The Honolulu Advertiser, citing Jones' friend, Al Souza, reported Jones resigned Saturday morning. Jones said he would leave the university because of a lack of commitment from athletic department leaders, among other reasons, the paper said.
"This breaks his heart," Souza said of Jones' decision to leave.
Jones also sent letters to friends announcing that he is resigning, the Advertiser and television reports said.
Kent Untermann, a former Hawaii football player and a member of the Na Koa booster club, told KHNL that Jones' was leaving because of frustration with how the athletic department was run, not because he felt his salary was too low.
"He wants to be here but he has come to the point where he feels nothing is going to change," Untermann said. "He feels he has done his part but hasn't gotten the support and leadership from the administration."
The 54-year-old Jones just finished the most successful season in school history, and is being recruited by Southern Methodist University. Jones was en route to Dallas on Saturday to talk to SMU officials and could not be reached for comment.
The Dallas Morning News reported SMU has offered Jones between $1.7 million and $2 million a year. Jones currently earns $800,016 a year under a five-year contract with Hawaii that expires June 30.
The Warriors finished the season 12-1, losing to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl - the school's first bowl appearance on the mainland since 1992.
June Jones
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205490