The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 11: A Beautiful Spring

Today embarks a new day in the Timmy Chang era for University of Hawaii football. A disappointing 2022 season is a thing of the past as Chang looks to capture his first winning season as a head coach and UH’s first Hawaii Bowl appearance since Aloha Stadium closed in 2019 (Hawaii cancelled it’s appearance in 2021). This is his first recruiting class that is spearheaded by some exciting local/ JUCO talent and some intriguing transfer portal players.

Justin Sinclair is a safety from the College of San Mateo who is a three star prospect. A big win for UH for the 5-10, 185 pound defensive back as he received late offers from future UH opponent Sam Houston State and Clay Helton’s Georgia Southern. The DB room was a big point of emphasis for Coach Chang as there was a max exodus in the post Todd Graham era and there’s hope Sinclair will patch what is a big hole for the Warriors.

The Warriors lacked tremendous depth in 2021 in the DB room and continued to add with another three star DB. Elijah Palmer from Bishop Gorman was getting looks from Non-FBS programs before the Warriors gained interest and fought off a late push by UNLV. Palmer is a versatile CB/S player who attacks. One thing he does very well is contain ball carriers, something UH needs desperately.

John-Keawe Sagapolutele is a three star QB from Punahou who is 6-1 and 185. An intriguing prospect that will put on some weight that will allow him to be a duel threat player at the division 1 level should have UH fans salivating if they return to a pass happy, Run N Shoot style. A good operater from both the shotgun and the pistol, he reminds me of Trey Lance when he was at NDSU. I would like to see a little quicker delivery but he throws with good anticipation and his medium throws excite me a lot. A Polynesian bowl participant, Sagapolutele’s back ground and play style could push him into a starting role earlier then planned.

Ezekiel Rodrigues joins the long line of Mililani Trojans to play for the Warriors. Another DB that could move up to hybrid linebacker, Rodrigues is a player that is not afraid of contact. A clean tackler that can put the boom on you, one thing that stands out with his tape is his fundamentals. This is a fundamentally sound, aggressive football player that’s not gonna be reckless and get himself hurt or kicked out of the game. He has great length and shines in big moments. At the very least, he will be a special teams ace.

The class has a lot of transfers that are exciting and I’m really excited about Elijah Robinson and Joshua Atkins but my big transfer guy is Steven McBride. McBride is a WR from Kansas who was a three star prospect coming out of Louisiana. An outside player who makes his best plays when he cuts inside, what he could do in the slot should worry the opposition. He runs a very nice fade as well and he outruns people on multiple occasions. This dude has day one starter written all over him. He bodies opponents. He understands angles and possesses solid hands.

With year two comes growth and though success isn’t instant and it definetely isn’t easy but these are some of the players that I expect to be apart of the next era of great warrior football.

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt 10: A Year in Review

As Hawaii HC Timmy Chang and his staff embark on an offseason filled with anticipation and excitement, let’s take a look back at his first time around as a head coach. Coming into the 2021 season, Timmy Chang had already moved his family from Reno, Nevada to Colorado Springs, Colorado as a member of Jay Norvell’s staff at Colorado State when his alma mater came calling. The resignation of Todd Graham and the mass exodus of players from the program created an undesirable situation compounded by the lack of a stadium plan and proper funding. In this new era of NIL, Hawaii is much more behind the 8 ball in terms of recruiting.

Chang was awarded the job under poor circumstances. A controversial no deal-deal occurred between AD Matlin and former Hawaii HC June Jones propelled Chang from being a priority candidate to the man in the high chair. Now I expressed concern about this as Chang had no prior D1 coordinator experience compared to Jones and I personally held bitterness towards the hiring process due to my love of Jones. Chang himself was put in an even tougher position when Hawaii’s first game was nationally televised.

And it was a disaster. A blowout loss had many people questioning his game managment skills, his coordinator’s skill/ play calling decisions and how fundamentally sound was this team. A tough non-conference schedule including a trip to the Big House convinced many that this season would be a bust. The lingering thought of what if UH hired June Jones got stronger and stronger while the feelings of Braddahhood turned into “brah, what are we doing?” The defense, a former gauntlet in Todd Graham’s 3-3-5 defense suffered from both a lack of talent and constant penetration by opposing offenses. Jacob Yoro’s 4-3 came under fire when teams ran the ball which unfortunately set up the pass, exposing the DB room.

Offensively we were expecting Run N Shoot and we got Run N Shoot me in the head from OC Ian Shoemaker. A big helping of 11 personnel confused many who remember the Air excellence of Hawaii offenses in the past. The injuries to Zion Bowens and Jonah Panoke didn’t help either. When all seemed lost, Hawaii was granted a reprieve. A much needed BYE week energized the Bows to post a tremendous performance at SDSU. Big underdogs, the Bows lost on a last second field goal after taking the lead with a minute left. They would then beat Nevada at home to give Timmy Chang his first conference win as HC. Tough and close losses to Utah State, Colorado State and Wyoming inspired the idea of what could be but one game set the tone for the future. An upset win over UNLV on Senior night, letting the Seniors go out with a win, keeping the tradition that Hawaii on Senior night is an impenetrable fortress was amazing.

Hawaii would wrap up 2022 with a road loss to SJSU so now lets grade everyone.

Timmy Chang: A-

Many sports outlets put Hawaii’s pre-season win total around 3 and Chang matched it. Dealing with the noise from the transfers, media, the Jones debacle and on-field play is not easy but he held it together to make a competitive team out of spare parts. He greatly improved in both game planning and game managing after the BYE week and finally looks comfortable as a HC. Hawaii’s recruiting moves and the rumored attraction of DJ Uiagalelei proves Chang isn’t messing around and he’s coming for blood in 2023.

Ian Shoemaker: F

The Eastern Washington OC came to the islands with a lot of expectations in terms of scheme and production and failed at both. His consistant use of a Tight End instead of a 4th WR proved costly and his reliance on the run proved he doesn’t understand the strengths and weaknesses of the players he’s coaching. Whether Yellen, Schager or Cooper was in, the offense looked awful. He would consistently use 23 personell despite having an undersized offensive line and his use of Ilm Manning, Hawaii’s best offensive lineman was troubling. All around, it was bad.

Jacob Yoro: B+

The BYE week came as a reprieve for Yoro as well. The DC’s defense was firing off the line in conference play. His defense held conference opponents under 28 points in 6 of 8 conference games. They held conference opponents under 18 points on three of those occasions as well. They somehow became way better tacklers after the bye and the pursuit of the ball carrier improved as well. Looking forward to seeing how the defense performs with new talent and another year in the system in 2023.

