Jones has Warriors right where he wants

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	Appalachian State vs. Hawai'i WHAT: NCAA football WHEN/WHERE: 6:05 tonight at Aloha Stadium TICKETS: $19 (sideline), $17 (South end zone), $10 (North end zone), $9 (senior citizens, ages 4 through high school), free (UH students, Super Rooters) PARKING: $5 TV: Delayed at 10 p.m. on K5 (Channel 5); also available live on Oceanic pay-per-view (Channels 255 and 256) RADIO: Live on KKEA (1420 AM)

Many of those memories, along with rainbow-striped pants and menehune logos on helmets, are now buried — just as UH coach June Jones predicted, in December 1998, when he was hired to resurrect a broken program.

Tonight against Appalachian State, Jones begins his fifth season as the Warriors' leader.

Along the way, Jones has selected every aspect of the program — from the pregame music, to the "Warrior" mascot, to the FieldTurf and black-green uniforms, to the number of walk-on players.

When he accepted the job, in a San Diego hotel room, Jones began crafting the blueprint.

"I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted to get there," Jones said.

He would implement the run-and-shoot offense, a scheme that, after three decades of tinkering, has become his own. He would build depth on the offensive and defensive lines. He would recruit Island players.

After five recruiting classes, he figured, "I thought we'd be close to 65 percent local kids." In training camp, players raised in Hawai'i accounted for 60 percent of the 105-man roster.

"The No. 1 thing," Jones recalled thinking, "I wanted to hire good people, and that's what I did. I didn't really care what they knew (because) I knew I could get them to do what I wanted them to do. Every guy on this whole staff is good people. That's first and foremost."

Ron Lee, who coaches the receivers, remembered how Jones spent the first spring practice coaching the coaches.

"They know everything I know," Jones said. "I feel more comfortable, obviously, for them to do their jobs because they know what I want."

In Jones' first four seasons, he has lost three coaches. Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin accepted the same job at Texas Tech for three times what he was earning at UH. Special teams coach Dennis McKnight resigned to spend more time with his family and car-cleaning business in San Diego. In February, Kevin Lempa resigned as defensive coordinator to coach the defensive backs at Boston College.

But seven of Jones' nine assistants have remained. "A coach has to be able to motivate kids and get along with the rest of the staff," Jones said. "If you're a good person, you have a chance to do all of that. I'm really lucky to have this staff. They've made it kind of happen with our players. If we're successful, it's because of them. This is the best group of coaches a guy could have."