June Jones – ‘No coach in their right mind’ would accept conditions Hawai’i offered

June Jones turned down an opportunity to return as Hawai’i’s head football coach after meeting with school officials Friday.

Jones, 68, expressed interest in the job shortly after coach Todd Graham resigned under pressure Jan. 14. Although Jones hasn’t coached in college since 2014, he lives in Hawai’i and remains the school’s winningest coach, with a 76-41 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance following the 2007 season.

“I understand that there has been a lot of support for Coach Jones this past week, but he has declined our offer,” athletic director David Matlin said in a statement Friday night. “I respect his decision and we need to move forward in our search. At the end of the day, we couldn’t agree on a succession plan that I felt was important for our student-athletes and supporters of Rainbow Warrior football.”

Jones took to Twitter later Friday to explain why he declined Hawai’i’s offer.

“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 the conditions offered me,” Jones wrote in his post. “No coach in their right mind would accept!”

“Dictating who can be on my staff and only 2 year contract..What recruit would come if I was here for 2 years???” he wrote in another post. “..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 or how to coach my team.”

Dictating who can be on my staff and only 2 year contract..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 or how to coach my team

— June Jones (@CoachJuneJones) January 22, 2022

Matlin and Leigh Steinberg, Jones’ agent, told ESPN that Hawai’i’s initial job…