The Atlanta Falcons on Thursday announced the death of former head coach June Jones, calling him a visionary in the passing game who left a lasting mark on the organization.

Jones was 73. The University of Hawaii confirmed his passing after he had entered hospice care following a diagnosis of a spinal tumor, according to reports from local media and team associates.

In a social media statement, the Falcons said: “We mourn the passing of former head coach June Jones. A visionary in the passing game, Coach Jones will be remembered with gratitude for his contributions to our organization and the lasting impact he made on those he coached and mentored. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him.”

Born Feb. 19, 1953, in Portland, Oregon, Jones played college quarterback at Oregon, Hawaii and Portland State. At Portland State, he learned the run-and-shoot offense under its innovator, Mouse Davis, an approach that shaped his later coaching career.

He signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1977 and appeared in 17 games over five seasons. Jones completed 75 of 166 passes for 923 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions while making five starts.

After playing one season in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts, Jones began coaching in 1983. He worked in the USFL and CFL before serving as quarterbacks coach for the Houston Oilers from 1987 to 1988 and the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1990.

Jones returned to Atlanta in 1991 as offensive coordinator under Jerry Glanville. He was promoted to head coach in 1994 and compiled a 19-29 record over three seasons.

The 1995 Falcons finished 9-7 and reached the playoffs for the first time in several years, losing in the wild-card round to the Green Bay Packers. Atlanta went 3-13 in 1996, and Jones was dismissed after the season.

He later served as interim head coach of the San Diego Chargers for 10 games in 1998, posting a 3-7 mark.

Jones’s most sustained success came at Hawaii, where he coached from 1999 to 2007 and finished 76-41. That mark made him the winningest coach in the modern era of Rainbow Warriors football.

He guided Hawaii to Western Athletic Conference titles in 1999 and 2007. The 2007 team opened 12-0 and earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl, where it lost to Georgia. Quarterback Colt Brennan emerged as a Heisman Trophy finalist under Jones, and Timmy Chang set the NCAA record for career passing yards.

At SMU from 2008 to 2014, Jones went 36-43 and led the Mustangs to multiple bowl appearances after taking over a program that had struggled for years.

He also coached the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL and the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL, where his 2020 team finished 5-0.

Jones’s run-and-shoot concepts, built around four wide receivers and route adjustments based on coverage, influenced the spread of pass-heavy schemes throughout football.

The Falcons’ statement noted the impact he made on players and staff during his time in Atlanta as both a player and coach.

Jones is survived by family members. Teams and schools he led issued statements of condolence highlighting his mentoring role across levels of the game.

His offensive ideas remain part of modern football strategy more than a decade after his last full-time college head coaching job.