University of Hawai'i head football coach Greg McMackin said he is in favor of scheduling Southern Methodist and he and his predecessor, June Jones, have discussed the possibility.

"We'd like to get something going with SMU," McMackin said. "It would be a natural. I'd love for us to compete against one another as two great programs. June and I have talked about that. We'd both love to do that."

McMackin, who served two terms as a defensive coordinator with Jones at UH, replaced him last month when Jones took over the SMU program.

McMackin said Texas Tech and Utah are among the schools he is interested in trying to work into the schedule soon. He has coached at both.

The earliest UH could play any of them, as schedules currently stand, is 2009 when UH has one opening on its 13-game schedule. Since UH already has six road games that season, it would probably have to be a home game.

UH has two openings in 2010, according to interim athletic director Carl Clapp, who met with McMackin for about 30 minutes about scheduling issues. The 2011 schedule is filled, Clapp said.

"We've begun to talk about scheduling and look at the next few years and what's out there and what the options are," Clapp said. "I've let coach Mack know that as long as I continue in this role, I'd like to collaborate with him. I want his thoughts and will be expecting him to share them as he sees fit."

Clapp said the 2012 schedule, for which UH is still seeking four games, would likely be the first real chance for McMackin to put his mark on. "I told him I would leave '12 for him."

McMackin said he favors a competitive blend of scheduling, something between the softness of 2007 and ruggedness of 2008. "That would be ideal, something between the two," he said.

UH hasn't played SMU since 2002, two years before the Mustangs left the Western Athletic Conference for Conference USA.

The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl had an agreement matching WAC and C-USA teams, but that deal expired. For 2008 and '09, the WAC representative will play a Pac-10 team, if available.

McMackin said his interest in playing Texas Tech stems in large part from the offenses the two schools run.

"Both schools throw the ball (a lot), so I think it would be a fun game," he said.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.