Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Posing for a group photo, during a break in the June Jones Foundation Coaches Clinic on June 16, 2011 at the Veterans Memorial Stadium, are our local football coaches on island, some of the Samoa Bowl Committee members, Coach June Jones and members of his foundation, which include a lot of former NFL players and current NFL players. 

Former University of Hawaii Head Football Coach June Jones, who led the University of Hawaii to one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history, died  yesterday in Oregon, on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

Jones, 73, had suffered health issues this year and entered hospice two weeks ago, according to a close family friend.

A former UH quarterback in 1973 and 1974, Jones is the winningest coach in UH football history. He turned down an opportunity to be the San Diego Chargers head coach to accept the head coaching job at UH in December of 1998.

June Jones’ era of Hawaii football comprises 76 victories in nine seasons from 1999-2007. After a contract dispute with UH, he then went to work at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2008 until he resigned in 2014.

Jones is well remembered in American Samoa.

While at the SMU, Jones and his foundation lead more than 30 physicians and nurses, coaches and former NFL stars on his 6th annual Goodwill Mission to bring medical care and athletic equipment to American Samoa, in June 2013. The Goodwill Mission included a coaches clinic and a football camp for high school players over the weekend.

Former San Francisco 49er said of the Jones relationship to the people of Samoa, “Because of his relationship with some of the Samoan players that played for him at the University of Hawaii it allowed him to develop some of the relationships with people here [American Samoa] who consider him as family …“

He led UH to six bowl games and coached three 10+ win seasons, including an undefeated 12-0 regular season and trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2007. His 1999 squad recorded the biggest turnaround in NCAA history with a 9-4 record and share of the Western Athletic Conference title which earned him National Coach of the Year honors.

His teams captured two WAC titles (1999 & 2007) and his Run-and-Shoot offense produced record-breaking quarterbacks, most notably Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan.
He coached five All-Americans, 52 all-conference performers and 16 NFL Draft picks. A UH quarterback from 1973-74, he also started his coaching career at Hawai‘i as a graduate assistant in 1983.

Jones agreed to become the next offensive coordinator at Kapolei High School in 2016.

In January 2017, Jones served as the head coach for Team Mariota in the Inaugural Polynesian Bowl at Aloha Stadium, working in partnership with community and athletic initiatives like the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame and goodwill outreach programs.

He was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Sea Dragons.

He coached for three years in the National Football League (NFL). Jones played professionally as a quarterback in the NFL and CFL. He played football with the Oregon Ducks, Rainbow Warriors, and Portland State Vikings.

(Sources: Honolulu Star Advertiser, Hawaii News Now, Samoa News)