June Jones comments on Hawaii head coach situation

It’s been a hectic week for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football program. They are currently without a head coach but seemed to be close to hiring the legendary June Jones, who brought Hawaii to new heights with the Sugar Bowl after the 2007 season.

However, a report came out that Jones and the school were not able to come to an agreement. Athletic director David Matlin wanted to have a say in who Jones hired with his staff but the potential head coach turned it down.

Jones commented on the situation late Friday night. He said there is still mutual interest in taking the job but under the current conditions, he could not accept.

“So I would like to comment and give my thoughts on the Football Head Coaching job,” Jones said via Twitter. “I am still interested in this job for the people of Hawaii but the job offered to me today there is no way I could accept with the conditions offered to me… No coach in their right mind would accept!

“Dictating who can be on my staff and only 2 year contract,” Jones continued. “What recruit would come if I was here for 2 years?? This has never been about money-but it is about giving me the ability to turn our program around and not have people tell me who is on my staff…”

As Hawaii head coach, Jones went 76-41 to become the winningest coach in program history. In his last two years, he led the Rainbow Warriors to a 23-4 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2007.

After leaving Hawaii, Jones amassed a 36-43 record at SMU before stepping down due to “personal issues” in 2014. He coached at a Hawaii high school in 2016 before heading to the CFL and XFL until 2020.

Hawaii saw a rash of transfers this offseason in the wake of accusations against Graham and the program’s culture. He resigned on Saturday after two seasons and an 11-11 record with the program.

“Todd informed me of his decision to resign,” Hawaii Athletics Director David Matlin said in a statement. “We enjoyed many successes under his leadership even as he faced pandemic conditions, the withdrawal of Aloha Stadium, and the prohibition of any fans for nearly all his time with us. Todd’s tireless efforts as a coach have made a positive impact on many student-athletes. We have talked at length, and it is clear he has taken this action so that the football program can thrive moving forward.”

If Jones is truly out of the running, Hawaii will continue its search for a new football coach. The Rainbow Warriors open the 2022 season on Aug. 27 against Vanderbilt.

On3’s Nick Schultz and Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.