June Jones, who brought Hawai'i football to the national spotlight, died at the age of 73 on Thursday, October 28, 2026. Jones had been in hospice care for the past two weeks while dealing with health issues that emerged earlier this year.
The University of Hawai'i, where Jones served as head coach from 1999 to 2007 after playing quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors, confirmed his passing. Prior to his Hawai'i tenure, Jones served as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons before assuming the head coach position following the 1993 season.
He served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1994 to 1996 and also led teams at Southern Methodist University (SMU), the Canadian Football League (CFL) team Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the XFL team Houston Roughnecks. After coaching 10 games for the Chargers in the 1998 season, Jones returned to Hawai'i, where he became the school's all-time winningest coach with a 76-41 record.
He led Hawai'i to conference championships in 1999 and 2007, a season in which the team started 12-0 and earned its first berth in a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Sugar Bowl behind star quarterback Colt Brennan. Jones, a native of Oregon, finished his college playing career at Portland State, where he learned the 'run-and-shoot' offense from its innovator, Mouse Davis.
Jones played five seasons for the Falcons and one in the CFL before beginning his coaching career at Hawai'i in 1983. He took his first National Football League (NFL) assignment as quarterbacks coach for the Houston Oilers under Jerry Glanville in 1987.
Sports analysts and fans worldwide have expressed deep grief over his demise, remembering his immense contributions to American football.