Hawai'i football coach June Jones is one of seven finalists for the Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year, it was announced yesterday.

The winner will be voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and named at an awards dinner benefiting the American Heart Association on Jan. 17, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston.

Other finalists are Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech; Sylvester "Sly" Croom, Mississippi State; Mark Mangino, Kansas; Les Miles, Louisiana State; Gary Pinkel, Missouri; and Ron Zook, Illinois.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized amongst the top coaches in the country," Jones said in a statement. "I was lucky to grow up during that era. Bear was not only a legend, but a real man."

Jones and the Warriors are preparing for a Jan. 1 showdown with Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

UH (12-0) is currently riding a national-best 13-game winning streak, while Georgia (10-2) has won its last six.

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