Hatfield, Jones like night, day
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist
HOUSTON — Football, the one thing that coaches June Jones and Ken Hatfield might seem to have in common, curiously also best illustrates how dissimilar the two men are.
They meet at midfield here today for the Rice-University of Hawai'i game as the Odd Couple of the Western Athletic Conference, if not all of Division I-A.
Two more polar opposite coaches would be hard to find on the same football field anywhere today.
One, UH's Jones, believes the football was made to be thrown ... and thrown and has made it his life's work to preach and prove it. If at first you don't succeed, then throw, throw some more is the operative philosophy. For him, running the ball is the football version of the changeup pitch.
The other coach, Rice's Hatfield, subscribes to the theory that there are three things that can happen when the football is thrown and two of them are bad. Hence a steadfast conviction to keeping it on the ground. For him, putting the ball in the air is a sign of desperation.
While Jones' run-and-shoot offense leads the nation in passing offense, Hatfield's spread option is second in running.
Jones' coaching was shaped in the NFL. Hatfield has spent a quarter-century in coaching, all in college.
Jones, in his playing days, helped Portland State lead the nation in passing. Hatfield, while at Arkansas, twice led the country in punt returns.
Jones, a native of Portland, Ore., and adopted son in Hawai'i, is West Coast hang loose, flamboyant and Evil Knievil- daring. Hatfield, who hails from Helena, Ark., is aw-shucks understated and Bible belt conservative.
Jones' idea of cutting loose is roaring his Harley down the H-3 on a Sunday. Hatfield would prefer a horse. Hatfield quotes the Bible. Jones quotes from Jerry Glanville.
Just as their offensive philosophies say a lot about them, their teams have also acquired the personalities of their coaches.
The Warriors will throw long on fourth-and-short. The Owls will run on third-and-long. The Warriors lead the WAC in penalties and the Owls have the fewest penalty yards in the conference.
Hatfield loves AstroTurf; Jones abhors it.
The Warriors, under executive order, may punt the ball into the stands or jump there themselves when the team is leading by 30 points or more. The Owls infrequently score much more than 30 points. And anybody who punted a ball into the stands might find himself sitting there the next game when Hatfield found out.
The Warriors will try to make the big play — on offense or defense — and break a game wide open. The Owls, meanwhile, will play with patience and discipline and wait for the other team to make the mistake on either side of the ball and capitalize on it.
There's one other difference — and this one Jones would like to change: In their three previous meetings, Hatfield has all the wins.
