Governor, Hawaii supporters try to get Jones to stay

"When he came here, it was clearly with the intent that if
things went well -- and they did -- that we'd be moving to the next
stage," agent Leigh Steinberg said as late Sunday turned to early
Monday. "But this statewide outpouring has given him pause. He was
clearly emotional today. Who wouldn't be faced with a torrent of
love, guilt -- every type of emotion."

Jones spent Sunday in Dallas meeting with SMU officials and the
search committee that has been working since late October to hire a
replacement for Phil Bennett. As the day went on, more and more
people from the island reached out to Jones, hoping to convince him
to return to the Hawaii program he's guided to national prominence
the last nine years. They were rallied in part by reports of a
letter he'd sent friends saying that he was going to be resigning.

During a dinner with SMU officials Sunday night, Steinberg said
he expected Jones to pick between the schools within a few hours.
Around midnight, he called that prediction "unduly optimistic,"
mostly because of how emotional Jones had become. Steinberg said
his client had tears in his eyes at times.

"Really, today could not have gone better from the standpoint
of SMU. There were quality people, June loved the facilities, the
support was terrific -- their actions were tremendous," Steinberg
said. "On the other hand, there's been this torrent of e-mails and
phone calls in the most dramatic fashion imploring him to stay.

"They talked about how unique his place is in the culture of
the islands, what he means to the youth of the island, the economy,
the morale and spirit, what a devastating impact it would have if
he were to leave, how close he is to their heart and how much they
love him. It's so unique. I haven't seen something quite like
this."

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle called to see what she could do, and
the president who oversees the entire University of Hawaii system
called with an updated contract proposal. It's the second in three
days, but the first made by the school's overall leader.

A source told ESPN on Sunday night that Hawaii is offering Jones a five-year deal to remain at Hawaii. Under such an agreement, Jones would receive a compensation package that would begin at $1.5 million per year. Hawaii would also agree to increase the pay of Jones' coaching staff and address facility concerns that Jones has raised.

Steinberg said the latest offer included a slight raise but _
more importantly -- there was "a general statement of commitment to
facilities and budgets.

"Their letter today spoke to a commitment to try to remedy
those problems, with specific examples where they would move and
move quickly," Steinberg said.

SMU likely can provide a higher salary and a bigger budget and
better facilities. Jones also would have a more fertile recruiting
base, albeit with the trade off of stiffer competition.

Then again, SMU also carries a culture of losing.

The once-proud program of Doak Walker, Don Meredith and Eric
Dickerson received the NCAA's only death penalty in the late 1980s.
Since returning in 1989, the Mustangs have only one winning season
and no bowl berths. They went 1-11 this past season, 0-8 in
Conference USA.

Jones, however, started near the bottom at Hawaii, too,
inheriting an 0-11 club in 1999. They won nine games his first
year, the largest turnaround in NCAA history.

With a record-setting passing attack in place, the Warriors
became a perennial contender in the Western Athletic Conference.
They went 12-0 this season before losing to Georgia in the Sugar
Bowl.

Steinberg used the team's football banquet as an example of how
Jones has changed things in Honolulu.

"The banquet had 200 people when he got there. This year it
sold out at 1,500 and had the governor and the mayor there,"
Steinberg said. "They said, 'This is the proudest the state of
Hawaii has ever been. This has finally shown the mainland we're on
par with them, that things in Hawaii are not inferior.' So if you
look at the whole thing, he's involved in the culture there. It's
all interwoven."

Then why leave? Perhaps because even if Hawaii improves its
football budget and facilities it probably will never reach the
level of a football-hungry, booster-backed program like SMU. Or
perhaps for the challenge. After all, Jones left a 12-year run in
the NFL to take over a winless program at Hawaii.

Jones, who turns 55 next month, has gone 75-41 with the
Warriors, including 4-2 in bowls. His teams finished first in the
WAC twice and second two other times.

Bennett was the fourth coach to lead SMU since it came off the
death penalty in 1989. The Mustangs are 58-153-3 in that span. The
on-field struggles have been compounded by the long, slow hunt for
Bennett's replacement.

The search has taken about 10 weeks, with SMU going from the
first major college with a vacancy to the only one left without a
coach. The school received permission to speak with Jones on Dec.
24.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.