The LA Daily News reports that June Jones has thrown his hat into the ring at UCLA. He joins Mike Leach and Steve Mariucci as names linked to the job. One thing is for sure...Jones' offensive system would entertain the fans in Los Angeles.(Image: the bad old days in the A-T-L)
If he were to take the job, it would be unlikely that UCLA or Hawaii could (or would want to) keep it a secret through the Sugar Bowl. A healthy distraction for the Warriors would be nice.
West Coast Dawg (a UCLA/UGA Fan) mentions Jim Mora, Jr. for the job, and he quotes an LA Paper suggesting that Mike Leach won't be in the mix for the gig. Interesting.
See Also
-- Hawaii vs. Georgia Sugar Bowl Tickets
PWD
6 comments:
June Jones is King of Hawaii. I have no idea why he'd even entertain the thought of leaving at this stage in his career.
Why? Because he will never be more marketable than he is now. Because he has high school facilities and a recruiting budget that's next to nothing.
That said, I personally don't think he'd fair well in the PAC-10 or any other BCS conference. UCLA beat Washington(a 5-9 team, 2-7 in the PAC 10) by 13 points...you know, the Washington team that beat Boise State and was winning the entire game at Hawaii before losing on a last minute TD...yet UCLA went on to go 6-6 vs a PAC 10 schedule. Would Hawaii have done much, if any, better against that schedule this year? I don't think so.
We lost to South Carolina, so anything is possible and the non-BCS proponents will continue to brag about Hawaii's undefeated season without wanting to dig into any deeper, but the fact is the Rainbow's are a mid-level BCS conference team...with a very good qb and very good receivers.
Okay, first he would fare well. He is a pretty good coach who has learned ways to do well with less. He could be instantly competitive on an irregular but at least occasional basis with USC.
But, at the same time, he probably has been looking with interest at the way that other coaches interview for jobs - or even just express a little interest in other jobs - and suddenly, they are getting raises, commitments to better facilities, raises for assistants, etc. I bet he's just working the system. A distraction would be good for UGA, I guess, but we can beat these guys without them being distracted.
I think Jim Mora Jr. is a long-shot choice for UCLA, but he wouldn't be a terrible hire.
In regards to the LA paper that quotes that Leach isn't looking like an option, that paper's been notoriously incorrect on any number of things related to UCLA sports for the last three months, so I'd take that report with a giant grain of salt.
So much so that Deinhart over at TSN is reporting that his sources are telling him Leach may interview as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
I tend to think Jones is angling for the UCLA job just to grab some more cash for Hawaii. Who knows, though.
Aloha,
June Jones stated to the Hawaii press today that the LA Daily Press report was "an absolute lie" - he has not contacted UCLA or expressed interest in the job.
The only distraction Hawaii football players face is too many fans seeking autographs outside their classrooms during final exams. Therefore the normally open practice sessions will be closed starting Thursday.
Thanks for the list of good places to eat in New Orleans.
"We lost to South Carolina, so anything is possible and the non-BCS proponents will continue to brag about Hawaii's undefeated season without wanting to dig into any deeper."
This message is for UGA fans and not UGA coaches and players. The UGA coaches and players have collectively shown Hawaii the proper respect.
I keep reading that UGA fans are saying this is a no-win situation. I heard several fans say UGA should not even play the game (Translation: let's back out like Michigan, Michigan State, and USC). With the realization that UGA cannot back out, comments like the one above seems to say that UGA fans are already preparing their excuses as they know in their mind that this game is not "in the bag" as they would like to boast.
With all the talk of UGA should be playing for the national championship, this game goes a long way to supporting their argument. Therefore, this is a big game for UGA. Therefore, a Hawaii win means Hawaii should be in the discussion for the National Championship.
As for June Jones, we don't know what is going to actually happen. However I would put my money on him staying. When it comes to living in Hawaii, there are basically two types of people. There are those that will sacrifice a lot of things for the pleasure of living in Hawaii and all it has to offer. Then there are those who live in Hawaii because they have too. June Jones is the former who has demonstrated his love for Hawaii by walking away from millions with the San Diego Chargers to move back to Hawaii and lead at the time a team that won 0 games and lost 18 straight. He is also giving his bonus money away to all his assistants. Colt Brennan walked away from millions last year to play another year. His reason? His teammates and he likes the person he is becoming in Hawaii.
No one in Hawaii is talking national championship. It is the national media who is saying it. As fans, we give UGA all the respect. I just hope that win or lose, UGA fans will demonstrate the kind of class that their team and coaches have shown all year round.
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