June Jones named head coach of Houston's XFL team, sources say

HOUSTON – The new XFL will debut in 2020, and Houston is one of the franchises.

Sources with knowledge of the decision have confirmed to KPRC2 Sports that the new head coach will be June Jones.

Jones is a familiar name in the Bayou City as he has had ties in his coaching career with the Houston Oilers and Houston Gamblers.

Jones, 67, also has had head-coaching stints with the Atlanta Falcons, University of Hawaii, Southern Methodist University and the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League.

On Monday, Jones announced his resignation from Hamilton.

The league and officials from XFL Houston are planning to announce the hiring of Jones and that of new team president Brian Michael Cooper this week. Cooper is a local attorney who previously has ties with Rice University along with the Rio Grande Vipers franchise, which serves as a developmental franchise of the Houston Rockets.

While at Hamilton in 2017, Jones tried to hire former Baylor Head Coach Art Briles. After concerns materialized, the team released a joint statement with the CFL announcing they would not be hiring Briles.