June Jones, who led Hawaii to its 1999 turnaround, dies at 73
The coach who led the Rainbow Warriors to an undefeated season and a Sugar Bowl berth has passed away.
By Julian Khan ·
June Jones, the winningest coach in the modern history of Hawaii football, has died at age 73. Multiple sources confirmed the news on Thursday.
Jones recorded 76 victories during his nine seasons as head coach of the University of Hawaii from 1999 through 2007. His tenure included six bowl appearances and three seasons with 10 or more wins. In 2007, his squad finished the regular season undefeated at 12-0 before playing in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
His 1999 team achieved the biggest turnaround in NCAA history. They finished 9-4 and shared the Western Athletic Conference title. Jones earned National Coach of the Year honors for that performance. His teams also secured a second WAC title in 2007.
Jones developed a run-and-shoot offense that produced record-breaking quarterbacks. His most notable player was Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan. Over his career, Jones coached five All-Americans, 52 all-conference performers, and 16 NFL draft picks.
After leaving Hawaii, Jones served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University from 2008 until 2014. He later coached for three years in the NFL. In 2016, he became the offensive coordinator at Kapolei High School. His most recent role was offensive coordinator for the Seattle Sea Dragons.
Jones began his coaching career at Hawaii as a graduate assistant in 1983. He played quarterback for the university from 1973 to 1974.
Source: WXIX-TV
