Brian Smith, a student manager, mentored the offensive linemen during the two practices Cavanaugh missed while recruiting in December. Jones indicated that some of the more experienced offensive linemen will instruct the younger players during the 15 days of spring practice.

"I'm not really in a rush (to replace Cavanaugh), to be quite honest," Jones said.

Yesterday, Jones expressed appreciation for Cavanaugh, who was a charter member of Jones' UH coaching staff. Soon after resigning as head coach of the San Diego Chargers to accept UH's offer in December 1998, Jones encouraged Cavanaugh to join the Warriors. At the time, Cavanaugh was an assistant to San Diego line coach Joe Bugel.

"Coach Bugel told me to take the (UH) job," Cavanaugh recalled. "He said I needed to coach my own guys."

Teaching Jones' system of pass-blocking in the four-wide offense out of shotgun, Cavanaugh thrived as a line coach. Five of his blockers were drafted by National Football League teams. Another five signed free-agent contracts.

Cavanaugh was a finalist for NFL coaching jobs with the Atlanta Falcons last year and the Cleveland Browns this year.

Last week, Oregon State asked Jones for permission to interview Cavanaugh for a soon-to-be-vacated job as offensive line coach.

Under terms of a UH contract that expired this past Monday, Cavanaugh earned a compensation package of about $110,000, including a housing allowance of about $10,000 and free use of a car. At this month's meeting, the UH Board of Regents planned to finalize a proposal to raise Cavanaugh's pay ceiling, increasing his compensation package to about $150,000.

Cavanaugh met with OSU head coach Mike Riley Tuesday on the Corvallis, Ore., campus. During the meeting, according to three people familiar with the situation, Riley offered to match the $150,000 salary package Cavanaugh was due to receive from UH. Because Oregon does not have a sales tax, a dollar-for-dollar offer from OSU has greater value.

Cavanaugh returned to Honolulu Wednesday.

Thursday afternoon, with promises from boosters, OSU increased its offer to Cavanaugh.

"Not (by) a little bit," Jones said of new offer, "a whole lot. It's out of our league."

Cavanaugh said he crafted a pros-and-cons list for both schools. Then Thursday night, he decided to accept OSU's offer. He notified Jones yesterday morning, then addressed several offensive linemen in an emotional meeting.

"I love those guys, and it's really hard for me to leave them," Cavanaugh said.

Although the OSU deal will allow Cavanaugh to become a first-time home owner, he said, "my decision was on being able to grow professionally."

OSU is a member of the Pac-10 Conference, whose champion is assured a berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

Jones acknowledged Cavanaugh is leaving the Warriors deep and rich with talent on the offensive line.

"I feel I've accomplished everything I could accomplish here, and it's time for a new challenge," Cavanaugh said.

OSU uses a multiple-offensive system that features a tight end, a position absent from UH's passing attack.

Cavanaugh said family matters are "a work in progress." His eldest son, Shane, is a junior at Saint Louis School. There is a possibility Shane might remain in Honolulu for his senior year.

"We'll let him make that decision," Cavanaugh said. "Obviously, we'd like for him to come with us. I don't want to miss out on things he's experiencing in life, and hopefully he doesn't want to miss out on some of the things we're experiencing."

Cavanaugh said he would not recruit in Hawai'i, leaving that role to OSU assistant coach Mark Banker, a former UH coach.

Because the proposed UH pay raise was marked for Cavanaugh, not his position, it will be stricken from the Board of Regents' agenda.