Utah football coach Ron McBride planned to meet with his athletic director, Chris Hill, sometime Monday "to see where I'm at with the university," McBride said late Sunday night after returning from a job interview at the University of Hawaii. The two always meet after the season's over to discuss the program.
Even if Hill says some negative things to him, "That still doesn't mean I'd go someplace," McBride said. The Utes have some needs to address in the program, but the coach sees them as things that can be conquered and is confident he can fix them and take Utah higher than he has so far. He has often said the program is close to reaching the next level.The U. coach is known for loyalty to assistants, players and schools. He told players in a team meeting Thursday that he rarely does this sort of thing but wanted to check out the situation because he loves the Islands. He also told them, "I know my first obligation is to you and your parents" because he promised on recruiting trips to see players through to their graduations.
While he was in Hawaii, "I didn't commit to anything. I listened to what they had to say. It seemed all positive," McBride said. "I think they were real good to me, and they really listened.
"I may have told them things they didn't want to hear, too. Who knows?" McBride added. "I was pretty straightforward. In the situation I'm in, I can go in there and say whatever I want."
Hawaii made no job offer or promise, except to commit to rebuilding a dreadful program. "It's kinda dying. They've got to re-juice it, use every resource to make it go," McBride said.
He is still very interested in Hawaii, his second-favorite place in the world after Utah. "I like the problems they have there," he said. McBride enjoys rebuilding programs, as he's done at Utah, and he says Hawaii's problems are "solvable."
The Ute coach spent all day Saturday in Honolulu, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., interviewing with the selection committee, athletic director Hugh Yoshida, the school president and a panel of five players, touring the facilities and talking with the trainer, the stength coach and academicians. "It was pretty thorough," McBride said.
Hawaii administrators still have a number of candidates to interview. The list of strong possibilities has at least seven names. One or two were to have interviewed Sunday, with Arizona associate head coach Duane Akina and St. Louis (Honolulu) High coach Cal Lee, brother of Ute offensive coordinator Tommy Lee, set to interview Monday. Southern Cal defensive coordinator Bill Young was added to the list over the weekend and is to interview Tuesday.
Navy offensive coordinator Kenny Niumatalolo and Larry Kennan, executive director of the National Football League Coaches Association, are others who have been or will be interviewed.
Most candidates have ties to Hawaii as former players or assistants.
Part of the administration and selection committee is to travel to San Diego, possibly on Wednesday, to interview Chargers' interim coach June Jones, a former Rainbow player and coach who is up for the Chargers' job. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin says Jones is the No. 1 choice, if he's available, but that could take a couple weeks of prime recruiting time to determine.