the flea market better. We don't want to change the flea market. We want to make it better. The high schools will play for even less cost than they ever (have).

"And all of the negative things being said on why we want to manage it? That's not the case. We'll increase the revenue of the flea market by doing a lot of different things. I've already talked to people on ideas, (people) who agree with me that things need to be done.

"(Raise the costs for) the high schools? Are you kidding me? We're going to charge the high schools to play football? Are you nuts? We'll make it better for them — less costly because we're going to be making more money. They won't have to pay anything.

"We want to lock (the stadium) into football configuration, add some seats, do some other things. Let the high schools negotiate to play the high school baseball tournament in Les Murakami Stadium."

• On plans, as requested by the NFL's Pro Bowl, to install the grass-like FieldTurf at Aloha Stadium:

"The FieldTurf already should have been down. Why we have not put it down already, and risked losing the Pro Bowl ...

"This year's Pro Bowl, more than ever, proves what it does to our economy. This was the first time hotels have been down 15 to 20 percent (in occupancy), and they could see what happens (to occupancy) when the Pro Bowl came to town. If we lose that, we'd have to be nuts. If we don't change the field turf, the Pro Bowl is leaving us, and (stadium officials will) be sorry, at some point, they left."

• On whether he will lobby further for UH to gain control of the stadium:

"I'm not going to even talk about it anymore. I'm done with it. I talked to Calvin Say, I talked to Bobby Bunda, I talked to the governor. Everybody agrees with how I feel about it. But yet now something's changed. It's run its course with me. Somebody obviously knows better than what we know."

• On his motive for wanting UH to manage the stadium:

"The impression is this is being done for me personally. That's so ludicrous to even talk that way, to even think that way. After being here for three years, people don't know where my heart is? What I want to do? I want to do this for the school. That's the reason I want to do things, not just for football, but throughout the department. If we need to get the best baseball coach, the best basketball coach, the best football coach, the best athletic director, we're going to have the funds to do that. We won't have to go downtown and ask for it. If I want to change the turf at Cooke Field, we'll have the money. I don't have to get a bill approved to do it. It changes everything."

• On contract talks, which he broke off last month:

"Basically, I knew we were talking three years down the road, anyway. There's no need (to rush). ... I'm already honoring what I agreed to honor. It wasn't affecting now, anyway."

• On his salary demands (he earns $320,000 annually):

"Regardless of what people think, what we were talking, it would have made me, in six years, still where I am right now — average to below average (the salary for the average head coach).

"To answer your question, it's never been about the money. It's still not about the money. But that's not the impression that's being given, so I just wanted to end it (negotiations)."

• It was reported that he sought to double his base salary, as well as receive a $2 million loan that he would not have to pay back:

"I'm not going to talk about the numbers, but even if those were accurate, it's still within the average. When it's all said and done, even if those numbers are accurate — which they're not, by the way — they would put me in the ... middle of the average coach in America. The top 23 coaches make an average of $1.3 million a year. There's no way the University of Hawai'i will ever be in that level. We're in what is called level 3 right now. All I was asking was to come into level 2, and by the sixth year of my contract, I would be a low level 2, which would almost put me back to where I am right now, which I can live with. But because it's not being presented that way, because all of a sudden it's in the newspaper, I don't want to talk about it."

• On the criticism he has received for lobbying for control of the stadium:

"I'm disappointed, in some ways, that people will question my heart and my integrity. That's what bothers me. Like I said, I can look at myself in the mirror every day and know where my heart is and what I've sacrificed. My commitment, right now, is to my team and the players I coach and my coaches. That's what I'm going to stay focused on. I've said my piece. I know what I've said is right, and if somebody doesn't believe it, that's their right to do it."

• On Leigh Steinberg, UH's marketing agent, who was criticized in a recent comments by radio personality Larry Price, head of the Aloha Stadium Authority and a former UH head football coach:

"It's so unfair. It really disappoints me that someone would be like that. Leigh has the best interest of the school involved. It's being implied that he doesn't.

"Leigh's company is a huge conglomerate of people. What he's already done (at UH), for virtually a mere fraction of what it's worth to his company, is something that's never been done before. He has nothing to gain by making us successful. It's unfortunate that certain people, like Larry Price, say the things that they say."

• On the possibilities of Mountain West Conference membership:

"I've heard that they are interested (in UH). I know that even at the BYU game I was asked if there were any objections (to joining the Mountain West Conference). Whatever is best for the school is what we need to do. If (the Mountain West Conference) is the best decision for the school, then we need to do it."

• On going independent in football:

"The independent (route) still intrigues me the most because I think we can get to be a top football team in the country faster."