June Jones Tributes: Hawaii's Governor, Timmy Chang and Former Players Remember the Run-and-Shoot Coach

The tributes to June Jones kept coming Thursday, from the governor’s office in Honolulu to the coaches who now run the program he rebuilt. The former Hawaii, SMU and Atlanta Falcons head coach died Oct. 29 in Oregon at age 73, the University of Hawaii said.

Jones turned a Rainbow Warriors team that went 0-12 in 1998 into a 9-4 bowl winner in his first season, and in 2007 led Hawaii to a 12-0 regular season and the Sugar Bowl. A day after his death, the people who were there are describing him less as an offensive innovator and more as someone who looked after people long after they stopped playing for him.

What Hawaii’s leaders said

Gov. Josh Green addressed Jones’ death publicly, and his office released his remarks. “June has put his arms around a lot of people in the state of Hawaiʻi, a lot of players, a lot of businesses,” Green said, “and he was very kind to me, if I may, over the years, reaching out, giving advice to people in different disciplines… he is one of Hawaiʻi’s legends.” In a version shared by the university, Green also called Jones “an exceptional human being” and “a winner” who “won big moments for us, and that put us into the spotlight.”

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, a former UH player and coach, pointed to the 2007 season. “The 2007 season and making the Sugar Bowl, that went over what anybody ever thought was possible,” he said in the university’s tribute. He recalled being on the field for the win over Washington that season: “We were down 21 points, not once but twice, and still came back to win against a very formidable opponent… June was very special, we will miss him, but his legacy will live on.”

Timmy Chang: ‘a father figure’

Hawaii head coach Timmy Chang, who became the NCAA’s all-time leading passer in Jones’ offense, released a statement through UH Athletics.

“Coach Jones was a father figure, a mentor, and a visionary who revolutionized the game,” Chang said. “He believed in a young kid from Hawaiʻi and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to run his offense.” Chang said Jones kept guiding him after his playing days, including when he took over the program, and added: “We lost a true legend today, but I will spend the rest of my career trying to honor his legacy.”

UH Athletics said the presence of several former Rainbow Warriors on the current staff, including Chang, “speaks to Coach Jones’ fierce belief in Hawaiʻi’s talent and potential.”

Rich Miano: ‘I’ve seen him write checks’

Former Hawaii player and longtime assistant Rich Miano gave KITV Island News one of the most personal accounts. Their relationship began in 1983, when Jones was a UH assistant and Miano was a player. Jones later brought Miano to the Falcons, then hired him for his first Hawaii staff in 1999, even though Miano “had never coached in my life before.”

Miano said Jones’ recruiting pitch was built on local pride. “We didn’t need facilities. What we needed was this common belief in one another,” he said, describing how packed Aloha Stadium crowds made the team “Hawaii’s pro team.”

He also said Jones quietly helped former players through hard times. “I’ve seen him write checks. I’ve seen him be there,” Miano told KITV. “I can’t even imagine how many people that he literally helped as humans, not just as football players.”

KITV also replayed a 2008 interview, recorded before Jones left for SMU, in which he said he hoped people would remember that “he was a good guy. He tried to do it the right way.”

June Jones’ football coaching career at a glance

According to the University of Hawaii:

• Arrived at UH in 1973 as a quarterback after transferring from Oregon
• Took over as head coach in 1999 after an 0-12 season and went 9-4 with an Oʻahu Bowl win, then the biggest one-year turnaround in NCAA history
• Went 76-41 in nine seasons, the most wins by any Hawaii head coach
• Six bowl games (4-2) and WAC titles in 1999 and 2007
• Coached Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan, the school’s only Heisman Trophy finalist (2007)
• UH Circle of Honor inductee, along with Brennan and the 2007 team

He left Hawaii for SMU after the 2007 season, and earlier in his career was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

June Jones cause of death: what’s known

The university has not announced a cause of death, and its statement says only that he died in Oregon. The New York Post, citing the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, said Jones had health problems this year and had entered hospice care about two weeks before he died. No official cause has been released.

Memorial plans

UH said information about memorial services and ways to honor Jones’ legacy “will be announced in the coming days.”

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Earlier coverage: June Jones, Run-and-Shoot Pioneer Who Led Hawaii to a 12-0 Season, Dies at 73 (Oct 29)