Breakout Star: Tylan Hines

The Freshman Running Back from Texas can do it all. He can run and catch while being moved all over the field. A young stud with incredible potential, he had over 700 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. Expect a big year from him.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Abe Elimimian

The legend put together another impressive campaign. The breakout of Virdel Edwards II is all the evidence I need for Elimimian’s candidacy.

Player of the Year: Matt Shipley. The kicker who won UH so much was 16-20 on the season with 100% accuracy inside 30 yards. With a long of 49, Shipley continues to climb UH’s scoring leaderboard.

Season Grade: B

Hawaii outperformed expectations but at the end of the day, a 3-10 record can not be rewarded. Massive improvement from week 0 to the SJSU game makes me excited for 2023 and the closeness of the conference games give me upmost confidence in Chang. I believe Hawaii will be bowling in 23 but until Summer turns to Fall, until the grass at T.C. Ching gets painted to start a new year, this is MST signing off with a final goodbye and forever, Go Bows!

Mike Leach, Air Raid and tremendous success

I write this with a heavy heart as Mississippi State Head Coach Mike Leach is currently fighting for his life after suffering a massive heart attack. Now I have never minced words when it comes to Coach Leach because a man like that needs all the words in the English language to accurately portray the Coach and man he is. He has single handledly shaped the landscape of college football with his version of the Air Raid offense that has propelled mid-tier college football programs to national attention and his coaching tree and offensive philosophies have helped defined the modern NFL as we know it. Let’s take a look back on his work.

Always an odd ball, while he was the OC at Oklahoma, he devised one of the craziest things I have ever heard in my life. Scripting plays to start a game was no new phenomenon in 2000 but Leach took it to another level. A highly anticipated matchup against arch rivals Texas saw the Sooners completely over powered by Texas’ strong defense. To combat this, Leach drew up a fake script. A script with a set of plays that OU would use except it was all a ploy. In reality, the fake script would make Texas believe OU would call certain plays while in reality, the real script would set up OU to score 2 quick TDs. Leach had a player drop the fake script on the ground where a Texas GA would eventually find it and bingo. Only issue was Texas would win the game because they were clearly the better team. However this was just the start of how Leach would change the game.

Leach would get his first HC job at Texas Tech where he would take a program that was a notorious .500 program and win 84 games there. He beat Texas when they were the number 1 team in the country, his QBs would smash program, conference and national record books and at one point had the Red Raiders as the number 2 team in the country. Michael Crabtree would go on to be a first round pick and Tech has failed to reach those heights after Leach’s departure.

Going to Washington State which was a program that had failed to have success since the nineties, Leach would win 55 games and have a season which they finished as the number 10 team in the nation. Leach would send multiple players to the league including first round pick Andre Dillard. Washington State hasn’t won more than 7 games in a season since he left.

Making his way to Starkville, Mississippi to inject the Air Raid into the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Leach wasted no time making an impression by upsetting the defending National Champion LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. He would win the Armed Forces Bowl that year and QB Will Rogers emerged as the most promising QB prospect Mississippi State has had since Dak Prescott. He would cap off 2022 with a bowl birth and consistently having Mississippi State in the top 25. He would also defeat Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl down in Oxford.

Leach’s impact can not be understated. The Air Raid has reinvented passing concepts across America and receiving backs are commonplace on football teams. He helped launch the careers of Lincoln Riley, Kliff Kingsbury, Alex Grinch, Zach Arnett and many more young coaches. Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray are in the league due to his work. 3 Heisman winners are a direct result of his tutelage. However the most important thing is that Leach is a just a character. A coach that is well respected and always fun to watch. A larger than life personality that is just a little out there. Leach is what college football is about and though I am his biggest critic on the football field, he makes my job fun and we are all better for it. Pull through Coach, we’re praying for you.

UNLV: The Next Power 5 Program?

On what was supposed to be a joyus day for Marcus Arroyo turned sour when the former Rebels HC was fired approximetely 90 minutes before his Rebels were set to paint the Freemont Cannon red. The Cannon, awarded to the winner of the annual UNLV-UNR rivalry game spent the last two years in Reno before UNLV reclaimed it on Saturday. With their season seemingly over unless through pure magic the rebels get a bowl bid, it would be another season of dissapointment in Vegas. Regardless of a bowl bid, 2022 marks UNLV’s ninth straight losing season but there’s a lot to be excited about in Sin City. I will break down why Arroyo got fired, what UNLV has and where they could go from here.

One of my favorite things to do when I was a student and held a student job at UNLV was to walk around the football facility. The crown jewel was that the Freemont Cannon would be right in front of the enterence. Arroyo’s predecessor Tony Sanchez didn’t achieve much success in Vegas but he did one thing exceptionally well. He won the cannon. In Sanchez’s five Battle for Nevada appearances, Sanchez won the matchup three times. Sanchez tied for second in Battle for Nevada wins amung UNLV coaches was given the boot in favor of Arroyo who then AD Desiree Reed-Francois felt was the man to propel UNLV football into the future.

Arroyo who was OC at Oregon was coming off of a Rose Bowl win and Pac-12 title behind Justin Herbert and the thought was that he would inject that offense into UNLV. It was also give UNLV the success it would require in order the make the jump to the Pac-12. From an off the field standpoint, UNLV is the main university in one of America’s most rapidly growing cities that already is host to several major sporting franchises. Also UNLV has a top tier football complex and an NFL stadium as their home field. There was one major issue to this plan, Arroyo didn’t win.

Arroyo had a record of 7-23 including an 0-6 record in 2020 and 14 straight losses before picking up his first win. His only saving grace was that UNLV has a lot of ranked games on the schedule and he was losing one possesion games instead of blowouts. However he also had UNLV’s all time rusher Charles “Chuck Wagon” Williams in his backfield so there’s a question of talent vs scheme on why he had the sucess he had.

Big expectations awaited UNLV in 2022 and a 4-1 start with a conference win and it’s only loss being a six point defeat at Cal set the Rebs up for big time success. However they would lose 6 straight with 3 of those losses having a scoring differential of 3+ TDs. The nail in the coffin was a loss in Hawaii against a 3-10 Warriors squad in a clear rebuild. Arroyo only winning the Cannon by 5 points against a UNR team with a first year HC and a roster that is it’s worst in over a decade didn’t do him any favors.

