June Jones, Run-and-Shoot Pioneer Who Led Hawaii to a 12-0 Season, Dies at 73

June Jones, the football coach who helped popularize the pass-happy run-and-shoot offense and led Hawaii to the first undefeated regular season in school history, has died at 73. His Run and Shoot Certification coaching program announced his death on Thursday, Oct. 29.

“June’s greatest legacy wasn’t the records, championships, or the offense. It was the people he believed in, the opportunities he gave, and the lives he forever changed,” the program said on social media, according to USA Today.

No official cause of death has been reported. The New York Post, citing the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, reported that Jones dealt with health issues earlier this year and entered hospice care about two weeks before his death.

Who was June Jones?

Jones was a quarterback at Oregon, Hawaii and Portland State, where USA Today says he learned the run-and-shoot, an offense built heavily around the pass. He went undrafted but played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, appearing in 17 games with five starts between 1977 and 1981, according to the Post.

He then moved into coaching, starting as quarterbacks coach at Hawaii and working his way up through the NFL. He was head coach of the Falcons from 1994 to 1996 and served as interim head coach of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 before taking his first college head coaching job.

What did June Jones do at Hawaii?

Jones took over at Hawaii in 1999, inheriting a team that had gone 0-12 the year before. In his first season, the Rainbow Warriors went 9-4, which USA Today describes as the best single-season turnaround in NCAA history.

His teams were annually among the country’s best passing offenses. Quarterback Timmy Chang became the NCAA’s all-time leader in passing yards under Jones and is now Hawaii’s head coach.

The peak came in 2007. Led by Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan, Hawaii went 12-0 in the regular season, filling Aloha Stadium and earning the program’s first BCS bowl bid. The Rainbow Warriors lost to Georgia 41-10 in the Sugar Bowl.

Across nine seasons, per USA Today, Jones won 76 games, the most in Hawaii football history, with six bowl appearances, two WAC titles, five All-Americans, 52 all-conference players and 16 NFL draft picks. He was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 2024.

“A leader, coach, mentor and innovator who helped bring Hawai’i Football to unprecedented heights,” Hawaii’s football program wrote on social media. “Rest In Aloha, June Jones.”

What was June Jones’ football coaching career after Hawaii?

After the 2007 season, Jones left for SMU, where he coached from 2008 to 2014. SMU Athletics credited him with helping “restore a winning tradition on the Hilltop,” leading the Mustangs to their first bowl appearance in 25 years and four consecutive bowl games. The Post lists his SMU record as 36-43.

He later coached at several levels, including the Canadian Football League and the XFL. His last job, according to the Post, was as offensive coordinator for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023.

USA Today puts his overall college head coaching record at 112-84.

How are Hawaii and the football world reacting?

The news landed during a somber practice week for Hawaii, which plays at UTEP this weekend. Several current Hawaii coaches played for Jones.

“It’s obviously tough,” Chang told reporters, according to USA Today. “We lost a mentor, a friend, a father, and he meant a lot to people here in our community… I owe so much to him, and very grateful. Love him, and I’m going to miss him.”

Associate head coach Chris Brown, the first player Jones signed in his 1999 recruiting class, said Jones “taught me a lot about life.” “I didn’t win anything my entire life until I came here in 1999 and felt what it was to be a winner,” Brown said.

The Falcons also paid tribute. “A visionary in the passing game, Coach Jones will be remembered with gratitude for his contributions to our organization and the lasting impact he made on those he coached and mentored,” the team wrote on X, per the Post.

SMU said its thoughts are “with his family, friends and the countless players and coaches whose lives he touched.”

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