The Sickos Committee explores Journeyman Coaches - Part 3 - June Jones

At the Sickos Committee, we tend to find ourselves digging through Wikipedia looking for weird and niche information. One of our favorite past times is to look at Journeyman coaches and just go through their stops in their careers while trying to figure out how and why they took this path in their playing and coaching careers. We will do this all throughout the college football off-season, so come along with us on this Wikipedia journey. Also, we will try to map out the path on Google Maps (if at all possible) and track the mileage each coach has journeyed. Follow us on our many deep dives where we try to find “Where in the world is this coach??”

June Jones - College Playing Career

Playing High School Quarterback in Portland, Oregon - June went to be an Oregon Duck in Eugene from 1971–1972, then transferred to Hawaii for the 1973 and 1974 seasons and finally landed at FCS Portland State from 1975–1976. During his time at Portland State he was introduced to the run and shoot offense by Mouse Davis. It would be an offense that he would later champion throughout his coaching career. 

The Driving aspect of his college playing career was 3 hours and 33 minutes and 222 miles. The Flying portion of his college career was 2,593 miles each way for a total of 5,186 miles for a total of 11 hours and 50 minutes flying. 

June Jones - Professional Football Player

June was undrafted in the NFL but was signed by the Atlanta Falcons where he started 5 games for the Falcons in his 4 year career. He then left the Falcons and played one year in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts in 1982. 

In June’s professional playing career, you’d have to drive 53 hours and 3,584 miles. 

June Jones - The Coaching Journey begins

June landed his first coaching gig at the University of Hawaii as the Quarterbacks coach in 1983. We’re crediting the flight from Toronto to Hawaii directly here. 10 hours and 10 minutes of flying and 4,649 miles. 

He then made his way to the first iteration of the USFL to the Houston Gamblers as a Wide Receivers coach. He flew 7 hours and 35 minutes and 3,892 miles of flying.  Then he landed a job as Offensive Coordinator of the Denver Gold. 

Following the demise of the USFL, Jones spent the 1986 season working as an offensive assistant for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL. Then bounced back down to Houston as the Oilers Quarterbacks Coach in 1987 - 1988. June was then hired by the Detroit Lions as the Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers coach from 1989-1990. He then made his way back to the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 - 1993 as the Offensive Coordinator and finally landed his first Head Coaching gig with the Falcons in 1994. 

On this leg of June’s career you’d have to drive 100 hours and 6,580 miles to match the traveling. 

June Jones - Finding his way back out West

After he was fired from the Falcons in 1996, he took a year off from coaching. He then drove 31 hours and 2,140 miles to his next destination in San Diego. 

June returned to coaching in 1998 as the San Diego Chargers Quarterbacks Coach. After the sixth game of the season, Head Coach Kevin Gilbride was fired and the Chargers named June interim Head Coach. 

After his stint in the NFL, he then flew from San Diego to Honolulu for 6 hours and 10 minutes and 2,607 miles. June found his career rejuvenated as he landed the Hawaii Football Head Coaching job in 1999. He won the Sporting News Coach of the Year in his first year at Hawaii. He won WAC Coach of the Year in 1999, 2006, and 2007. Towards the end of the Hawaii tenure, June and Hawaii administration officials didn’t see eye to eye on numerous things and he left to take the SMU job in 2007. 

He flew from Honolulu to Dallas 8 hours and 20 minutes for 3,787 miles. 

In his time at SMU, he was able to bring the Mustangs out of the doldrums from the NCAA Death Penalty and achieved their most wins in a season since the 1980s by going 7-5 in 2009. In 2014, June resigned citing personal issues just 2 games into the 2014 season.

June then rested for the remainder of 2014 - 2015.

In 2016, he returned to Hawaii but this time as an offensive Coordinator for Kapolei High School. We will credit him with a return trip from Dallas to Honolulu here. Add another 8 hours and 20 minutes for 3,787 miles for travel. 

June Jones - Coaching Professionally again

June returned to the mainland but he went back to Canada with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as an Assistant Coach late in the 2017 season. He flew 10 hours and 10 minutes and 4,649 miles. 

He was named Head Coach in 2017 and this was where he stayed until 2019 when he made way for Orlando Steinhauer to take over as the Ti-Cats Head Coach. 

June then found himself back in Houston in the XFL as the Roughnecks Coach in 2020. Then the XFL shutdown due to the pandemic. With the new iteration of the XFL, June has found himself back as the Offensive Coordinator of the Seattle SeaDragons for this upcoming 2023 XFL Season. 

To match the travel of June Jones on this final leg, you’d have to drive 57 hours and 3,823 miles. 

June Jones Journeyman Totals

(Just to and from destinations, not the actual travel during each job) 

College Playing Career

• Drive 3 hours and 33 minutes and 222 miles.

• Fly 11 hours and 50 minutes and 5,186 miles. 

Professional Playing Career

• Drive 53 hours and 3,584 miles. 

Coaching Career

• Fly 10 hours and 10 minutes and 4,649 miles. 

• Fly 7 hours and 35 minutes and 3,892 miles. 

• Drive 100 hours and 6,580 miles

• Drive 31 hours and 2,140 miles

• Fly 6 hours and 10 minutes and 2,607 miles

• Fly 8 hours and 20 minutes for 3,787 miles. 

• Fly 8 hours and 20 minutes for 3,787 miles. 

• Fly 10 hours and 10 minutes and 4,649 miles.

• Drive 57 hours and 3,823 miles. 

Journeyman Travel Totals

• 244 Hours of Driving for 16,349 Miles driven. 

• Approximately 63 Hours of Flying and 28,557 miles flown.

• Total Combined Hours Flying and Driving - 307 Hours

• Total Combined miles flown and driven - 44,906 Miles. 

It really feels like a cheat code to rack up these Journeyman numbers with so many jobs in Hawaii. We really hope June had frequent flier miles program as he was logging numerous flights throughout his career.

Bart Andrus maintains the Journeyman Coach travel lead for driving with 250 ½ Hours of driving and 16,546 miles. However, June Jones takes the lead with most hours flying and most flight mileage of 63 hours and 28,557 miles. June Jones also takes the most combined flight & driving with 307 travel hours and 44,906 miles traveled total.