But it’s deeper than that. Arroyo’s staff turnover was at a alarming rate. Arroyo was losing coaches and non football staffers left and right. Starting QB Doug Brumfield entered the transfer portal before returning to the school where he beat out transfer QB Harrison Bailey, a QB Arroyo hand picked for his offense. Long story short, Arroyo just wasn’t a good fit and the woman who hired him, Desiree Reed-Francois, went to the University of Missouri to be the AD there. I don’t know what Arroyo’s relationship is/ was with current UNLV AD Erick Harper but it clearly wasn’t good enough to keep his job.

Where does UNLV go from here? That depends. The football complex is titled the Fertitta Football Complex due to a massive endowment from the family that owns the Station Casinos that populate Las Vegas. Ohio State HC Ryan Day stated that Ohio State needs around 13 million dollars a year to maintain a championship roster. If Vegas is willing to shell out the cash, UNLV will need between 3.5-5 million a year to be on top of the Mountain West. That’s big money but an investment that is worth it to secure a Power 5 TV deal.

In terms of a coaching search, I want either a veteran big name or a splash hire that will attract attention. Several names come to mind. Former TCU HC Gary Patterson, current Marshall HC Charles Huff, current Auburn interim HC Cadillac Williams, former Wisconsin HC Paul Chryst and former Florida HC and current ESPN analyst Dan Mullen. There’s a reason John Robinson had so much success and that’s because he’s been there before.

Whatever happens, one thing is clear. What has been done hasn’t worked. Tommorrow is now. Go Rebels!

The Rooney Rule is a Joke and it’s time we talked about it

The San Francisco 49ers have received multiple draft picks due to the NFL initiatives to promote minority individuals in positions of power. Former Niners DC Robert Saleh and OC Mike McDaniel (both of whom are POCs) became Head Coaches with the Jets and the Dolphins while Martin Mayhew was promoted to the post of Washington Commanders GM after serving the Niners as their Vice President of Player Personnel. This was the next step in the NFL’s feeble attempt to break down the color barrier that exists for non-players in the league. The Rooney rule was the first step in this attempt which forced NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate in their HC search.

Well today the irritation associated with coaches not getting equal opportunities flared up when the Colts announced that former their former Center and current ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday would be taking the reigns of the team as interim HC. Saturday who is a respected voice in the world of football has zero professional coaching experience and went 20-16 as a High School Coach with a 3-7 record in his final season in 2020. The Colts bypassed John Fox and Gus Bradley for the position, both of whom have NFL HC experience, clearly displaying that Owner Jim Irsay wants someone close to him to guide the team through the rest of the season. All good except Reggie Wayne who played 14 years for the Colts is the current Wide Receivers coach. Wayne who stayed around the team in his post-playing days, taking up volunteer coaching roles before acquiring a full-time gig has way more coaching experience than Saturday and has actually been around the football team.

Maybe Wayne was offered and declined or maybe he didn’t. It really doesn’t matter. This makes one thing clear, white coaches have an easier path to success and face less scrutiny compared to their minority counterparts. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Pittsburg Steelers: Mike Tomlin has yet to have a losing season in the NFL yet multiple media pundits and Steeler fans are calling for his firing. Bill Cowher who posted multiple losing seasons and four AFCCG losses never had to worry about his job security. Tomlin, whose Steelers are currently transitioning into the post-Ben Roethlisberger era seems unable to catch a break despite being able to manage a playoff season with a clearly depleted Big Ben just a year ago and an 8-8 record with Mason Rudolph and Devin Hodges in 2019.

Arizona Cardinals: When GM Steve Keim drafted Josh Rosen in 2018, he raised eyebrows by selecting a QB who clearly didn’t belong in the league. To counter this, Keim gave 20 million to Sam Bradford who started only two games for Arizona. New HC Steve Wilks was in a tough spot with a depleted roster and a team in a clear rebuild. Rosen would take years to mold and the clock was ticking on Larry Fitzgerald. However, Wilks could use this season to lay the foundation for his defensive philosophies and….he was fired after one year. Why? I don’t know. The Cardinals then hired Kliff Kingsbury who was the former Texas Tech HC who got fired for posting 2 winning seasons in 6 years despite having Patrick Mahomes as his QB and was hired as the OC of the USC Trojans before Keim came calling. Kingsbury who has zero NFL coaching experience was then gifted his own QB in first overall pick Kyler Murray and Keim has acquired Deandre Hopkins, JJ Watt, A.J. Green, Rodney Hudson and Zach Ertz to assist in Kingsbury’s cause. The result? One winning season in three years and the Cards are on track for a losing season in 2022. That’s okay though because Keim gave Kingsbury a six-year extension until 2027 this past offseason.

New York Giants: During the Giants 2022 HC search, they requested interviews from former Patriots assistants Brian Daboll and Brian Flores. Flores who is black would make the Giants compliant with the Rooney Rule. On his way to the interview, Flores claims with photographic evidence that his former boss Bill Belichick reached out to congratulate him on getting the job. Only issue is that Belichick meant that text for Daboll and essentially Flores was attending to be compliant. Flores did interview for the job and Daboll was hired. The NFL has cleared the Giants of any wrongdoing but this is a league that made tremendous efforts to thwart investigations into concussions, head injuries and CTE while using every backhanded tactic to avoid paying out compensation to its players. It should also be noted that Belichick has a close relationship with the Giants and the Maras (Owners of the team) as he was their DC for their first two Super Bowl victories.

Minnesota Vikings: Besides Bud Grant, there’s arguably no coach more iconic to the Minnesota Vikings than Dennis Green. From 1992 to 2001, Green commanded one of the most dominating offenses in all of the NFL which at various tenures featured up to seven starting QBs. Cris Carter, Anthony Carter, Randy Moss and Robert Smith all took off during Green’s tenure with John Randle establishing his HOF career. In 9 years, Green never had a losing record, went to the playoffs in 8 of those years despite having Brett Favre and the Packers and Barry Sanders and the Lions in the same division. Green has two NCGCG appearances as well. However, in his 10th season in purple, Green suffered his first losing season and was fired before the end of the year. During his time in Minnesota, rumors sprung up that the Vikings ownership wanted to replace Green with Lou Holtz despite Green’s consistent success, Holtz having a 3-10 pro record, resigning before the season was over and him saying that “God did not put Lou Holtz on this earth to coach in the pros.” The Vikings ownership took zero time moving on with Mike Tice once Green was let go. Tice only made the playoffs once and never had over 9 wins in a single year.

