June Jones

College coach infobox
Name = June Jones

---

Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1953|2|19
Birthplace = Portland, Oregon
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College = SMU
Conference = Conference USA
Title = Head Coach
Contract = $2,000,000
CurrentRecord = 1–4
OverallRecord = 76–45 (NCAA)
22–36 (NFL)
BowlRecord = 4–2
Awards = 1999 WAC Coach of the Year
1999 TSN National Coach of the Year
1999 American Football Coach/Schutt Sports National Coach of the Year
1999 CNN/Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year
2006 WAC Coach of the Year
Championships = 1999 WAC Co-championship
2007 WAC championship
CFbDWID = 1210
Player = Y
Years = 1971-72
1973-74
1975-76
Team = Oregon
Hawaiokinai
Portland State
Position = Quarterback
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1983

1984

1985

1986

1987-1988

1989-1990

1991-1993

1994-1996
1998

1999-2007
2008-"present"
CoachTeams = Hawaiokinai
(Quarterbacks)
Houston Gamblers
(Wide receivers)
Denver Gold
(Offensive coordinator)
Ottawa Roughriders
(Offensive coordinator)
Houston Oilers
(Quarterbacks)
Detroit Lions
(Quarterbacks/Receivers)
Atlanta Falcons
(Offensive coordinator)
Atlanta Falcons
San Diego Chargers
(QBs/Interim HC)
Hawaiokinai
SMU
FootballHOF =

June Sheldon Jones, III (born birth date|1953|2|19 in Portland, Oregon) is an American football coach, formerly with the Atlanta Falcons and the University of Hawaiokinai. He agreed to become head coach at Southern Methodist University on January 7, 2008. [ [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Jan/07/br/br5907241368.html "Honolulu Advertiser:" June Jones takes coaching job at SMU] ] [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/topstories/stories/010808dnsposmulede.1b8fc462.html "Dallas Morning News:" June Jones will be SMU's football coach] ]

Playing career

Jones played the quarterback position on three college teams: Oregon (1971–1972), Hawaii (1973–1974), and Portland State (1975–1976). It is during his time at Portland State that he would be introduced to the Run and Shoot offense by Mouse Davis. It would be an offense that he would later champion throughout his coaching career. Thereafter, he entered professional football, playing for the Atlanta Falcons (1977–1981) of the National Football League and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (1982). In four seasons with the Falcons, Jones completed 75 of 166 passes for 923 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions. [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/JoneJu00.htm June Jones Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com ] ]

Coaching career

In 1983, Jones started his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Dick Tomey at the University of Hawaii. He then spent two years in the USFL, first as the wide receivers coach for the Houston Gamblers (1984), then as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Gold (1985). Following the demise of the USFL, Jones spent the 1986 season working as an offensive assistant for the Ottawa Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. In 1987, he got his first NFL coaching position serving as the quarterbacks coach on Jerry Glanville's staff with the Houston Oilers. After Glanville was released by the Oilers, he would join the Detroit Lions coaching staff upon the recommendation of Mouse Davis, his college head coach at Portland State who was serving as the team's offensive coordinator.

Atlanta

Jones reunited with Glanville upon joining the Atlanta Falcons organization in 1991 as its assistant head coach. In 1994, Jones replaced Glanville as the team's head coach, a move that caused a rift between the two. Reportedly, they did not speak to each other for several years thereafter. Citation | last= Tsai | first= Stephen | date = Aug 3,| year= 2005 | title= Glanville devoted to football and Jones | periodical= The Honolulu Advertiser | url= http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Aug/03/sp/508030333.html ] (Later, in the 2000s, Jones would hire Glanville as defensive coordinator at Hawaii). As head coach, Jones' installed the Run & Shoot offense he learned under Mouse Davis. Initially, Quarterback Jeff George flourished under the system, passing for 3,734 yards and 23 touchdowns in Jones' first year and 4143 yards and 24 touchdowns his second year. In 1995, Jones' second season as head coach, the Falcons went to the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Green Bay Packers. The following year, the Falcons posted a 3-13 record, leading to Jones' dismissal. Jones' coaching record over three seasons in Atlanta was nineteen wins and twenty-nine losses. [ [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/JoneJu0.htm June Jones Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com ] ] He also clashed with quarterback Jeff George during his final season, including a well publicized and widely broadcast profanity laced shouting match during a September 23 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The feud contributed to both men's release by the organization. [ [http://www.nflhistoryguide.com/af/history.htm Atlanta Falcons History - NFL Football ] ] [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/29/SPGFCKQUQ01.DTL Raiders travel in time, sign veteran QB George ] ] [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E0D91F3DF937A1575AC0A960958260 George Suspended by Falcons - New York Times ] ]

