Posted on: Friday, July 30, 2004
Jones offered job to Price
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
RENO, Nev. — Texas-El Paso head coach Mike Price was the first choice to fill the vacancy on the University of Hawai'i football coaching staff.
UH coach June Jones said he asked Price to join the Warriors as an assistant head coach last December. Price would have replaced special teams coach Tyson Helton, who officially left UH in March. Instead, Price accepted the UTEP job.
"I offered him a job," Jones said. "I wanted him on our staff."
After a successful career at Washington State, Price joined Alabama in January 2003. But three months later he was fired after he was accused of violating the good-behavior clause in his contract.
"I knew I had to get him back into coaching after what happened at Alabama," Jones said. "I've always had a lot of respect for him."
Jones said there are three candidates to fill the UH vacancy. He said he will not make a decision until after the Aug. 9 start of training camp.
Jones said he considered Jerry Glanville, former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. They had several discussions, but Jones said, "This isn't the right time."
Jones said he is hopeful Glanville will join his staff in the future.
If an NCAA proposal is approved, beginning in 2006, the Warriors would play 13 regular-season football games every year.
NCAA Division I teams usually are limited to 11 regular-season games. Under the so-called Hawai'i exemption, a game played in Hawai'i does not count against the limit for the visiting team.
There is a proposal to increase the limit to 12 games. Karl Benson, commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference, of which UH is a member, said he does not expect any change in the Hawai'i exemption. The Warriors, who currently receive a 12th game under the exemption, would be allowed a 13th game under the proposed rule.
"I don't see any problem with it," Jones said. "I like it. The more games, the better for us."
The WAC football coaches also widely applauded a proposal to allow each Division I football or basketball player five seasons of eligibility. Under current NCAA rules, a player is allowed five years to play four seasons.
Rice football coach Ken Hatfield said the five-season plan would boost graduation rates, eliminate the dilemma of whether to redshirt a promising freshman and save money. Hatfield noted that each football player usually is entitled to a five-year scholarship, even if the player does not redshirt and completes his sports eligibility in the fourth year.
Hatfield said a school currently has to cover the cost of the maximum 85 active players, in addition to the players finishing their degrees.
If there are eight former players still on scholarship, "we have to pay for 93 scholarships," he said. Under the proposed rule, "we would have to pay for only 85 scholarships."
Jones praised the proposal, saying, "I would think it would be beneficial to everybody. You'd like to field the best team you can. Sometimes late in the year, you get some injuries, and the best (replacement) player might be a redshirt guy. You don't want to forfeit his year for one or two games."
If the rule had been changed in 2001, quarterback Nick Rolovich, who led the Warriors to eight victories in nine games as a fourth-year senior, would have been eligible to play in 2002.
"That would have been good," Jones said. "That would have been awesome."
Hatfield said the only opposition would come from the service academies. They require their students to graduate in four years.
"There are only three of them," said Hatfield, who used to coach at the Air Force Academy. "They don't have a lot of votes."
WAC membership will drop to nine next year when four members depart and three arrive on July 1.
Benson said the WAC is considering adding a 10th member that will compete in every sport but football.
Benson confirmed that he has met with officials from the University of Denver, although no offer has been made.
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
Going long
The drive for five
The mile-high club