Since Green left, Minnesota has only made 2 NFCCGs in 21 years, losing both of them.

Texas A&M: Let’s compare and contrast.

Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M through 57 games: 41-16

Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M through 57 games: 37-20

Kevin Sumlin’s record in his 5 years by year:

11-2

9-4

8-5

8-5

8-5

Jimbo Fisher’s record in his 5 years by year:

9-4

8-5

9-1 (COVID Year)

8-4

3-6 (Currently)

Kevin Sumlin took over a 7-6 team and went 11-2 in his first year. Jimbo Fisher took over a 7-5 team and went 9-4 in his first year. Kevin Sumlin has 7 First round selections, Fisher has 1. Both have an NY6 bowl victory. Both beat Alabama once and both times they were ranked at #1. Only difference is that Fisher is being paid 4.5 million more than Sumlin annually, Sumlin was fired without having a losing season and despite already having a 10 year, 75 million dollar deal, Texas A&M gave Fisher an extension with a pay increase, a 95.5 million dollar buyout clause and a zero dollar payback clause if Fisher leaves on his own accord for another job.

Maryland: When Randy Edsall was at Maryland, his OC was Mike Locksley. Maryland at that time was not a strong program in terms of recruitment. Maryland who hasn’t won a conference title since 2001 had a solid recruiter in their OC who was able to recruit Stefon Diggs and had a verbal commitment from Dwayne Haskins. Haskins grew up an Ohio State Buckeyes fan and the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship. Locksley was able to get Haskins to abandon that dream to come to the DMV. Well, Edsall was fired in 2015 and Locksley became the interim coach. Locksley was let go in favor of D.J. Durkin who in return killed a kid with his brutal practices in the summer. Haskins would de-commit from Maryland and attend Ohio State where he beat out Joe Burrow for the starting job, win the Big 10, the Rose Bowl and become a first-round draft pick. Maryland returned to Locksley with their tale tucked between their legs and gave him the HC job he so rightly deserved after Locksley helped lead Alabama to a National Championship in 2017 where he won the Broyles Award (given to the Nation’s best assistant coach) as well. Now Maryland is off to their best showing since 2009 behind transfer QB Taulia Tagovailoa whom Locksley recruited.

At the end of the day, this isn’t a straight up race issue. This is a who do you know issue. Only problem is that the only people owners know are other white people. Jeff Saturday didn’t get this job because of his skin color, he also didn’t get it because of his resume. This is the long-lasting effect of the institutions put in place that prohibited people of color from being placed in signal-calling/decision-making roles. These same barriers that prohibited POC from being QBs, Centers and MLBs are the ones allowing people to jump the line. These owners who attended the best prep schools in America weren’t interacting with their black classmates because they were black, they weren’t interacting with them because they weren’t there. This all stems from the results of segregation and the redistricting of our school districts.

Black coaches and executives have proven themselves capable time and time again. Tony Dungy won a title with Indy. He coached against Lovie Smith who took the Bears to their second Super Bowl and to 2 NFC championship games. Mike Tomlin went to 3 AFC championship games and went to 2 Super Bowls. He won his in 2009. Art Shell had 1 losing season before he was fired for the first time by the Raiders. Ozzie Newsome won 2 Super Bowls as GM and drafted two HOFers in his first-ever draft. The Browns won their first playoff game of the millennium under GM Andrew Berry. The accomplishments of POC aren’t few because there are few accomplishments but because the opportunities to accomplish greatness aren’t there and that won’t change until a rule like the Rooney rule becomes mundane. Owners shouldn’t need a guideline to interview deserving coaches.

This piece talks about POC but everyone is affected by this decision. Every aspiring coach from every place and race. From every gender or religious affiliation, this move sets a precedent that all you need to do is know someone. I am not mad at Saturday for living a dream we all have, I’m mad at Irsay for crushing the dreams of those who’ve worked so hard because you believe you know more than people who work for this every day. Jim Irsay inherited this team from his father Bob. Bill Polian built the championship squad of the early 2000s so for you to sit there and say you know how to build a football team is a straight lie because you haven’t been able to build a division winner in 8 years and you celebrate making a championship game. Two things are clear. Minority coaches continue to get fewer chances and shorter margins for error compared to their white counterparts and braindead owners like Irsay are the reasons why.

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 10: Can’t spell Hawaii without a W

In the first conference home game of the season, Hawaii played lights out. A second straight week of stifling defense combined with Hawaii’s finest offensive performance to date gave HC Timmy Chang his first Mountain West win. Let’s break down the Hawaii improvements.

If there was a course offered on how to be a head coach, then Timmy Chang is in advanced placement. His fast tracked growth from before the BYE week to now is not only evident but paints a clear picture that the job is not too big for him. Great game management with his Run N Shoot fingerprints all over this revamped offense show he’s the man for the job. In my opinion, the June Jones question mark can finally be quieted as Hawaii is going toe to toe with opponents in the early days of the conference schedule.

Ian Shoemaker’s offense continues to evolve with the return of Zion Bowens and a potent rushing attack. Dedrick Parsons had 136 and Tylan Hines had 70 rushing yards on the day. Parsons 3 TDs proves he’s one of the best running backs in the Mountain West. Schager had the performance that should cement his place as QB1. A young QB who has already shown the ability to make massive improvements, I look forward to what he’s able to do in the second half of the season.

Jacob Yoro, Abe Elimimian and Chris Brown have reinvented this defense into a hard nose, bend but don’t break, tackling machine. Toa Taua, the main offensive threat for the Wolfpack was held to just 23 rushing yards with no scores. Very impressive for a defense that allowed big rushing performances earlier in the season. Yoro has quieted all my doubts and I have full confidence in him as a play caller.

In my earlier editions, I called for Chang to be daring, to gamble and he did. The fake punt on 4th and 15 goes against every piece of analytical thought there is and guess what…it worked. Beautiful call, beautiful execution and a much needed win for the special teams. Like I said, Matt Shipley comes through more times than not.

As a UNLV graduate, it’s always FUNR and Hawaii accomplished that goal. A bad Colorado State team could see Chang top his former mentors in Jay Norvell and Matt Mumme. For the boys heading to Fort Collins, I say good luck and GO BOWS!