an Diego

Jones returned to coaching when the San Diego Chargers hired him as quarterbacks coach on January 20, 1998. On October 13, 1998, head coach Kevin Gilbride was let go after the sixth game and Jones became the interim head coach. In games coached by Jones, the Chargers won three of ten games, giving Jones a career NFL coaching record of 22 wins and 36 losses. [ [http://www.chargers.com/history/chronology_90s.htm] Dead link|date=May 2008]

Hawaiokinai

Jones joined the University of Hawaiokinai-Mānoa football team as head coach, replacing Fred von Appen, who was fired when the team lost 18 games in a row, including all twelve games in the 1998 season. Jones led the Warriors to a 9-4 record and a share of the Western Athletic Conference football championship in the 1999 season, making it the most dramatic turnaround in NCAA football history. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03EFDC113DF931A15752C0A9669C8B63 PLUS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL - HAWAII; Jones Rewarded For Turnaround - New York Times ] ] With Jones's success on the field, and media-friendly persona off the field, he instantly became one of the most famous people in Hawaiokinai, with some people making "June Jones for Governor" T-shirts. [ [http://starbulletin.com/1999/11/23/features/story1.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features ] ] Reflecting his offensive philosophy, bumper stickers with the slogan "June would throw" were sold, a reference to legendary Hawaiokinaian lifeguard Eddie Aikau. [ [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Nov/07/sp/sp06p.html Right 'Guy' for run-and-shoot - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper ] ]

During his tenure at Hawaiokinai, he has coached five All-Americans, 52 all-conference performers, and eight NFL draft picks. In particular, Jones claims to have made a special effort to recruit local talent in his players and coaching staff. One of the most notable of his recruits was quarterback Timmy Chang, who became the all-time NCAA leader in passing yardage. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2004/11/07/sports/story2.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Sports ] ]

Jones nearly died in a car accident on February 22, 2001, missing the spring season because of his injuries. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2001/02/23/news/story1.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News ] ]

On December 24, 2006, Jones passed Dick Tomey to become the winningest head coach in Hawaiokinai football history (against an all-college schedule) with a 41-24 victory over Arizona State in the 2006 Hawaiokinai Bowl. As for the recruits that Jones usually goes for as a coach, the profiles of typical targets are: (1) Polynesian kids, (2) kids who have lived in Hawaiokinai or have family here, (3) military kids with no permanent home, (4) kids recovering from injuries and (5) kids from broken homes, (6) the rare kid from the penal system. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3038443 ESPN - No man is an island - College Football ] ] "Some of my best players I've recruited out of jail," Jones said in reference to the past legal troubles of quarterback Colt Brennan and wide receiver Davone Bess. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3038443 ESPN - No man is an island - College Football ] ]

Frustrated with what he viewed as a lack of support from the University, Jones opted to leave Hawaii at the end of the 2007 season. After initial reports had him interviewing at SMU, Hawaii officials had offers to raise his salary from $800,000 a year to $1.7 million a year and offered a commitment to improve its facilities; in addition there was an outpouring of support from Hawaii fans, including Gov. Linda Lingle. However, Jones contacted Hawaii on January 7, 2008 and let them know he had decided to accept an offer from SMU. Jones said the work that needed to be done to improve the football facilities and the campus in general would never get done with him still there. He said after all of the broken promises, leaving was the only way to send a message. Jones went 75–41 at Hawaii, including 4–2 in bowls. His teams finished first in the WAC twice and second two other times. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/01/07/ap.fbc.apnewsalert.ap/index.html SMU hires ex-Hawaii coach Jones] , Associated Press, January 7. 2008.]

