Posted on: Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Talks began too late to keep him, Jones said
By Stephen Tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor
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Former University of Hawai'i football head coach June Jones, here with Colt Brennan, most recently led the Warriors to a 12-1 season and a Bowl Championship Series berth.
ANDREW SHIMABUKU | The Honolulu Advertiser
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EVENTS LEADING UP TO DECISION
Summer 2007: June Jones tells UH officials that he will not negotiate a contract extension during the regular season (Sept. 1 to Dec. 1). July: Board of Regents increases ceiling for head coach's salary. Sept. 1: Season starts. Dec. 1: Regular season ends with UH victory over Washington. Dec. 24: In an e-mail to Herman Frazier, Jones asks permission for his agent, Leigh Steinberg, to listen to offers from other suitors. Frazier gives his OK. Dec. 26: In an e-mail to Frazier, Steinberg says he was contacted by a school with a "time-sensitive situation." That school was SMU. Jan. 1: UH loses to Georgia in Sugar Bowl, 41-10. Thursday: SMU asks Frazier for permission to interview Jones; Frazier approves. That night, Frazier, UH President David McClain and Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw offer Jones a contract of about $1.1 million a year. Friday: The UH trio tell Jones they would make a second offer, even before hearing a response to the first proposal. That second offer, according to Jones' friends, is close to $1.3 million annually. But it does not promise improved facilities or added resources for the football program. Saturday: Jones flies to Dallas for SMU interview. He sends a letter to friends saying he would resign as UH coach. Sunday: He meets with SMU officials and boosters, but no announcement is made. UH reaffirms offer of $1.3 million annually, according to sources. Overwhelmed by the outpouring of e-mails and calls from UH supporters, he turns off his cell phone at his Dallas hotel and prays for a decision. Yesterday: Jones says, "I woke up with such a peace," realizing he would accept the SMU job. He will receive a five-year contract worth $2 million annually.
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Jones, standing next to photos of former SMU player Doak Walker, accepted a position to be the next head coach at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He will receive a five-year contract worth about $2 million annually.
AMY CONN-GUTIERREZ | Associated Press
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The beginning of the end of June Jones' tenure as the University of Hawai'i's head football coach could be traced to March 2006.
The Warriors had finished 5-7 in 2005. But Jones believed the core of first-year starters — quarterback Colt Brennan, receivers Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins, defensive lineman Michael Lafaele, and linebackers Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian — would help lead the Warriors to the brink of a success.
To fulfill that potential, Jones felt, two moves were needed. Jones wanted to rehire Dennis McKnight, who left the program in 2000, to become the offensive line coach. Jones also wanted to create a fundraising position for his mentor, Darrell "Mouse" Davis, who had served as offensive assistant coach in 2005.
Jones approached Athletics Director Herman Frazier with a unique offer. Jones was entering the fourth season of a five-year contract in which he earned $800,016 annually, half of which was paid from donations.
Jones offered to sign a new five-year contract, taking a large pay cut that would reduce his annual salary to $500,000. The savings, Jones said, would be used to hire McKnight, create a non-coaching position for Davis, and boost the recruiting budget. The only stipulation was the deal needed to be completed in time for the start of spring practice in April.
Frazier rejected Jones' offer.
The two never discussed terms of a contract proposal again until last Thursday — the day Jones received a proposal outline from Southern Methodist University.
Yesterday morning in Dallas, Jones accepted an offer to become SMU's head coach, ending the most successful football run in UH history. UH agreed to release Jones from the remainder of his contract, which expires June 30.
Kent Untermann, a prominent local businessman and former UH tight end, blamed Frazier, insisting that losing Jones to SMU "was avoidable."
"Any athletic director in his right mind would have had June under contract at this time last year, for recruiting purposes, if nothing else," said Untermann, who had led a drive to buy out Frazier's contract. "This is inexcusable."
'COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE'
Artie Wilson, Jones' best friend, said: "This thing was completely avoidable. This is horrible. This is as bad as it gets for the University of Hawai'i. I feel like I lost my best friend."