Tennessee Volunteers: 98’ never felt quite like this

When Tennessee was last on top of college football, Tee Martin was a young QB balling for the Vols and Josh Heupel was the starting QB at Snow College. Having just come off of the Peyton Manning era in Knoxville, expectations were high and Phillip Fulmer’s men delivered. A win over Florida State gave Tennessee its last national title. Now Heupel is HC and with his young stud in Hendon Hooker, a National title no longer seems out of reach. The title in 98 was built on decades of success. This team is built on short term transfers and a desire not felt at Neyland in a long time.

I said it once and I’ll say it again. Hendon Hooker is what people think Will Levis is. On a night when the lights shined bright and Heisman winner Bryce Young was in the midst of writing his own Heisman moment, Hendon Hooker showed the country who is College Football’s QB1.

The Virginia Tech transfer came into a situation in Knoxville where he was somewhere between QB 2 and QB 3 with fellow transfer Joe Milton and highly touted recruit Harrison Bailey fighting for love from Josh Heupel as the Vols hoped his no huddle offense would ignite the offensive production unseen under Jeremy Pruitt, rarely seen under Butch Jones and not even remotely close to being seen under Derek Dooley. In his 3 years in Knoxville, Hooker has established himself from a mid level SEC QB to the man who beat the man. His poise in the pocket while running such a mentally and physically straining offense is a testament to his talent, ability, hard work and intelligence. When Hooker is on, he’s on and you’ll find it hard to find a defense that can turn him off.

When Josh Heupel took over the Vols program, he found it in a state of disrepair. Pruitt was fired and under NCAA investigation. National Championship HC and then AD Phillip Fulmer left the AD position in disgrace and half of his roster transferred. To top that off, it was the COVID year and Tennessee to that point had failed to reach an SEC Championship game since 2007. A program in disrepair who were considered automatic Ws for the SEC elite now finds themselves as the most dangerous team in America. Heupel has a prolific, balanced offensive attack backed by an aggressive defense who seems to get stops when they absolutely need to. His 6-0 start with wins on the road at ranked Pitt, against arch rival Florida and now Alabama have solidified his and his offensive styles’ place among college football’s finest minds.

Despite losing multiple key players, the Vols have kept it together through their sheer love for one another and their will. Bru McCoy has finally found the stability to show off the skills that made him such a highly touted prospect coming out of High School, Jaylen Wright is one missed tackle from daylight, Jabari Small is a versatile weapon who is dangerous as a pure runner and Jalin Hyatt put up video game numbers in today’s victory. A core that will only get better with Cedric Tillman’s return.

There’s still a long road to Atlanta and the CFP. Ole Miss is undefeated, Alabama is still the favorite to win the SEC West and defending National Champion Georgia is the big dog in the division. However this team is special. 2019 LSU special, 2006 Florida Gators special. Today was a statement to all of America. The guard may not be changing but a new player has come to the table. This win in this place with these fans are the stuff recruits dream of. This offense excited the pallet, this defense makes you want to run through a wall. The road for the later end of the 2020s will run through Knoxville and I can’t wait to watch. 98 ain’t feel like this.

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 9: A losing effort in San Diego is a big win for Timmy Chang

When CFB superstar, Super Bowl Champion and CBS analyst Aaron Taylor gives you praise, you know you’re doing something right and Aaron Taylor is definetely Pro-Bows in 2022. Not only did he give Coach Chang his flowers, he predicted UH would upset Nevada this week. Taylor’s optimism is for good reason as the Bows put in an outstanding defensive performance against the Aztecs, holding them to just 16 points. Bending but not breaking, the gashes that plagued Jacob Yoro’s scheme seemed to be fixed during the bye week and for the first time we saw 4 wide on offense. Let’s talk details.

Hawaii’s QB situation still remains in the air. Despite Brayden Schager establishing himself as QB1, we’ve seen this coaching staff be quick to switch to Joey Yellen. This offense has remained poor but from a scheming standpoint, they look a lot better last week. As previously mentioned, I can live with a lack of talent but lacking a proper scheme is unacceptable. We saw more spread offense, some 4 wide and explosiveness. Zion Bowens continues to show why he’s one of the best receivers in the Mountain West and Koali Nishigaya got back to the form we saw under Todd Graham. However, this offense is more Run N Shoot blanks than Run N Shoot but it is a process. Dedrick Parsons and Tylan Hines were very impressive on the ground with Parsons scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes of the game. All I ask from Ian Shoemaker is more of what he’s doing.

Not much negative to say about the defense. The scheme is effective, the players are rallying to the ball and making solid tackles. Jacob Yoro went from hot seat to trustworthy in the last 10 weeks. The players are firing off the line, getting more penetration than in previous weeks and whenever the ball is in the air, I no longer feel the impending doom of a big play. These position coaches have gotten back to fundamentals and the product on the field shows.

Perhaps the most improved player in Matt Shipley shit the bucket against San Diego State. The kicker and now punter has been booming the ball downfield from all facets of special teams. However in the biggest moment, when all Hawaii needed to do was make another defensive stand, Shipley kicked the ball out of bounce. Not only did it give SDSU the ball with great starting position, it completely swung momentum. Now I will not trash Shipley for one moment. I will not talk down on him for what happened because for this one game, he’s won us many. However, I do think it was a result not of lack of concentration but more over usage. UH needs to bring in a proper punter in 23 because when you need him to kick you the game-winner, I don’t want fatigue to play any factor.

The future looks bright. Jeff Reinebold looks to have the same hands that made him one of the best recruiters in the country all over UH’s 2023 class. I would like to see an offer extended to Jayden Maiava once he hits the portal (as Doug Brumfield looks to be UNLV’s incumbent QB1) if the staff lacks confidence in Schager. That is talk for another day. Today I say well done to Coach Chang, his staff, the players and the program. It is the dawn of a new era. An era of promise and an era of excitment. Let’s go Bows!

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 8: A trip to Ann Arbor comes up short

What can I say? We all knew Hawaii was outmatched and it showed. No shame on that. There’s levels to this game and the defending Big 10 champions are amongst the elite. Hawaii performed as well as can be expected but multiple decisions made by the coaching staff made me scratch my head.