outhern Methodist University

In a press conference at the Hall of Champions adjacent to Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 7, 2008, June Jones was introduced as new head football coach of the Southern Methodist University. He is the school's 5th coach since the “death penalty” in 1987. Jones will try to turn a football program around that had its last bowl game appearance in 1984 and its last winning season in 1997. Jones agreed to a 5-year contract with SMU, which will earn him $2 million annually, making him by far the best paid coach in Conference USA. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/smu/stories/010808dnsposmulede.1b8fc462.html "Dallas Morning News:" SMU's search ends with hiring of Jones] ]

Criticism

Jones' time in Hawaiokinai has not been without controversy. He has set new precedents as head coach, and some fault him for discarding long-standing traditions. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2004/08/27/news/story2.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News ] ] After his first season, he made several changes to the identity of the football team, including changing the name of the football team from “Rainbow Warriors” to simply “Warriors.”

During the 2004 season, after negotiating a contract with a $800,016 annual salary making him the highest-paid public employee in the state, he faced discontent from fans, faculty and media about his struggling team. [ [http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/2431864/detail.html UH Professor Criticizes Jones, Dobelle Salaries - Hawaii News Story - KITV Honolulu ] ] The team eventually finished with a 7–5 regular season and a victory in the Hawaiokinai Bowl.

Jones has been criticized for rarely running the ball, preferring a wide-open pass-heavy offense. Many college football followers disagree with Jones' Run & Shoot approach, but the success of his quarterbacks (most notably Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan) have made clear that the passing offense that Jones runs is efficient and effective, and his teams score and win by using it.

In an interview following the 2007 BCS bowl selection, Jones labeled eventual Heisman winner Tim Tebow a “system quarterback.” [ [http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2007/12/june-jones-rips.html Orlando Sentinel - June Jones rips Tim Tebow by ] ] Ironically, Jones' quarterbacks have often fallen under the stigma of a “system quarterback,” including Chang and Brennan. [ [http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=343935 "Sporting News:" And the Colt Brennan bashing begins] ]

Coaching record

College

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Hawaiokinai Warriors
conf = Western Athletic Conference
startyear = 1999
endyear = 2007CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1999
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 9–4
conference = 5–2
confstanding = T-1st
bowlname = Ookinaahu
bowloutcome = W
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2000
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 3–9
conference = 2–6
confstanding = T-6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2001
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 9–3
conference = 5–3
confstanding = T-4th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2002
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 10–4
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Hawaiokinai
bowloutcome = L
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2003
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 9–5
conference = 5–3
confstanding = T-4th
bowlname = Hawaiokinai
bowloutcome = W
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2004
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 8–5
conference = 4–4
confstanding = 5th
bowlname = Hawaiokinai
bowloutcome = W
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2005
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 5–7
conference = 4–4
confstanding = 5th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2006
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 11–3
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Hawaiokinai
bowloutcome = W
ranking = 24
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2007
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 12–1
conference = 8–0
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 17
ranking2 = 19CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Hawaiokinai
overall = 75–41
confrecord = 47–24CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = SMU Mustangs
conf = Conference USA
startyear = 2008
endyear = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2008
name = SMU
overall = 1–5
conference = 0–4
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = SMU
overall = 1–5
confrecord = 0–4CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 76–46
bcs = yes
poll = two
polltype =

NFL

† Became interim head coach when Kevin Gilbride was fired after the sixth game of the season

References

External links

* [http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu/coach_bio.html?pid=3&coachid=15 June Jones on UH Athletics website]
* [http://www.e-hawaii.com/stars/index/june_jones/ e-Hawaii Stars page]
*"The Honolulu Advertiser:" [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Dec/22/sp/sp38a.html "June Jones file"]
* [http://www.JuneJonesFoundation.org June Jones Foundation]