Report: Legendary Hawaii coach June Jones in line to make return

In the wake of Todd Graham’s resignation, Hawaii is turning to a familiar face to become its new football coach.

The Rainbow Warriors are close to hiring June Jones, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported Friday. Jones, 68, coached at Hawaii from 1999-2007 before leaving for SMU.

As Hawaii head coach, Jones went 76-41 to become the winningest coach in program history. In his last two years, he led the Rainbow Warriors to a 23-4 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2007.

After leaving Hawaii, Jones amassed a 36-43 record at SMU before stepping down due to “personal issues” in 2014. He coached at a Hawaii high school in 2016 before heading to the CFL and XFL until 2020.

Hawaii saw a rash of transfers this offseason in the wake of accusations against Graham and the program’s culture. He resigned on Saturday after two seasons and an 11-11 record with the program.

Todd Graham resigns as Hawaii head coach

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors head coach Todd Graham has resigned from his position, the school announced early Saturday morning. He spent two seasons with Hawaii, coaching in 22 games with an 11-11 record.

“Todd informed me of his decision to resign,” Hawaii Athletics Director David Matlin said in a statement. “We enjoyed many successes under his leadership even as he faced pandemic conditions, the withdrawal of Aloha Stadium, and the prohibition of any fans for nearly all his time with us. Todd’s tireless efforts as a coach have made a positive impact on many student-athletes. We have talked at length, and it is clear he has taken this action so that the football program can thrive moving forward.”

The decision comes off the back of some controversy surrounding Graham. The Hawaii Senate’s Ways and Means and Higher Education Committee called a meeting a week ago regarding the culture the head coach had built in the program. Several players came forward, speaking against Graham and his actions while at Hawaii.

Former Rainbow Warriors player Leonard Lee was removed from the team after speaking out earlier this year. He didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts about his now-former coach.

“He’s hands down the worst guy I’ve ever met in my life,” Lee said, via Vannini.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman also weighed in on the issue, citing conversations with other coaches. He shared a quote from one unnamed coach who backs up Lee’s claims.

“He’s a bad human being,” the unnamed coach told Feldman. “The truth is finally coming out on him.”