McBride tops
UH coach list
Sources say the Utah coach is
By Paul Arnett
leading now but Jones and
Akina are to be interviewed
Star-BulletinUtah's Ron McBride is the University of Hawaii's first choice for the vacant head football coaching job, several sources said this weekend.
The nine-year veteran for the Utes returned to Salt Lake City yesterday to await the decision of UH Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida. McBride said he thought he would know something by the middle of the week.
Whether McBride can hold on to the top spot after Yoshida interviews Arizona's Duane Akina today and June Jones tomorrow remains to be seen.
McBride has built the Utah program into a winner, he has solid recruiting ties in Hawaii and has coached in the Western Athletic Conference. Some say he might also bring St. Louis coach Cal Lee to his staff, which could pave the way for Lee, a hugely popular figure here, to become the head coach some day.
Further proof that Yoshida is keying on McBride is the fact he initiated the contact between the two. Money is not likely to be an issue, but job security is for McBride and his family.
He has three years remaining on a contract that pays him a base salary of $220,000 a season. Hawaii can match that and offer him a five-year deal as well.
Chris Hill, University of Utah athletic director, told the Salt Lake Tribune that he didn't want to lose McBride, but that there have been rumblings in the community that perhaps the Utah head coach has taken his team as far as it can go.
McBride's pinnacle season occured in 1994 when the Utes capped a 10-2 campaign with a 16-13 victory over Arizona in the Freedom Bowl.
Two years later, the Utes went to the Copper Bowl, but were beaten badly by Wisconsin, 38-10. McBride has led Utah to four bowl appearances since joining the school in 1990, only one postseason game during the past four years.
Expectations have gone up, especially with the $50 million remodeling of Rice-Eccles Stadium. Although McBride isn't in trouble yet, one more average season could put him on the hot seat.
"We were disappointed in how this season went," McBride said of the 7-4 finish that ended in a heartbreaking 26-24 loss to BYU as local kicker Ryan Kaneshiro missed a last-second field goal. "I take responsibility for that. But I know this much, we would have been in a bowl game if (quarterback) Darnell (Arceneaux) hadn't been hurt."
McBride's top competition is Jones, who has plenty of local support. Yoshida received permission from the San Diego Chargers general manager, Bobby Beathard, to interview Jones, who said after yesterday's loss to the Washington Redskins that he would actively pursue the position that came open a week ago when Fred vonAppen was fired.
"I owe it to myself and to my family to interview, to look at the opportunity," said Jones, who is still being considered by Beathard to be the Chargers' permanent head coach. "I love San Diego, but the Hawaii job is one I've always been interested in. If I had not been a head coach right now, I probably would have pursued it harder."
If offered the position, would Jones take it?
"I'm going to probably have to make a decision about that if it comes to that," Jones said. "But I'll have to go through the process and see how it shakes out. Obviously, everything is going to happen quickly. Probably within the next 10 days."
Yoshida and the UH search committee will interview seven candidates. The remaining three are Bill Young, defensive coordinator at the University of Southern California, Navy offensive coordinator Kenny Niumatalolo and Larry Kennan, who is the executive director of the NFL Players Association. His most recent coaching job was offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
Of the seven finalists, Young, Akina and Lee were in the top five in 1995 after Bob Wagner was fired.
Yoshida also made courtesy contacts with Jones and McBride then, but neither was interested.
"I need to know something as quickly as possible," McBride said, because of recruiting purposes. "I've always loved Hawaii and the people here. I know I can put a winner on the field."
