Chancellor Appoints Selection Committee For New UH Football Coach

The members of the selection committee for the new head football coach at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa were announced today by Manoa Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw. "We will move quickly to select the best possible candidate to serve as our Head Football Coach. The new coach must be someone who can lead a smooth transition for current team members, who appreciates the special connection between UH athletics and the people of Hawai'i, and who will continue to produce successful student-athletes," said Chancellor Hinshaw.
"The members of the selection committee were chosen for their understanding of the relationship between UH athletics and our community," she said.

Committee Co-Chairs will be Associate Athletics Director Carl Clapp and Chancellor Hinshaw. Other members are:
* Tony Guerrero, Chair of Ahahui Koa Anuenue and Vice Chair of First Hawaiian Bank

* Debra Ishii, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, UHM

* Adam Leonard, UHM student-athlete and football team member* Dee Jay Mailer, CEO of the Kamehameha Schools

* Peter Nicholson, UHM Professor and Faculty Athletics Representative

* John K. Tsui, Chair of Towne Realty Development and former President and Chief Operating Officer of First Hawaiian Bank

* Artie Wilson, Partner and Realtor, Prudential Locations

The committee will meet early next week. The current advertisement for the position of Head Football Coach can be found Here

FRIDAY FORECAST!...

Another Week...ANother edition of Friday Forecast!

1. Will any Local Boys Make the Cut in the Sony Open?

2. Jaguars vs. Patriots

3. Chargers vs. Colts

4. Seahawks vs. Packers

5. Giants vs. Cowboys

6. Rainbow Warriors vs. Nevada (Saturday Night)

The Boys' picks will be up here later TOnight, Until then, post your picks in the comment page below and best of luck!

Congrats to Tombo Ahi for winning last week, Running off a 5-1 Record.

McMackin Possible Head Coaching Candidate

Warriors Defensive Coordinator Greg McMackin is now reportedly in the running for the vacant head coaching job at the University of Hawaii and some sources are considering the former Oregon Tech head coach as a front runner for the position. McMackin was originally reported to join June Jones, Dan Morrison and Wes Suan at SMU. With recruiting resuming very soon and national letter of intent set for February 6th the university is expected to make a decision next week. The list of other possible replacements still up for the head coaching position are: Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, co-defensive coordinator at the University of Texas Duane Akina, New York Giants defensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, San Jose State Head Coach Dick Tomey and Warriors linebackers Coach Cal Lee.

Adam Stays and Ryan Goes

First team All-WAC wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen declared himself eligible for the 2008 NFL Draft, sources say. He has also, reportedly, hired an agent which will not allow him to return to the college ranks for next season. NFL scouts have the wide-out projected as high as the fourth round.
Grice-Mullen compiled 1,372 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. He also recorded the lone touchdown for the Warriors in the Sugar Bowl on a 16 yard pass from QB Tyler Graunke.
A bit of good news for the 2008 Warriors, linebacker Adam Leonard is reported to return for his senior season with Hawaii and forego the upcoming NFL draft.
Leonard is coming off a season where he had 105 tackles, two sacks and four interceptions, with two of those interceptions being returned for touchdowns.

THE OTHER SIDE...