Why pull Yellen in a bad spot? With Brayden Schager injured and Cammon Cooper not even making the trip, Joey Yellen was set to make his second straight start for Hawaii. We saw what he was against Western Kentucky and his first half performance was an extension on that. It wasn’t all his fault, in fact majority wasn’t. Michigan’s pass rush was continuously in the backfield, his receivers got little separation and well…we know past 20 yards, Yellen can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Listen, that’s fine. Alex Smith made a career worth close to 190 million for passes under 20 yards. What irritates me is that we as fans already knew this. We knew Michigan would control the line of scrimmage. Michigan would put pressure on the QB early and Michigan’s offense would be unstoppable. What I don’t understand is the lame duck, lack of ambition play calling. To start the game with “Marty-ball” or the classic Marty Schottenheimer offense of run on first down, run on second down, pass on third offensive ideology showed both a continual lack of understanding his players strength by OC Ian Shoemaker and laying down in defeat from HC Timmy Chang. I wanted UH to be daring. To play with nothing to lose. Go for a deep bomb from the jump, a trick play on offense or on kick off, something. This scared, run the ball offense is the antithesis of Hawaii football and I for one hate it.

Secondly the game was out of hand by halftime. Why didn’t the backup QBs get playing time? What harm would that do? It makes no sense and exposed the starters to more fatigue. Playing in Michigan combined with travel and personal commitments tires out key players like Parsons, Ta’ala and others. If Yellen is the guy for this season, all the starters should’ve been pulled by halftime.

The part that bothers me is the lack of ambition from the Warriors. The defense was put between a rock and a hard place this week and the offense did nothing to help. Not on the players but like Norm Chow’s Pro Style offense, UH isn’t equipped to consistently play with 11 or 12 personnel. It’s time to go back to 4 wide and get the ball out of the QBs hands quicker. More receiver screens, short routes, zone blocking schemes. UH’s offense lacks any set up plays, offensive penetration and true identity. It is very frustrating.

HC Timmy Chang has his work cut out for him but every game exposes Hawaii even more. I hope his recruiting ideology is spot on because on a day that saw multiple P5 upsets, the Bows were out coached, out played and had zero belief that they could win. Again I do not put that on the players. The players, those young men who give everything they have need help and I hope come next week, they get it. The continuous blame put on Todd Graham though valid, can and should only last so long. With a fifth straight bowl bid slipping from the Bows, it’s time for a revamp. Go Bows always and whoop Duquesne’s ass.

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 7: 0-2, Mr. Shoemaker, What Are You Thinking?

With a disappointing performance against Western Kentucky, the Bows might as well have been playing under COVID restrictions for how silent the crowd was. A 49-17 loss left a lot to be desired from fans and with offensive playcalling that was in short…mind boggling, one has to ask, how does Hawaii flip the script on this young season?

Jacob Yoro, Abe Elimimian, Chris Brown and that defensive staff deserve their credit. The defense showed up until they just ran out of energy. No fault to them, major improvements were made to scheme and held WKU in check for most of the game. They kept UH in the game longer then they should’ve been and took a tremendous step up from what they showed week 1.

However the offense was for a lack of better term…a shit show from the jump. Trusting Pitt transfer Joey Yellen to take the starting snaps saw UH underperform so badly that Brayden Shrager was warming up by the end of the first quarter. Not even having Jesse Sapolu in the crowd could inspire that interior offensive line to make holes or protect the QB. The wide receiver room remains a mystery as multiple interceptions thrown were a result of dropped or deflected passes. The QB position remains a mystery as well, more importantly I must question why Cammon Cooper isn’t getting in game reps. On his first play, he scored a touchdown on an option play. It seems that is the only play the coaching staff feels comfortable calling for him as they ran it several more times to little effect.

I still believe Brayden Shrager is the QB of the future but this offensive staff has put him in even more precarious situations than the former UH coaching staff could come up with. It’s not a good day in the office if I’m questioning whether Shrager is  in a better position to succeed with the Graham’s or with Chang and Shoemaker.

I am so tired of the TE usage in this offense. More Norm Chow than Eastern Washington, when UH caught a break on the muffed punt, Shoemaker calling multiple plays of 23 personnel (running back, full back and 3 tight ends) shows both a complete lack of understanding what Hawaii offense is as an identity and his own players. Hawaii is not and has never been built to execute a power run game and the fact Hawaii only went up by 3 from a 20+ field goal (stalled runs and a holding penalty put them back) is completely unacceptable. You don’t install a system then find players, you use the players you have with a system molded to their strengths. Hawaii needs to go back to its modern roots and limit the tight end. More 4 wide looks that create running lanes based on defensive alignments.

Hawaii needs to be a home for talented receivers who either were under recruited or need a fresh start and this offense provides potential recruits neither. If Eastern Washington can have both Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne at the same time, there’s no reason Hawaii can’t do that.

Coach Chang cleaned up some mismanagement from week 0 as he grows. There’s some exciting recruits verbally committed to the islands and his ability to get them to signing day will be critical to his success. I also pray he finds a true punter, Matt Shipley did a better job this week but he’s a true kicker. If he gets hurt, that’s a loss Hawaii won’t be able to overcome.

Michigan might be a lost cause but a Mountain West season looming may breathe new life into this Warriors offense. To that I say…f**k it, we ball.

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 6: 0-1, Let’s Talk About It

With a packed house and the sentiment of braddahhood in the air, the 2022 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors looked to kick off their season by giving HC Timmy Chang his first ever win in his debut. Things didn’t go to plan with Vanderbilt scoring 42 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 63-10 victory. There were some bright spots, some nice performances and a lot of issues with the team. Time to break it down.

Despite not naming a QB until game time, expected starter Brayden Schager got the nod over Pitt transfer Joey Yellen and Washington State transfer Cammon Cooper. His first pass was a duck but he picked it up on the first drive. He diagnosed blitzes and picked apart Vanderbilt. Running back Dedrick Parson used his hard nose style to pick up key yardage and then a 30+ yard run to the house to open up scoring. That’s about it for good plays on offense. Dedrick Parson coughed up the ball twice and both fumbles were returned for TDs. The right side of the offensive line is horrifically awful and lacked continuity and communication on multiple occasions, allowing Vanderbilt to get home on 3 man rushes. Zion Bowens’ injury hampered the bows and outside of him and Jonah Panoke, the team lacks offensive playmakers at the wide out position. Joey Yellen came into the game and had a strong second drive until the offense turned the ball over on downs. Yellen didn’t do himself any favors in winning the starting job. In my opinion, Schager is still the QB of the future but it would’ve been nice to see what Cooper could do. A big bright spot is that Ilm Manning remains as dominant as ever.

