CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM UH head football coach June Jones lost 30 pounds during the offseason.

Lighter coach
Jones talks

UH football’s head man says
his relationship with Glanville
is better than ever

June Jones is 52 as he heads into his seventh season as University of Hawaii head football coach. But after losing 30 pounds (Atkins Diet) and his trademark mustache in the offseason, he appears to also have shed some years. That's fitting, since his team will be very youthful with the departure of 13 starters from last year. Last week, over a low-carb lunch, he answered questions about the coming season from Dave Reardon and Kalani Simpson of the Star-Bulletin and KKEA-1420 UH football broadcast team Bobby Curran and Robert Kekaula. Today, the first half of the hourlong discussion. Tomorrow, the conclusion.

Question: How good can (freshman slotback) Davone Bess be?

Answer: Andre Rison (whom Jones coached with the Atlanta Falcons) caught the ball well, too, but Davone catches everything. And he's got Chad Owens' strength.

Q: Tyler Graunke's the guy at quarterback, right?

A: If we were to start right now, yes. It could change the week before the game.

Q: How about kicker?

A: One of the freshmen (Danny Kelly or Jeremy Shibata). It can't be worse than what we've had. But they're freshmen, the stadium's going to have 50,000 people, we're playing USC. It will be interesting to see. They've got talent, but until you see it in a game you don't know what you've got.

Q: Samson Satele's your best tackle, even though he's played guard most of his career. Where will he play this year?

A: He's our best guard and center too. I'm going to play him some at center so the NFL guys can see him.

Q: Will he be ready for the NFL after this year?

A: I think Samson is one of the best we've had. A lot depends on his consistency, doing it every game. There's a difference when you come out and you're a third-round pick and if you stay and be a first-round pick. You can never make up that money. He's going to be approached by everyone. If he has a great year, he needs to go. If he doesn't, then you know, a guard has to be very good to be a first-round pick. You have to be dominating.

Q: How is he compared to Vince Manuwai at this point of their careers?

A: He's a little ahead, a little better athleticism. He dominates a little better. He's a powerful kid, a really good kid, too. All of our linemen are. Tala (Esera). I'm going to tell you, too, Dane Uperesa. He's worked real hard. I think Brandon (Eaton) will get drafted. He's like Kynan Forney. Conceivably, four of those guys could be playing (in the NFL).

Q: Is Wes Suan ready to coach the offensive line?

A: Wes coached offensive line for almost 20 years. He wanted to coach O-line when he first got here. Wes will surprise everybody. Wes has his own way with the players. You're not going to hear him cursing. But he's just as smart as Cav (former offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh), maybe a little bit smarter.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM UH head football coach June Jones says there is no awkwardness about new defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville working under him after he worked under Glanville in the NFL.

A: He takes it serious, I don't anymore, since my wreck (in 2001).

Q: Is your relationship with (new defensive coordinator) Jerry Glanville the same as it was when you were in the NFL together?

A: It's better. It's been awesome. We've had the best time. This week's been unbelievable.

Q: How does his wife like it here?

A: She's loving it.

Jerry and I think the same way. He's a good listener, he's one of the smartest guys I know. Never writes anything down, remembers everything. Mel deLaura's the same way ... 'Remember back in 1983, at Ala Moana,' ... Jerry's the same way, remembers everything. I played for Jerry. If he hadn't called Dick Tomey for me (for a coaching job at UH in 1983), I wouldn't be here. I think that's why Dick hired me.

Q: You have a guy working for you who you used to work for. Can that get uncomfortable?

A: He's exactly the same as when I worked for him. We kind of think the same. Even the Elvis thing. We were jogging together one day, I said, "Jerry, were you listening to KGO, some guy saw Elvis. We should leave some tickets for Elvis." The next press conference he's leaving tickets for Elvis.

He's one of the really good football minds. He's really energetic and gets the players to play hard. It will be fun to watch. He loves the game.

Q: Will you let him bring the house (blitz)?

A: The attitude will be there. We've gone through a bunch of stuff we did in Atlanta and Houston. We've kind of come up with a system between the two of them. I can tell with every day that goes by he's more confident. Once we start, I'll leave him alone. He's in the perfect place.

Q: After losing so many experienced players, who do you see emerging as leaders this year?

A: The quarterbacks, the offensive line has to assert themselves because they have the experience. Probably one of the running backs, Bryan (Maneafaiga), Mario Cox, Jazen Anderson. I can see someone's gonna jump off the tape and they become the guy.

On defense, Leonard Peters is unbelievable. T.J. Moe. Ikaika Curnan's not real vocal, but plays the game with passion.

Q: Will you use Nate Ilaoa at running back?

A: Yeah, he'll play running back and slot. We've got to get the best 11 guys on the field. Him doing both allows us to do different things. We can go empty, he can line up as a back and they won't know what we're doing.