By: Theo Jones
Theo is a Producer at KITV and a friend of "Leaheyradio.Com"
Is it just me, or....?
... is Herman Frazier not completely getting a fair deal?
Hear me out.
The town folk are storming the UH Manoa Athletics Department with pitchforks and torches, calling for Herman's head... and for what?
Soap?
From what I understand, the lack of soap in the team shower is not exactly a recent development. (Granted, credible Athletics Departments should provide soap in their showers, but is it really a deal breaker?)
The handling of the basketball search?
I liked Riley, but... if you're truly trying to go in a different direction, why would you hire someone who's only worked as an assistant at one university, for two coaches, and primarily the one you're replacing? How do you know you're not going to just get more of the same?
I'll admit it's not fair to make assumptions about Bob Nash's coaching philosophy or ability, but it's fair to hold an expanded search and interview people with head coaching experience on their resumes.
Or maybe it's the weak Football schedule?
Granted it was weak. (Only two opponents with winning records.)
But Michigan State backed out. Primarily because even though officials CAN call holding on every play, it doesn't mean they SHOULD. (Yes I'm saying it, Michigan State had something of a case here. The holding calls were excessive at best... criminal at worst.)
Michigan preferred to open with Appalachian State because they were easier. (How'd that work out for them?)
And admittedly, Herm played his cards a little to close to his vest.
However, it's possible that his primary mistake was not so much the teams he approached, but thinking he used when he approched them.
He over played his hand thinking that BCS Conference schools wanted to play a quality opponent outside of their conference schedules. (For the record, they don't. They want cupcakes, and Hawaii IN Hawaii was no longer one of those. Hence, no one was trying to play them, much less promise them a home and home.)
And I know: This could have been done years in advance, but I believe Frazier's reach exceeded his grasp.
He sacrificed a good schedule for a great one... and got neither.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, because, honestly, hindsight being 20/20: If UH had a tougher schedule, they quite possibly wouldn't have even made it to the Sugar Bowl.
And there goes $4.2 million out the window.
Now it's the handling of the June Jones contract.
This could have been handled long before the situation reached critical mass; but I'm assuming that Herman would require the some kind of permission from the University president and chancellor to make an offer of any kind to June.
It's quite possible that your educational elitists are chaffing at the thought of increasing the salary of the COACH who is ALREADY the state's highest paid public employee. Having previous work experience in an athletics department setting, I assure you, it's high school all over again: Jocks vs. Nots.
I'm not apologizing for Herm... Primarily because I don't think he owes a lot of apologies to anyone... aside from the soap thing, maybe.
He has an impossible job.
Everyone wants blood from a turnip, to use an old expression.
People have stormed the fort with problems, but no solutions.
Everyone (Colt, June, and the masses who love them) want facility upgrades (let's let the soap go for now).
Yet, how many of those people want their taxes raised to facilitate the improvements? Or how many students would like to see their tuition increased?
Come on, we all have to make sacrifices, right?
Where else would the money come from?
UH made $7 million in football revenue this year, and a lot of people would argue that's the most successful year ever for the program.
Let's do the math: Minus $1 million for travel, equals $6 million.
Then the actual academic institution needs it's cut... Minus $2.5 million, equals $3.5 mill.
Not to mention that the UH Athletics Department is not just the UH Football Department. There are other sports to consider, some that don't generate enough money annually to cover their own expenses, much less add to the department revenue.
How much does it take to cover soccer, swimming, track and field, Wahine Softball and Basketball, and such? (Football is the cash cow for every university. It's where the majority of the Athletics Department's money is generated.)
On the low end, lets say Minus $2 million.
Now there's $1.5 million left... just enough to give the head coach a raise.
And by now you should see the dilemma.
That BCS berth was primarily because of Colt. There was tremendous national curiosity to see the Heisman candidate that rebuilt his life in the islands after going through trials and tribulations in Colorado. Add a sprinkle of the Haka and Polynesian culture and America's love for the underdog, and you can build a production around this. This is good TV.
But with only a couple hundred thousand dollars left in the coffers, coming off of a less than fulfilling bowl performance, and no story to build around for next year, there are some lean years coming for Warrior Football... even with June Jones.
Where is the money for facility upgrades suppose to come from?
This is a monumental task.
Granted, I'm not privy to the books, and my math could be off, but I have worked in an athletics department before, and these are the type of things they have have to consider.
The truth of the matter is, June Jones's contract situation is putting undue pressure on a University that has many missions. Football being just one of them. And in the big picture a small one.
When professional athletes hold up teams to provide for their families and their futures, fans clamor to remind them that money isn't everything. (See: Rod, A-).
Maybe someone should tell that to June.
But I think this would be an ideal time for Herman Frazier to buy some soap for the showers... as much as a couple hundred grand will get you.
I'm just saying...

JONES SAYS HE IS GONE...

Hawaii coach June Jones is resigning from his position as coach of the Warriors.
Jones is leaving because of "a lack of loyalty and commitment from athletic department leaders," among other things, according to the report. The Warriors were 12-1 this season, their only loss coming to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Jones, who was 75-41 at Hawaii, en route to Dallas to discuss the SMU job, according to the Advertiser. His Hawaii contract was set to expire on June 30. <{P>Jones' agent, Leigh Steinberg, said SMU had made an offer and Jones had received a counteroffer from Hawaii. Steinberg did not discuss specifics, but said Jones also was considering an NFL job.
National reports have said SMU has offered Jones up to $2 million a year. He receives $800,000 a year from Hawaii under a five-year contract that expires June 30.
Jones, the winningest coach in Hawaii history over his nine seasons, said he met with University of Hawaii president David McClain on Thursday and with athletic director Herman Frazier on Friday.
Jones' Warriors were the nation's only undefeated college team this season before they lost to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Before the loss, Hawaii had won 22 of its previous 23 games and 13 straight, the longest streak in major college football.
In his first season at Hawaii, Jones took over an 0-12 team and directed the biggest turnaround in college football history, going 9-4 in 1999 and taking Hawaii to its first bowl game since 1992.
SMU announced Oct. 28 that head coach Phil Bennett would step down when the season ended.
Jones, 54, was accompanied by Hawaii defensive coordinator Greg McMackin, a former Texas Tech coordinator, according to a report on the Dallas Morning News website.
Jones received permission from Hawaii to explore options before Christmas.
SMU athletic director Steve Orsini has said he wants the school's next coach to demonstrate the school is serious about winning again. The Mustangs were 1-11 this season and have had only two non-losing seasons since 1989.

Courtesy: Sportingnews.com

BESS DECLARES FOR NFL DRAFT...

Hawaii junior slotback Davone Bess said today he will enter the upcoming NFL draft.
"I'm ready for the next phase of my life," Bess told ESPN.com. "I got a second round grade. I'm not just a receiver. As a returner what I bring to the NFL is that second dimension."
Bess caught passes for more than 1,000 yards in all three of his seasons at UH. He is a three-time all-WAC selection.

