June Jones, the coach who engineered the biggest single-season turnaround in NCAA history and later led Hawaii to an undefeated regular season, has died at 73. Multiple reports confirmed his passing Thursday. Jones went 76-41 at Hawaii from 1999 to 2007, winning two WAC titles and reaching six bowl games.
The defining chapter came fast. Hawaii was 0-12 the year before Jones arrived. By 1999 his team finished 9-4, earning him National Coach of the Year. The run-and-shoot offense he installed became the program’s identity, peaking in 2007 with a 12-0 regular season, a Sugar Bowl appearance, and quarterback Colt Brennan finishing as a Heisman finalist.
Jones played quarterback at Hawaii himself in the early seventies, later coached in the NFL, and led SMU from 2008 until resigning in 2014. For college football fans, especially those who remember that wild 2007 season, his impact goes well beyond the win column. What’s your favorite coaching turnaround story in sports? Let us know.
