Parting (I told you so) is such sweet sorrow

Despite the trail of obvious signs, shock and disappointment reverberated across Hawaii today. UH football coach June Jones is gone.

Coach Jones was idolized by a successful team, revered by hundreds of thousands of fans, and mostly ignored by a pompous and bureaucratic university who expected the status quo to last indefinitely. It doesn’t. It didn’t.

Nothing improves without change.

Over a nine year period, June Jones changed Hawaii’s football program, Jones changed the lives of players, and Jones changed the hopes of local football fans. What did the University of Hawaii’s bloated and sloth-toed bureaucracy change?

Former UH President Evan Dobelle brought in Herman Frazier as Athletic Director. That’s the kind of change UH implements. That Frazier was fomented on Hawaii by Dobelle should have been a warning sign.

What did Frazier change? Apparently Frazier ignored Jones’ repeated requests for upgraded facilities and an enhanced budget, Frazier changed the Warrior’s football schedule for the worse (easiest in the nation), Frazier gave back thousands of Sugar Bowl tickets in the face of unprecedented demand, oh, and along the way, Frazier paved a fast track, downhill road for June Jones to leave Hawaii.

If parting is such sweet sorrow, then Jones’ exit is the sorrow, and Frazier’s exit will be sweet.