June Jones, Former Hawaii and SMU Football Coach, Dies at 73

Former University of Hawaii head football coach June Jones died on Thursday at the age of 73. Multiple sources confirmed the news to reporters in Honolulu.

Jones built his reputation as the winningest coach in the modern era of Hawaii football. He accumulated 76 victories across nine seasons between 1999 and 2007. His 1999 team achieved the largest turnaround in NCAA history, finishing with a 9-4 record and sharing the Western Athletic Conference title. That performance earned him National Coach of the Year honors.

The coaching tree grew further during his tenure. Jones led the Rainbows to six bowl games and three seasons with at least 10 wins. The 2007 campaign culminated in an undefeated 12-0 regular season and a trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. His run-and-shoot offense produced record-breaking quarterbacks, most notably Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan. Over his career, Jones coached five All-Americans, 52 all-conference performers, and 16 players drafted into the NFL.

After departing Hawaii, Jones moved to Southern Methodist University in 2008. He served there until resigning in 2014. He also spent three years coaching in the NFL. Since 2016, he agreed to become the offensive coordinator at Kapolei High School. Most recently, he held that position for the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Jones began his professional path at the University of Hawaii as a graduate assistant in 1983. He also played quarterback for the university during the 1973-74 season. He captured two WAC titles during his time as head coach, specifically in 1999 and 2007.