Jones will miss part of WAC meetings

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's public relations fiasco, University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones notified the nine other Western Athletic Conference coaches that "family obligations" would prevent him from attending all three days of this week's WAC Media Preview in Boise, Idaho.

The event, which culminates with the coaches' interviews Friday, is used to publicize the WAC's coming season.

At last year's preview, Jones was widely criticized for being the only WAC coach not to attend the opening-night dinner sponsored by Boise business leaders. Jones said he had notified the WAC office that he could not attend because he was visiting his son in Portland, Ore.

This year, Jones wrote letters to the other WAC coaches, notifying them he wanted to spend time with his son and would not arrive in Boise until late tomorrow. In his absence, Jones said, Wes Suan, who coaches the UH running backs, would represent the Warriors at a mandatory coaches' meeting tomorrow morning.

"If June can't make it, June can't make it," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "It was nice of him to write a letter. ... In June's case, if he writes a letter explaining why, I think that's more than adequate. I wish he'd be there because I like seeing him. He's someone I could hang out with."

Jones declined to comment on why he sent the letters except to say the gesture "wasn't unnecessary to me."

Each head coach is required to attend the preview, which has expanded from two to three days in recent years.

"It's tough for everybody to be on the same page," Hill said. "Taking three days off to go is important, but that's three days out of a very busy time. We're getting ready for (training) camp. I think Boise is a great place, but it's not an easy place for June or for (Louisiana Tech coach) Jack Bicknell. ... June has a long distance to go. It's hard for him to do the travel. He's got some other things going on, with his son."

• I love ya, man: Hill said he voted for Hawai'i in the ESPN/USA Today's preseason top-25 poll. Hill also voted for his team.

"I think Hawai'i is going to be a very good football program," Hill said. "Hopefully, when we come to Hawai'i (for the Oct. 11 game), both of us can be top-25 football programs."

Jones said he agreed with Hill's assessment.

"Boise State, Fresno and us will always be the teams to be reckoned with," Jones said. "It's been that way every year I've been in the conference."

• Holding pattern: UH's nine assistant football coaches have worked without contracts since June 30, when their old deals expired.

UH associate athletic director Tom Sadler said budget and personnel issues must be addressed before new contracts are extended.

The assistants' contracts are not tied to Jones' new contract. Last month, the Board of Regents approved athletic director Herman Frazier's recommendation to award Jones a new five-year contract. Jones, who has yet to sign, refused to discuss his contract proposals for his assistants.