Fansided

Best college football coach in history from each state

By Nathaniel Reeves

TUSCALOOSA, AL - CIRCA 1958-1982: Paul Bryant, head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team observes the play during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Alabama) (Photo by University of Alabama/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - CIRCA 1958-1982: Paul Bryant, head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team observes the play during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Alabama) (Photo by University of Alabama/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS – JANUARY 01: Head coach June Jones of the Hawai’i Warriors hangs his head against the Georgia Bulldogs during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 1, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS – JANUARY 01: Head coach June Jones of the Hawai’i Warriors hangs his head against the Georgia Bulldogs during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 1, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Hawaii: June Jones 

The lone FBS program in The Aloha State enjoyed its strongest lifetime run by far under Jones in the mid-2000s.

Jones played five years as a college football quarterback with three different teams, including a two-year stop with Hawaii. Later at Portland State, Jones was introduced to the quarterback-friendly run and shoot offense, which would shape his head coaching career.

Following a five-year professional career, Jones returned to Hawaii as quarterbacks coach in 1983, but would only stick around for one year. Jones bounced around various levels as an assistant for the next decade plus before getting his first head coaching gig with the Atlanta Falcons in 1994 and then took over at Hawaii five years later after an unsuccessful tenure in the NFL.

The Warriors had lost 18 straight games when Jones was hired but improved all the way to 9-4 in his first season. Jones’ teams put up huge offensive numbers and won at least 10 games in three different seasons, capped off by a perfect 2007 regular season and run to the Sugar Bowl, where the Warriors would fall to Georgia.

While Jones struggled in his subsequent tenure at SMU, his career at Hawaii won’t soon be forgotten in the Aloha State, as quarterback Timmy Chang remains second all-time in passing yards. Hawaii fell off following Jones departure, and other Hawaii coaches like Tomey and Bob Wagner can’t match Jones despite achieving some success.

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