"...an observer," University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones said of the former National Football League head coach who attended today's opening of spring practice at the school's grass practice field.

Officially, Glanville is a candidate to become the Warriors' new associate coach. The wildcard position would allow the associate coach to also serve as defensive coordinator.

But school policy prohibits Jones or athletic director Herman Frazier from filling the advertised position until at least the end of the week.

The deadline to submit an application was this past Monday. Because the school is required to accept applications postmarked before the deadline, the "normal practice is to wait a few days after the closing date," said Jim Manke, the assistant to the chancellor at the Manoa campus.

Glanville certainly filled the role of defensive coordinator today, offering tips to the defensive assistant coaches and implementing what appeared to be his trademark 3-4 scheme. UH has used a 4-3 alignment during Jones' first six seasons as the Warriors' head coach.

Three UH employees have said Glanville has been assigned the office previously occupied by Mike Cavanaugh, who resigned as offensive line coach earlier this month to accept a similar job at Oregon State.

But UH defensive end Melila Purcell III denied the Warriors were in a 3-4 alignment — "it may look like that, but it's not," he said — and Jones said Glanville was as involved as the other "observers." Ken Taylor, a Florida high school coach whose son Rick will join the Warriors next season, and Farrington High School athletic director Harold Tanaka also participated in practice today.

"He's still observing," Jones said of Glanville.

"Hawai'i?" said Glanville, when asked about his impression of the university. "Is that where I'm at? I thought I was in Aberdeen, South Dakota."

Jones has served two stints under Glanville, as the Houston Oilers' quarterbacks coach in 1987 and 1988, and as the Atlanta Falcons' assistant head coach from 1991 to 1993. Jones succeeded Glanville as the Falcons' head coach in 1994.

Asked why he applied for the UH job, Glanville said, "I just figured ... June saved me twice. He coached for me twice, and I owe him one. I'm not here to save him, but I'm here to help if I can."

As an NFL head coach in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Glanville was a lively character who used to leave tickets for Elvis Presley, who died in 1977.

If he were hired at UH, Glanville said he would not leave tickets for The King. Asked if that meant he now believes Elvis has left the metaphoric building, Glanville said, "I wouldn't say that, would you?"