In an interview with The Advertiser Saturday, Frazier confirmed he did not begin to negotiate with Jones' agent until last Thursday.
Frazier said he wanted to wait for the Board of Regents to approve an increase in the salary ceiling for the football coaches. The regents approved the measure in mid-July. But Frazier said he could not assemble an offer before the start of the 2007 season, Jones' deadline for receiving an offer.
"During the season, I'm not into negotiating contracts," Jones said.
Frazier said he abided by those wishes. He acknowledged he did not contact Jones' agent, Leigh Steinberg, to discuss a new contract in July, August or during the season.
"Certainly," Jones said, "there was more of an opportunity to do it before the season."
Even before the pay ceiling was raised, Frazier still could have made Jones an offer, then asked UH President David McClain to request approval from the regents.
"Clearly, bringing anything forward would have required an exception to the then-existing board policy," McClain said. "But nothing was brought forward from Herman through then (Manoa) chancellor Denise Konan."
On Dec. 2, the day after the regular-season finale against Washington, Steinberg and Frazier both attended a celebration party in which the Warriors learned they would be invited to the Sugar Bowl. That night, both were at the football team's annual banquet at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Frazier did not mention plans to schedule contract talks.
Steinberg and Jones declined to comment on the negotiations with UH. But in a letter to friends, Jones said he would have signed with UH if an offer had been made between the night of the banquet and the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl.
"Leigh was calling Herman," Untermann said. "Herman wasn't returning his calls."
APOLOGY ISSUED
McClain said he did not know about the lack of communication in contract talks. He apologized to the players and fans during his opening statement at yesterday's news conference.
Asked what he could have done to monitor the progress, McClain said: "I could have, about every Monday morning, checked on the status of things. That would have helped."
On Christmas Eve, Steinberg sent Frazier an e-mail asking permission to listen to offers from other schools. Frazier approved the request.
On Dec. 26, Steinberg sent an e-mail to Frazier, saying Jones had received a time-sensitive offer from another school, which turned out to be SMU. Steinberg said he asked Frazier if UH also wanted to make an offer.
Last Thursday, according to Frazier, SMU requested permission to interview Jones face-to-face on the school's Dallas campus. SMU was prepared to offer Jones a five-year contract worth between $1.85 million and $2 million annually.
That night, Frazier, McClain and Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw offered Jones a five-year contract worth $1.1 million annually. A fax of the offer was sent to Steinberg, who is based in California.
Friday night, the UH trio, without hearing a response from Steinberg, made a second offer, this time for $1.3 million a year.
Saturday morning, Jones sent to select friends a thank-you note accompanied by what he described as a copy of a "letter of resignation" directed to Frazier. Resigning was a procedural move needed before Jones could accept an offer from SMU. Frazier received the letter, but did not read it until Sunday, and even then, he was not sure it constituted an official notification of resignation.
But it did not matter. By Sunday, Jones was in Dallas, ready for a full day of meetings and meals with the SMU president, prominent supporters and top athletic department officials.
In the hours before departing Honolulu Saturday evening to early Sunday morning, Steinberg and Jones received an outpouring of calls, e-mails and text messages from UH supporters.
"They brought me to tears six, eight times," Jones said.
Meanwhile, McClain took the extraordinary steps of serving as the pointman for UH.
McClain said he felt it was "appropriate" to take the lead in negotiations.
"I thought I could make a difference," McClain said. "Almost did."
McClain came back with a third offer of a five-year contract. While the base salary remained at $1.3 million annually, UH added a $1 million annuity, which would be placed in an escrow account. Jones could draw from the annuity at the end of the contract. At a minimum, the annuity would boost the per-year average to $1.5 million. With interest, the per-year average could go up to $1.6 million.
Both sides insisted it was not about the money, and McClain and Hinshaw outlined plans to improve athletic facilities and the football team's resources — major concerns for Jones.
At that point, friends believed Jones would favor UH.
Jones turned off his two cell phones, then kneeled in prayer in his hotel room.
He awakened five hours later, at 7:30 a.m. Central time, certain of his future.
"I had peace about coming here," Jones said.
He then called his assistant coaches, telling them he would accept the SMU job.
