Legendary college football coach June Jones, who orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in NCAA history and led Hawaii to an undefeated regular season, died Thursday in Oregon. He was 73.
Jones had struggled with health problems earlier this year and entered hospice care approximately two weeks before his death.
The former NFL coach became a college football icon during his nine seasons at Hawaii, transforming a winless program into a national contender and becoming the winningest coach in school history.
Jones took over the Warriors in December 1998 after passing up an opportunity to become head coach of the San Diego Chargers.
Hawaii had just suffered a humiliating 0-12 season, but Jones engineered a stunning reversal in his first year.
The Warriors finished 9-4 in 1999, captured a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship and won the Oahu Bowl. The nine-win improvement set a Division I record at the time.
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Jones’ greatest achievement came in 2007, when he guided Hawaii to a perfect 12-0 regular season and the WAC championship.
The remarkable run secured the Warriors a spot in the prestigious Bowl Championship Series, setting up a Sugar Bowl showdown against Georgia in January 2008.
Hawaii’s dream season ended with a 41-10 loss to the Bulldogs.
Jones left the university days later following disagreements over his contract and the school’s commitment to its football program, accepting the head coaching job at Southern Methodist University.
He went on to revive SMU’s struggling program, leading the Mustangs to four consecutive bowl appearances before resigning in 2014.
Before his historic stint at Hawaii, Jones played quarterback for the Warriors in 1973 and 1974 and later enjoyed a lengthy NFL career as both a player and coach.
He served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1994 to 1996 and briefly led the Chargers on an interim basis in 1998.
