If you're University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones, the only thing better than the recent season has been the bountiful postseason.

It started with a Christmas Eve victory over Arizona State in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl and it has been like Santa has just kept on leaving gifts on the doorstep.

Not only did quarterback Colt Brennan announce a return for his senior year but now the San Diego Chargers, whence Jones came in 1999, have a head coaching vacancy and his name is starting to pop up, again.

For a coach coming off an 11-3, nationally-ranked season and heading toward the end of a contract, there can be few things better than that. It is the game day equivalent of second-and-1. With a Pac-10 replay crew.

It isn't like Jones even has to orchestrate anything. He can clam up — as he has — sit back and watch it all unfold knowing that no matter how the Chargers' search plays out there is little downside for him. Or, the program he coaches.

That wasn't the case last month when San Diego's embarrassing playoff exit first prompted speculation about Marty Schottenheimer's status and possible successors. That was during the stretch drive of the recruiting period and any whiff of uncertainty about Jones' return was ammunition against UH. It was smack dab in the middle of Brennan's deliberation over whether he would return.

Brennan announced he would return the same day, Jan. 17, the Chargers said Schottenheimer was being retained. Conspiracy theorists make of that what you will.

But now that Brennan is on campus and the recruiting letters of intent are in, there's no risk to UH. Nothing pressing on the calendar, either. Even spring practice is more than a month away, by which time the Chargers' position will be long filled.

Jones' second UH contract expires after the 2008 season. If the Spanos family that owns the Chargers and thinks highly of Jones brings him in for an interview, as is the speculation around Manoa, it sure won't hurt leverage. If Jones wants to talk about facilities or salaries (including those of his assistants) then, you would think there would be a receptive ear or two.

Should the Spanos family get far enough down its look list — past Pete Carroll, Jeff Tedford, Ron Rivera or whomever — to Jones, he would be a fool not to listen. The Chargers can pay him many times what UH is now ($800,016 including boosters' donations) or will ever be able to cough up. The opportunity to take over a team that returns LaDanian Tomlinson & Co. is one a lot of coaches would pay San Diego for.

And, if he doesn't get an offer, well, what the Warriors have coming back this year affords plenty to look forward to.

Being in June Jones' slippers right now isn't a bad place to be.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.