"It's been a torment," Jones said. "I was very apprehensive. After going through everything, the quality of the (SMU) facilities, the commitment to football, and the quality of everybody, top to bottom, I feel it's the best thing for me and my family."
Jones will receive about $2 million a year for five years, a deal that includes a $500,000 signing bonus. Texas does not impose a state income tax.
MOVING FORWARD
Jones said he welcomes the opportunity to resurrect a troubled program that has had one winning season in the past two decades.
Jones said he hopes the 11th-hour push by UH, including a call from Gov. Linda Lingle, will spark the changes needed to improve UH athletics.
"I think the system has crippled progress," Jones said of UH's bureaucracy. "I knew it was going to be that way when I first went to Hawai'i, but I thought it would change in nine years. But, in reality, it didn't change, except Don Murphy's auction bought us new computers. I have great aloha for the people of Hawai'i.
"At the same time, there's a time to go and there's a time to come. I believe it's time to move on, and get me re-energized, and not think negatively about what we don't have, and get into a positive train of thought again."
Jones believes his successor will prosper.
"It will be a positive if everybody moves forward and learns from it," Jones said. "The state of Hawai'i, there's no greater place to be. Hawai'i has always been where I wanted to be. That's why this decision is so hard."
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Text of June Jones’ e-mail to Herman Frazier on Friday
Here is the full, unedited text of e-mail June Jones sent last week to Herman Frazier. Jones used ellipses (...) throughout:
Herman,
Wanted to say thank you for your offer that you forwarded to Leigh yesterday ... I was glad that we finally had something to compare with the offer SMU has made in the last few days ... I am sorry for the time sensitivity involved ... but one of the jobs when you gave Leigh permission to talk was to compare to other schools the offers involved ... unfortunately the commitment from them and the timing as always is not good for everyone in these situations ... SMU has made an offer almost double what you just sent to Leigh ... as I have said to you before it is not about money with me but this time ... I must admit it is a factor as I see this as my last contract ... but it is not the only factor ... it has been very hard the last few days thinking about the decision to leave a place that I love greatly ... but you and I have talked many times about things that have concerned me ... none of those things that concerned me were addressed in this offer ... although the past 24 hours everyone is addressing that I hope come true ... I had a great talk with the Chancellor (Virginia Hinshaw) prior to departure to the Sugar Bowl ... she is a great lady and has some ideas that will work here but I do not think it will happen in my five years and this is my last contract prior to retiring to Kona forever!!!!!!
I feel I am leaving this program in great shape ... we have players that can play for the next coach ... we should be very competitive to win another WAC Championship ... there are no really bad kids in this program ... even though some people will think me leaving is the end of the world ... you and I both know sometimes change is good ... you know this from experience ... the next guy will get everything that I have wanted as it will wake up those that have to make those decisions ...
I am dropping off a lot of things at your office that I found on my computer ... things that I have been through and written over the past nine years ... I reread all of them yesterday ... these are the only ones that I have saved and there must be 15 or 20 more that I did not save ... a lot that I have been through before you and some with you ... I am only sending these things along with my letter of resignation to you for one reason ... I know these things have to be priority for the school ... I believed them when I wrote them and they still need to be done ... and everyone needs to see the vision here ... take them for what they are worth ...
I also feel there is one thing that is very important and must be done so you can keep some continuity ... there are five coaches that I am convinced are all one of a kind people and I feel you need to extend their contracts so they can keep the transition from falling apart during this year's recruiting process ... and they will help and stabilize the exodus of some of the commitments that we already have ... these coaches need to be retained so the local connections stay strong ... without retaining what we have established here would be suicidal ... from a cost basis alone ... moving new coaches here ... finding guys that know Hawaii will be more costly to you ... and at the same time you will create some real loyalty to you as an AD as they know you do not have to do that ... all of the staff I have offered jobs to if and when I leave to SMU but KNOW they need to be in Hawaii ... and they have expressed to me they want to be here ...
