Hawaii’s Jones is still undecided on future

June Jones hasn’t resigned from Hawaii and hasn’t signed with Southern Methodist -- at least, not as of Sunday evening.

Jones was in Dallas meeting with SMU officials and the search committee that has been working since late October to hire a replacement for Phil Bennett, who was fired after six seasons.

Jones received an offer from Hawaii on Friday night aimed at keeping him with the program he has taken to national prominence the last nine years. However, he flew to Dallas on Saturday and it was later reported that he’d resigned. Agent Leigh Steinberg said that wasn’t exactly the case.

“As of now, the process is ongoing,” Steinberg said. “He hasn’t accepted SMU, he hasn’t accepted Hawaii.”

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle called Sunday to see what she could do, and the president who oversees the entire University of Hawaii system called with an updated contract proposal. It’s the second in three days, but the first made by the school’s overall leader.

As baffling as Jones’ move might seem, it’s not out of character for him. In the late 1990s, he left a 12-year run in the NFL to take over a Hawaii program coming off a winless season.

SMU might be a tougher challenge because losing is so entrenched for a program that still hasn’t recovered from receiving the NCAA’s only death penalty.

Jeff Tedford wants to concentrate on being a head coach next season, so he’s changing the structure of California’s coaching staff to give him more time to be in charge.

Tedford shuffled his assistants, most notably hiring Frank Cignetti as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He also hired Al Simmons as defensive backs coach, reassigned three assistants and announced the departure of three others, including respected defensive line coach Ken Delgado.

Tedford will even cede play-calling duties next season to Cignetti, an up-and-coming offensive coach who will stay in the Bay Area after spending last season as the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach.

Cal finished 7-6 with a victory in last week’s Armed Forces Bowl, a dismal end to a season that began with a 5-0 start and a No. 2 national ranking.

Central Florida’s Kevin Smith, the nation’s leading rusher this season, changed his mind and will turn pro, the school confirmed.

Smith seriously challenged Barry Sanders’ NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards in a season but finished 61 yards short.

Michigan State wide receiver/kick returner Devin Thomas is skipping his senior season to make himself available for the NFL draft. Thomas set a single-season Big Ten record with 1,135 yards on kickoff returns, including a career-high 178 yards in the Champs Sports Bowl. He also set a single-season school mark with 79 receptions and 2,590 all-purpose yards.