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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hawaii's June Jones in line to get pay bump

By Stephen Tsai and Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writers

University of Hawai'i head football coach June Jones can expect to be offered a salary increase when negotiations begin on a contract extension.

Jones is in the final year of a five-year contract that pays $800,016 annually. He has been the Warriors' head coach since 1999.

UH athletic director Herman Frazier, in concert with other school officials and economists, completed a study to determine Jones' value to the university. Yesterday Frazier said it was concluded that the value is "more than what it was last year," and significantly greater than when Jones took the job in 1999.

Frazier declined to reveal how much of a raise Jones will be offered, saying he needed to discuss the matter with his superiors. Frazier answers to the Manoa chancellor, UH president and the Board of Regents.

Frazier said he used a similar assessment method in 2003 when he more than doubled Jones' salary, from $320,00 annually.

"That's how we were able to get (Jones' salary increase) passed the way we did," Frazier said. "We showed what he means to the community and our overall program."

Jones inherited a team that was 0-12 in Fred vonAppen's last season as UH coach in 1998. The Warriors were 9-4 in 1999. Jones is now UH's winningest Division I coach, amassing a 64-40 record in eight seasons.

In determining Jones' importance, Frazier said, "You look at our overall budget, and what he means to the budget, what he means to the economy. We did our research. Just the impact of football, his value is important."

According to the last audited budget, the Warriors grossed $6.2 million in 2005, or 61 percent of revenue generated by UH men's sports.

"What was the value of this program in 1998 versus now?" Frazier said. "The evolution of this program has continued since '99. When you really think about it, since I've been here (2002), we've only had one year (2005) when we didn't go to a bowl game. I think that's when people were skeptical. You can't get that way. You've got to stick with your guy and make sure everything is heading in the right direction. In that regard, that's what he's done."

Frazier, who was the guest speaker at yesterday's Honolulu Quarterback Club meeting, said he has no plans to add — or delete — any UH sport.

He also said there are no plans for the women's soccer team to play games on the Manoa campus. The Rainbow Wahine's home games are played at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium, about 20 miles away from campus.

Frazier said Cooke Field is no longer a suitable soccer site because the track limits the size of the playing field.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com and Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.