KONA, Hawaii -- June Jones spent his last day in Hawaii in Kona where the Na Koa Football Club honored the departing former University of Hawaii football coach.

Jones spoke to the local media for the last time before starting his new job at Southern Methodist University.

Jones appeared relaxed as he met with local reporters for the first time since he accepted the head coach job at SMU. He chose the luxury oceanside community of Hokulia in Kona.

"This is probably the most spiritual place I've ever been, and there's just something about Hokulia," he said.

Jones leaves a program he built from 0-12 the season before he started to 12-0 this regular season plus the school's first Bowl Championship Series game. The Warriors lost to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year's Day.

Now, Jones takes on a program at SMU that only won one game this past season. However, SMU lured him with impressive facilities and support at the school and booster levels.

"It was time for me to make a change for myself and my family. This opportunity was too good to pass up," Jones said.

Jones said he is grateful for the university's 11th hour offer and the promises to finally improve athletic facilities. However, he said it just was not enough.

"When you ask me could they have done anything, I don't think they could've," Jones said.

Although change is hard, Jones said it is sometimes necessary to move forward.

"Fred von Appen fought for those fields that we practice on. Well, I benefited from his fights, and the same thing's going to happen to the next coach here," he said.

Jones has kept a low profile since the Warriors returned from the Sugar Bowl and he accepted the SMU offer.

"I didn't hide. I just didn't want to do media stuff, and I just felt like it needed to settle," he said. "I faced the fans. I walked, I went to longs, I went to Kahala. I saw them, and I experienced, and I knew it was going to be like that."

The Na Koa Football Club is presented Jones with a statue on Sunday night -- a favorite son of Hawaii.

"It's hard to leave the people of Hawaii more than Hawaii. That's been my burden," the coach said. "It's going to be hard, but I keep telling myself 'I'll be back in 30 days.' After letter of intent, I'm going to come back to enjoy Hokulia a little bit and Kona."

Jones leaves as Hawaii's winningest coach. He led the team to six bowl games in nine seasons, collecting a school-record 76 victories, three Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors and two WAC championships.

"I want people to just be able to say he was a good guy, tried to do it the right way," Jones said. "I think that 10 years from now, you'll go back and the players will come home that were big in this game, and what they say about me and what they say about the experience is probably what will live on."

Jones said he has not spoken to Herman Frazier since the university ousted the embattled athletic director last week.

"I felt really bad about that situation because I do believe as a football coach, Herman was right there with us, helping me as much as he could," Jones said. "I hate that the timing of it was triggered because in no way do I feel that Herman was anything but helpful to me."

Jones said that Interim Athletic Director Carl Clapp is a very capable, good spirited and good-hearted man.

The university is currently searching for both an athletic director and a head football coach.

Jones expressed who he feels should be the 21st head coach in Hawaii football history. It is the same man that many fans, players, coaches and boosters have endorsed: defensive coordinator Greg McMackin.

Jones said McMackin has his blessings to stay in Hawaii and not follow him to Dallas.

McMackin confirmed that he has applied for the Manoa job.

More than 30 applications have come in for the job so far, according to UH officials.

The earliest a new-coach could be named is this week.