Schager made some arid throws but the receivers weren’t creating the greatest amount of separation either. His lack of an INT is a positive sign. The offensive scheme itself shows a lot of promise and OC Ian Shoemaker is no idiot. I expect a better, well-oiled machine in week 2. The former Eastern Washington OC comes from an offensive scheme that excels on separation through route concepts. I’ll explain what I hope to see in week two during my film breakdown.

The big issue is the defense. In short, Hawaii’s defense is horrible and DC Jacob Yoro has a lot to answer for. Yes Hawaii did lose a ton of talent on defense. Tremendous tone setters and playmakers but if the only issue was Hawaii’s inability to control the LOS and get pressure on the QB, then that’s a talent question. However they looked poor in both scheme and fundamentals. Say what you want about Todd Graham and there is a lot to say, his 3-3-5 was very effective at home. Hawaii was out of place, having shocking awful performances on goal line plays and tackled worse then Pop Warner players. Yoro’s 4-3 formations proved ineffective against Vandy’s Read Option/ RPO plays and the linebackers were constantly keying on the wrong person. Multiple times, the inside linebacker had his eyes on the QB despite the OLB having containment. This allowed RB Re’Mahn Davis to run into open space. Once they hit the hole, they ran over defenders as would be tacklers bounced off Vandy players with ease. When QB Mike Wright took off, Hawaii couldn’t contain him in open space either, allowing him to pick up 2 more yards on every play then he usually should. Hawaii gave up 404 yards on the ground and 601 yards of total offense. That is completely unacceptable. Multiple instances of blown coverages, multiple instances of misreading route combinations, multiple instances of being out of position defined their game. A big change needs to be made or a change in staff is bound to happen.

HC Timmy Chang is young and there will be some growing pains. Not calling a timeout when Vandy had an uncovered WR on the goal line was an issue. Staying with 5 man protection when Vandy was getting home in an issue. Allowing 42 unanswered points in an issue. I am firmly behind Chang and his staff. I am not a short sighted fan who wants to remove him from his position after one game. Things happen but if Hawaii just didn’t have the talent, I could live with it. I can live with the offense because the scheme just needs to be fine tuned. However the lack of intelligent play calling/ play design on defense scares the daylight out of me.

No matter what, just like Nick Rolovich, the ever-looming shadow of the “What could’ve been?” with June Jones will linger until he eliminates it. I have the upmost confidence in Chang but the country just saw a first class ass kicking by the worse team in the SEC. How Hawaii rebounds against Western Kentucky will set a tone for the season and possibly Chang’s tenure and I expect them to ball out. The last thing I have to say is that until the wheels fall of the wagon and even if they do…Go Bows forever.

The Top 100: Hawaii’s Greatest Warriors. 11-20

Below is my criteria for this list.

1. The player must have ended his collegiate career at the University of Hawaii.

2. Play style, big & consistent play ability along with unmeasurable attributes (heart, will, on-field leadership and character) weighed more then stats.

3. Stats however were a big measurable when it came to ranking players similar in achievements.

4. Professional playing careers were taken into account when trying to separate players too close to judge off their Hawaii careers. (Coaching careers had no factor)

5. The position they played was not taken into account.

6. Record holders get a higher nod.

7. Off field behavior whether good or bad wasn’t taken into account.

8. Quality of competition was weighted but only as a separating factor when comparing close players.

11. Ryan Grice-Mullen (2005-2007) 1/3 of the dreadheads (Davone Bess (#4) and Jason Rivers), Ryan Grice-Mullen was the definition of one cut and gone. He joined Bess in 2005 as the first pair of receivers in Hawaii history to have over 1000 yards in a season. As a true freshman, Grice-Mullen finished with 1246 receiving yards and 13 TDs, including 4 against NMSU. He led the WAC in yards per game. He would once again reach double-digit touchdowns in 2006, assisting Colt Brennan (#1) in breaking the NCAA single-season record for TD passes as Hawaii won the 2006 Hawaii Bowl. In his finest season, Grice-Mullen put up 1374 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns and 106 catches in 2007, earning himself an All-WAC first team selection. He joined Rivers and Bess as only the second ever trio to record over 1000 receiving yards in a season.

Despite only playing for three seasons, he ranks high in Hawaii’s record books. He ranks fifth in career receptions, fourth in reception yards and second in touchdowns. He’s third in single season receptions and tied for fourth in single game receptions at 14. He’s fourth in single-season reception yards and single season touchdowns. He’s tied for first for single game touchdown selections.

Grice-Mullen would play in both the NFL and the CFL, he would also finish his UH career with a Hawaii Bowl victory, a WAC championship and was named to the WAC’s Offensive Unit of the Year, joining teammates Colt Brennan, Davone Bess, Jason Rivers and C.J. Hawthorne in the honor.

12. Chad Owens (2000-2004) The Greatest Returner in UH history started his career as a walk-on. After redshirting his first year, Owens quickly became a fan favorite, especially in the last game of the 2001 season against No. 12 and arch rival BYU. He returned the opening kickoff to BYU’s 32 yard line, the opening punt for a touchdown and the second kickoff for a touchdown. Owens ended his rookie season with Freshman All-American Honors from FWAA, a WAC special teams player of the week award and multiple school and NCAA return records.

Owens however was much more than a returner. Using his route running skills and hands, he operated as a complete receiver as well. He would finish in the top 3 in All-purpose yards for the Warriors every season he played and saving the best for last, Owens recorded two, four receiving touchdown games (A school record) during the last two regular season games of his senior season (2004). In order to qualify for the Hawaii Bowl, Hawaii had to beat Big 10 opponents Northwestern and Michigan State, with Owens 8 TDs in those two games, he got the job done. Owens is in the top 8 for career, single-season and single-game touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards.

Owens would finish his UH career with All-America Honors from Sports Illustrated, the Mosi Tatupu Award and multiple team awards. He was a sixth round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2005 NFL Draft but found his biggest professional success in the CFL. One of the CFL’s greatest players, Owens won two Grey Cup championships, reaching his personal peak with the Toronto Argonauts in 2012 when Owens led the Argos to the 100th Grey Cup behind his CFL Most Outstanding Player Award. Owens set the record for most single-season All-Purpose Yards in both the CFL and throughout Pro Football. Owens was also the highest paid non-QB in CFL history.

Owens helped lead UH to at that time, it’s most successful four year stretch. He won two Hawaii Bowls and led the WAC in receptions and return yards at various points in his collegiate career.