The guys that need to be given a raise and extended ... are Rich Miano ... Ron Lee ... Cal Lee ... George Lumpkin ... and Jeff Reinebold ... they all are great coaches and people ... they all love Hawaii and know Hawaii and all the guys down below know them and would be fine with all of them ... by doing this you will create a positive atmosphere and you will create some unreal loyalty to you as AD and as the department which is vital right now ... as they know you do not have to do this ...
I know it is your call but I think there are really five guys that I think you should entertain as a replacement ... I have talked to them and they are interested ... I know you know a lot of people too that would be good but this place is different and unless you get someone that knows Hawaii you will take a big step backwards ...
1. Kevin Gilbride ... he knows Hawaii been here a lot but does not know like the guys below ... he is the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants ... has been a head coach at UConn and the Chargers ... Mike Cavanaugh is his brother in law and he would bring him back I am sure ... also Kevin knows the offense we are running and would continue to run it and you would not have a big drop off ...
2. Dick Tomey ... he would come and he would let Ron do the offense and would feel great about coming home ... Jeff ... Cal ... George ... and Rich he knows very well ... a lot of people here would love this choice.
3. Duane Akina ... assistant head coach at Texas ... local boy that wants to come home and his resume is a great one ... he is a great person.
4. Norm Chow ... you know his credentials ... will cost you more probably
5. Cal Lee ... local boy knows what we are doing and a winner ... Ron can continue to run offense and Cal knows Gregs stuff ... never been college head coach but is capable ...
I am heading to Dallas to meet with SMU today ... I talked to them on the phone Thursday morning for about two hours ... They have not offered me the job but Leigh said they would not have waited this long if they were not going to offer it when I get there and meet them ... this is a very hard decision for me but I feel it is best for me right now to go ... I appreciate all your support since you have gotten here and wish the University and you only the best ... I understand this puts you in a difficult situation but I know you and the school will survive and be fine ...
Thanks for your e-mail with an 11th hour new thought on the money ... Virginia did run out and grab me yesterday late as I was headed downtown and I told her to send it to Leigh, which I am sure you did ... I guess all I can say is that the way my contract talks have been handled ... is kind of the reason I am tired and why I just need to go ... all I can say is it a generous offer and if you or the higher ups had come to me with this offer before they HAD to make it ... it would have meant a lot to me ... had this offer come after the bowl game last year or even before the season ... or had it come to me as late as the Washington game it would have said to me ... "thanks June for a job well done" ... there would have been no negotiating ... and it would have said we want to do something for you because we see what you have done and accomplished ... I probably would have signed it and never let it get to this point ... and don't get me wrong here they all want me to stay I know ... and I know they all are good people ... but this is reactionary instead of visionary ...
But the fact of the matter is all of a sudden today people are running around trying to get this done at the last minute when SMU shows interest (in) me ... this just confirms to me and the system and the people that make these decisions don't really get it ... this past day they are all of a sudden saying all of the right things ... but actions speak louder than words ... I have sacrificed a lot these past nine years ... I made some bad decisions and fought some fights that were hard ones ... but I feel I made a lot of good decisions, too ... what we have accomplished I want to remember it that way ... let someone else fight the fights and live another day ...
I am tired ... I have been blessed to make the living I have and do it for the people of Hawaii whom I love ... it has been a blessing ... after 9 years this is a very difficult thing for me to do ... my closest friends in my life who I feel are my brothers and have kept me here ... they are family to me are not wanting me to go ... Artie ... Wesley ... Tony and Al talked to me for 4 hours last night ... John I call in Kona daily ... but I am worn out ... burnt out ... and just need to get revitalized with a new challenge and let someone else take what we have started and get it done ... and it can be done!!!! ... decisions have to be made quickly and need to be done correctly ... if the things that people are saying are really going to happen ... then it will keep going in the right direction ... I believe the next coach will be listened to more and the President and Chancellor and the Department will help in all the areas that need to be helped ... Hawaii will always have my heart and that is why this is so hard for me ... but just the fact I am going to get on that plane to Dallas today says it all ... it is time for me to do what I have never chosen to do before ... do what is best for me and my family for the future ... I do not want to go ... believe me ... but it is just time to go ...
Mahalo June
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Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.
