Jones rides off to SMU
UH assistants left wondering who is in charge
Hawaii assistant football coaches were left wondering not only about their futures yesterday. The present was a mystery as well.
They did not know who was in charge after head coach June Jones' decision to leave UH for SMU and news that athletic director Herman Frazier would soon no longer hold his post.
"Nobody said a word to us," receivers coach Ron Lee said. "I don't know who the AD is now and there's no coach."
No interim or temporary coach was named yesterday. No meeting was held.
Associate head coach George Lumpkin held the post temporarily when Jones was incapacitated by a car accident in 2001. But Lumpkin was in Los Angeles yesterday, visiting his mother and attending a coaches' convention.
"At this point, I haven't been named interim coach," said Lumpkin, who might not be back in Hawaii until Thursday. "The other coaches told me no one has told anyone anything."
Jones invited all of his assistants to join him at SMU. Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin, quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison and running backs coach Wes Suan have taken him up on it so far.
"I'd love to go with June," Lee said. "But I don't know if I want to live in Texas. I don't have cowboy boots or a cowboy hat."
Among the assistants, defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold, linebackers coach Cal Lee and defensive backs coach Rich Miano are at least somewhat interested in replacing Jones.
"He'd probably give me an interview," Ron Lee said of his younger brother.
