(no subject)
The University of Hawai'i truly has hit the big time: Its successful coach wants to leave.
"The banquet had 200 people when he got there (in 1999). This year it sold out at 1,500 and had the governor and the mayor there," (agent Leigh) Steinberg said. "They said, 'This is the proudest the state of Hawai'i has ever been. This has finally shown the mainland we're on par with them, that things in Hawai'i are not inferior.' So if you look at the whole thing, he's involved in the culture there. It's all interwoven."
It probably wouldn't surprise anyone if that bolded quote from the mayor and governor was hyperbolic paraphrasing on the part of June Jones' agent. So let me just vouch for the fact that it probably wasn't. That sentiment is believably accurate.
If Jones does leave, best of luck to him. I know what it's like to pack up and go, for no blasted good reason, and despite the wishes and warnings of people even more important than the mayor and governor, so it would be more than a little hypocritical of me to criticize him for wanting to take on a new challenge. Even if that challenge carries an 80% likelihood of failure and he's going to wish he was back in Hawai'i for every second of at least the first 3 years of that new contract.
UPDATE: Jones is gone.
Now at least the University can figure out what to do from here. Despite the loss in the Sugar Bowl (a loss which could be mitigated further if LSU crushes Ohio State tonight, completing an overall dull Bowl season), Hawai'i still has publicity and financial capital to spend from its historic season. The money, while not exactly an embarrassment of riches, should still be useful for a program that always has holes to patch. And the publicity and credibility may also be employed, if done correctly, to lure another adventurous coach away from the safety of the high-profile mainland, as well as more and better player recruits.
And of course, perhaps a move closer to the totally unreasonable and idealistic dream of one day replacing Aloha Stadium and leaving the Western Athletic Conference. I'm afraid that neither of those can be accomplished by a lone 12-1 season, however.
"The banquet had 200 people when he got there (in 1999). This year it sold out at 1,500 and had the governor and the mayor there," (agent Leigh) Steinberg said. "They said, 'This is the proudest the state of Hawai'i has ever been. This has finally shown the mainland we're on par with them, that things in Hawai'i are not inferior.' So if you look at the whole thing, he's involved in the culture there. It's all interwoven."
It probably wouldn't surprise anyone if that bolded quote from the mayor and governor was hyperbolic paraphrasing on the part of June Jones' agent. So let me just vouch for the fact that it probably wasn't. That sentiment is believably accurate.
If Jones does leave, best of luck to him. I know what it's like to pack up and go, for no blasted good reason, and despite the wishes and warnings of people even more important than the mayor and governor, so it would be more than a little hypocritical of me to criticize him for wanting to take on a new challenge. Even if that challenge carries an 80% likelihood of failure and he's going to wish he was back in Hawai'i for every second of at least the first 3 years of that new contract.
UPDATE: Jones is gone.
Now at least the University can figure out what to do from here. Despite the loss in the Sugar Bowl (a loss which could be mitigated further if LSU crushes Ohio State tonight, completing an overall dull Bowl season), Hawai'i still has publicity and financial capital to spend from its historic season. The money, while not exactly an embarrassment of riches, should still be useful for a program that always has holes to patch. And the publicity and credibility may also be employed, if done correctly, to lure another adventurous coach away from the safety of the high-profile mainland, as well as more and better player recruits.
And of course, perhaps a move closer to the totally unreasonable and idealistic dream of one day replacing Aloha Stadium and leaving the Western Athletic Conference. I'm afraid that neither of those can be accomplished by a lone 12-1 season, however.