Former Houston Roughnecks head coach/general manager June Jones announced via his Twitter bio that he’d be returning to the XFL. This time, he’ll be doing it as an offensive coordinator under Jim Haslett, who was recently revealed as one of the eight XFL head coaches for 2023.
He eventually took out the XFL part in his bio after word began to spread on the internet. The coach might have jumped the gun with his announcement and the league told him not yet.
Jones last coached for the Conquerors of The Spring League (TSL) in 2020, where he also held the offensive coordinator position. Back in January, there was buzz about Jones possibly returning to the University of Hawai’i, where he spent nine seasons (1999-2007) creating one of college football’s most lethal passing attacks. However, Jones turned down the offer in search of other options. Since then, there has been much more development regarding the XFL’s return, which Jones may have been waiting on before he made any decisions.
Over a five game span in the XFL, Jones successfully implemented his run-and-shoot offense, turning quarterback PJ Walker into an unofficial MVP. The Roughnecks went undefeated, and many of Jones’ players earned NFL opportunities as a result. Jones has some of the best experience in the coaching business going back to the 1980s, and has worked in many leagues throughout his tenure.
Not only did Jones announce his return to the XFL, but said he’d be doing so “in Seattle.” It can be inferred that Seattle will host a team for the 2023 season, although whether or not the Dragons name will be retained is currently unknown. This is one of the first mentions of a Seattle franchise, as much of the news regarding host cities has been centered around Las Vegas, Orlando, and San Antonio.
Jones becomes just one of two coaches/staff members to rejoin the league from 2020 so far, with the other being longtime Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops (held the same position with the Dallas Renegades). While Jones is a familiar face that is sure to get XFL fans excited, he likely won’t be the last XFL alumnus to come back.
On the topic of Stoops, his offensive coordinator in Dallas was Hal Mumme, commonly referred to as the “godfather” of the Air Raid offense. Mumme and Jones have similar coaching styles, and Mumme also spent time in The Spring League following the XFL’s suspension. Whether or not he returns to the XFL under Stoops (or makes a return at all) is yet to be seen, but his name is certainly at the top of the list for coordinator availability.
Jones’ return to the XFL is a great look for the whole league, given what he was able to accomplish two years ago. It could also mean the return of more coaches and coordinators, many of whom have praised the league publicly. From the entire team here at XFL News Hub, welcome back June!
