Report: SMU to Pursue June Jones

Joe Schad of ESPN has the scoop on SMU's coaching search. Last week, he mentioned - almost in passing - on College Football Live that SMU was going to take a shot at a football coach whose team had yet to play in a bowl game. He did not name a specific coach, school, or whether it was a "BCS conference" coach.

Now, we have a name. It's June Jones of Hawaii.

SMU will pursue Hawaii coach June Jones and is prepared to pay between $1.5 and $1.7 million per year, according to two people familiar with SMU's strategy.

Although Jones' contract expires after this year, Hawaii has yet to make a contract offer to the coach, who just completed his ninth season with Hawaii.

Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier said after the Sugar Bowl that he will not negotiate through the media and that he will not comment specifically on SMU's interest in his coach.

Keep a couple things in mind before you start laughing. For starters, Hawaii's facilities are dreadful, and the athletic budget is equally comical. SMU's administration seems willing to throw some money at the football program, and while money won't solve all their problems, this looks like a really good idea. With Jones' contract up at Hawaii, now might be the time to take a shot at him if you're someone like SMU.

Jones brings instant credibility as a rebuilder (Hawaii was 0-12 the year before he took over that program), and he will find a way to make an impact with the players former coach Phil Bennett recruited. Given how rich the talent pool is in the Metroplex, it's hard to imagine that Jones wouldn't have success in Conference USA.