Courtesy: Starbulletin.com

FRIDAY FORECAST...

It's that time of the week again!....

1. June Jones accepts SMU job over the weekend?

2. Jaguars/Steelers

3. Titans/Chargers

4. Redskins/Seahawks

5. Giants/Bucs

6. Hawaii/SJSU Men's Basketball

Jim: Yes, Jaguars, Chargers, Seahawks, Giants, SJSU

Rob: No, Jaguars, Chargers, Seahawks, Giants, UH

Augie T: Yes, Steelers, Chargers, Redskins, Bucs, UH

Felipe: No, Jaguars, Chargers, Redskins, Bucs, SJSU

Post your picks on the comment page below and Best of Luck!

Congratulations to Vaimana all the way in Florida, for winning last weekend!

JJ TO SMU?

Courtesy: Dallasmorningnews.com

SMU has offered Hawaii coach June Jones between $1.7 million and $2 million to become its football coach, according to two sources.
Jones emerged as a candidate in late December, and SMU's pursuit has picked up since Hawaii closed its 12-1 season Tuesday with a 41-10 loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Hawaii has yet to make an offer to extend Jones' contract, which ends June 30, though the university's chancellor released a statement Thursday confirming the school's intent to do so. Calls to Jones and Leigh Steinberg, Jones' agent, were not returned.
SMU athletic director Steve Orsini declined to comment on any candidate but said SMU has not made any ultimatums to candidates.
"That's not how you conduct a quality search," he said.
Jones, who has coached Hawaii for nine seasons, is reportedly taking time to consider his future – which includes interest from a college and an NFL team, according to The Honolulu Advertiser.
SMU, the first Bowl Subdivision school to make a coaching change, has the only remaining open job after West Virginia hired Bill Stewart on Thursday. SMU fired Phil Bennett nearly 10 weeks ago. During that time, Orsini has raised $10 million toward a new coach.
"Time is of the essence, we're aware of that," said Orsini, noting the recruiting cycle.
Hawaii at Manoa chancellor Virginia Hinshaw released a statement Thursday that included:
"I know that there is a great deal of interest in ensuring that June Jones remains here as our football coach – and that is definitely our goal as well. ... It has always been our intent to make Coach Jones a firm offer that will keep him here, and I want to assure everyone that athletics director Herman Frazier is moving expeditiously to do just that."

Barnaby Times: Special Edition

One of my favorite writers, Hunter S. Thompson, once famously described the feeling in San Francisco in the mid-sixties as "a very special time and place to be a part of….. no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant.…". Thompson went on further to say "We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave....". I think this particular excerpt from his book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" reflects the feeling that the people of Hawaii had during this special season that was and is absolutely beyond mere words or actions. The incredible achievements of these players will forever be a part of our lives and much like a family photo album we will some day thumb through the memories with great fondness. You can one day tell your children of the failed two-point conversion at Joe Aillet stadium against Louisiana Tech that created a ripple in the water that would eventually become that beautiful wave. You can show your family visiting from the mainland the football signed by Colt Brennan and you can tell them the story of how you stood in the line for hours behind hundreds and hundreds of fans. The kids behind you crying to go home and the annoying guy trying to hurry everything along and as they chuckle at you for such "devotion" you can think to yourself : they'll never understand. While at a backyard barbecue with your friends you can recall the night that the Warriors won the Western Athletic Conference title by beating a Boise State team that had a reputation for continually breaking our hearts. After which you realize you've burnt the hot dogs on the grill from going on about that game. Every time your voice gets a little hoarse you think back to December 1 st when you screamed louder than you thought your lungs could handle while our boys were overcoming an improbable 21-point deficit to defeat the Washington Huskies and chisel into stone a perfect 2007 season and later that night when you drunk dialed all your fellow fans to use what little voice had left to shout "Cheeeehooo". You can continue reminiscing of the following day during the BCS announcement at the Stan Sheriff Center when your voice suddenly returned to join the faithful with their chants of "BCS! BCS! BCS!" in perfect pitch and the elated feeling you got when Chris Rose said our name and then Allstate Sugar Bowl. When you see a tourist in Waikiki wearing a lei, you'll get flashes of Chase Daniel and Colt Brennan's awkward on air meeting during the Heisman presentation. And, although, it pains us to recall that day, let's not forget after that tough loss to the Georgia Bulldogs when our devoted fans (that made the long journey to the Superdome) gave our Warriors a standing ovation which was, certainly, what we locals refer to as a "Chicken Skin" moment. A season like this may never come again and we will never duplicate the sights, sounds, and emotions that accompany it but, we will never forget them and always cherish our personal experiences.
Hunter concluded his now legendary speech by saying "…. So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back." With this same idea we can look down towards Aloha Stadium and see a similar sight where the wave broke and rolled back to the ocean. Provided, of course, you have the right kind of eyes.
On behalf of the leaheyradio.com family I would like to say thank you to everyone who made this season possible. Although , you may not be Sugar Bowl champions you will always be our champions.

Barnaby "The Proud Warrior Fan" Pedroia