June Jones, one of football's great offensive minds, has died at 73. The University of Hawai'i confirmed his death on Thursday.

Jones was a pioneer of the run-and-shoot offense. He coached in the NFL, in college, in the CFL plus the XFL over a career that spanned decades.

His best years came in Honolulu. Jones coached Hawai'i from 1999 to 2007 and left as the school's winningest coach at 76-41. In 2007 his team went 12-0 in the regular season with quarterback Colt Brennan and reached the Sugar Bowl.

From Portland State to the NFL

Jones grew up in Oregon. He played quarterback at Portland State under Mouse Davis, the coach who helped create the run-and-shoot. He then spent five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

He later coached the Falcons from 1994 to 1996. He also served as interim coach of the San Diego Chargers for 10 games in 1998.

Rebuilding SMU

After Hawai'i, Jones took over at SMU. The program had struggled for years after the NCAA death penalty. Jones led the Mustangs to four straight bowl games and won division titles in 2009 and 2010.

He later coached Hamilton in the CFL along with the XFL's Houston Roughnecks.

Remembered in Hawai'i

Current Hawai'i head coach Timmy Chang played quarterback for Jones. Chang said Jones changed his life and helped make him the coach he is today.

Fans across the islands remember Jones for making Hawai'i football a national story. His teams were fun to watch and his offense inspired coaches at every level.