University of Hawai'i President David McClain has apologized for what he acknowledges as foot-dragging in negotiations with head football coach June Jones.

Apology accepted. That's a good way to start rebounding from Jones' decision yesterday to take the Southern Methodist University coaching job. It won't bring Jones back. Let's hope it means UH leaders won't repeat the same mistakes.

And there were mistakes. Somewhere along the chain of command— starting in the office of Athletic Director Herman Frazier and running all the way up to the board room of the UH regents — the ball was dropped. "Exceptional performance deserves exceptional recognition," McClain said, "and your university was slow to step up."

Big time. There should have been an offer on the table before the fall season began. The 11th-hour offers? Too little, too late.

It is possible that Jones would have left UH, regardless. There's no time like the present to parlay a season of record-breaking success into an attractive job opportunity.

But there's no escaping that so many of Jones' non-salary demands — a list generally aimed at improving conditions for student athletes in the department — were left undone.

That problem goes far beyond athletics. In the economic downturn of the 1990s, state funds were cut and repair and maintenance duties across the campus piled up. For his part, Frazier presented fundraising plans to address the needs in his department, but again: It was too little, too late.

The price tag for making the athletics improvements has been estimated at $25 million. Although Sugar Bowl proceeds should enable a rapid start to the job list, the final figure is daunting. And it's clear that the UH community must arrive at a consensus about how much improvement it can afford and sustain.

Frazier has to answer for a lot in the contract disarray. Beyond the current crisis, he's been criticized for delays in nailing down the 2007 football game schedule and for slowness in hiring basketball coach Bob Nash.

UH officials are expected today to make a decision on Frazier's future. And that future looks shaky from here.

Next question: What kind of football program does Hawai'i want for its university, and what is the plan for reaching that "next level"? The conversation needs to start now, among administration leaders as well as UH athletic boosters, to arrive at an answer.

There should be a timetable set for securing funds and completing each project, and those holding the purse strings need to held accountable in fulfilling the plan.

There can be no doubts, after the Sugar Bowl fan support, that this community wants a better program. But that plan will never become reality without strong leaders to shepherd it through.