13. Tom Kaulakakui (1937-1937) Tommy K was the trailblazer in Hawaii football, becoming Hawaii’s first All-American and the first player to have his number retired by the University. The “Grass Shack” was a monster on the field, excelling as a running back and returner, he 103 yard kick return for a touchdown against UCLA is still a school record till today.

Kaulakakui played multiple sports while at UH, making his family proud being the first of his 13 siblings to attend college. Kaulakakui would go on to graduate and eventually become the HC of his Alma Mater. He would then become the HC of Iolani, helping forge a new era of both prep and youth football in the islands. One could say the popularity of the sport in Hawaii can be directly contributed to Kaulakakui. For his efforts, Kaulakakui is a member of both the UH and Polynesian Hall of Fame.

Kaulakakui helped put Hawaii football on the map, being a pillar for which the program was built on. His ability on the field garnered the national attention UH needed to evolve into the team seen today.

14. Greg Salas (2006-2010) Greg Salas is the type of guy who would run through a defender instead of stepping out of bounds just because he could. The UH record holder for receiving yards was a weapon for QB Bryant Moniz as he led UH to a 2010 WAC title, ranking second in the nation for reception yards and third for receptions. Salas who became a full time starter for the Warriors as a sophomore, led UH in reception yards for 3 straight seasons and the WAC for 2.

Salas is the only player in UH history to have two 100 catch seasons, he is also the record holder of not just career receiving yards but also single-season receiving yards and single season receptions. He is ranked 6th for career and single-season touchdowns and in the top 3 for career and single-game receptions. Salas finished his career with over 4300 reception yards and 26 touchdowns, parlaying his time in Manoa into being selected in the 2011 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams in the 4th round.

Salas is still heavily involved with the program in his post NFL career. Salas is one of the few players in UH history to have 2 conference titles, winning the WAC in 2007 and 2010. He is an AP All-America third team selection, a multi time Phil Steele All-America selection, a Hawaii Bowl MVP and a two time All-WAC First Team selection.

15. Mark Odom (1987-1990) When Ty Detmer falls asleep at night, he sees Mark Odom coming after him. The All-time leader for career sacks at UH was a one man wrecking crew. Only second to Al Noga (#3) in tackles for loss, the linebacker was beloved by HC Bob Wagner and DC Rich Ellerson. Originally set to redshirt his freshman year, Odom was blowing up teammates as a member on the scout team, thus contributing to the program from year 1.

Starting his career with a ridiculous 11 sacks as a freshman, Odom wasted no time becoming a fan favorite. His destructive nature combined with his sack celebrations would be put on display when he pounded the turf after sacking Ty Detmer as if he was a referee in a wrestling match, celebrating his school record 4 single game sacks.

Odom was moved from outside to inside and then back to outside linebacker in his career. He had 13 sacks in 1989 and 11 in 1990. He helped lead Hawaii to 9 win seasons in 88 and 89, an Aloha Bowl birth and was critical in Hawaii’s historic victories over BYU in 1989 and 1990. He is a two time All-WAC First Team selection.

16. Gary Allen (1978-1981) Originally recruited as a wide receiver, Allen transitioned to running back as a fill in and never left. Setting a school record for freshman rushing yards, the UH Hall of Famer wasted no time earning high graces from his HC Dick Tomey. As Tomey’s workhorse, Allen set the school record for career rushing yards, a record that stands till today. Allen’s 1979 and 1981 seasons are in the top 10 for single-season rushing yards and Allen’s 202 rushing yards against UTEP is ranked tenth in school history for single game performances.

With the pressure of joining the WAC, Tomey’s trust in Allen proved dividend. A 8 win season in 1980 and 9 win season in 1981 gave Tomey his best and second best season in Manoa. Hawaii achieved their first ever national ranking behind Allen’s performances, leading to his selection in the 6th round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. Allen would play in the CFL as well.

Allen is a three time All-WAC First Team Selection, a two time Eddie James Memorial Trophy winner (awarded to the leading rusher in the CFL’s western division and a CFL All-Star. Allen would return to his high school alma mater to coach it’s freshman team.

17. Jeff Ulbricht (1998-1999) The current defensive coordinator for the New York Jets was once a standout linebacker for the University of Hawaii. Arriving in Manoa, by way of Gavilan College in Gilroy, California, Ulbricht was a tackling machine. Leading the team in that category during his senior year, he set the school record for single season tackles at 169, a record he still owns till today.

Ulbricht was a critical member of the 1999 Hawaii Warriors team that completed the biggest turnaround in NCAA history, going from 0-12 to 9-4. He won both the WAC and the 1999 Oahu Bowl over Oregon State. Ulbricht would then go on to be selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played 9 years in the league, all for the team that drafted him before embarking on his coaching career.

Ulbricht is a a one time All-WAC First Team selection and still holds multiple school records for single season tackles.

18. Niko Noga (1980-1983) Setting the foundation for his brother’s Al (#3) and Pete Noga, Falaniko Noga was a force of havoc for opposing offensive lines. Being the WAC newcomer of the year in 1980, Noga ended his career as the most dominant pass rusher of his era, alongside Alvis Satele. A critical member of Hawaii’s early days in the WAC, he never had a losing season while in green as he was huge in Hawaii’s 23-0 win over UNLV in Vegas against Randall Cunningham and Hawaii’s top performance against Oklahoma.

Noga would parlay a tremendous collegiate career into an 8th round selection by the then St. Louis Cardinals in the 1984 NFL Draft. Noga would play 8 years in the league before retiring, having played for the Cardinals and the Detroit Lions. He know lives in American Samoa and works of the American Samoa government in it’s department of education.

Noga is a UH Hall of Famer, a two time A.P. All-American Honorable Mention (with several voices claiming he was robbed of a team selection due to regional biases) as well as a two time First Team and two time Second Team All-WAC selection.

19. Ma’a Tanuvasa (1990-1992) Another monster on the defensive line, Ma’a Tanuvasa was in short…dominant. A leader on Hawaii’s 1992 WAC and Holiday Bowl winning teams, Tanuvasa was the head man for a defense that held opponents under 26 points, 9 times in the 1992 season. Noted for ability to not lose ground and man handle double teams, he was critical alongside Junior Tagoa’i in holding Air Force to 3 points in the Bows winning effort.

Tanuvasa would go on to be selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft. The 8th round selection would bounce around the league for a couple years before joining fellow Warrior Jason Elam (#6) in Denver in 1995. From 1995-2000, Tanuvasa would be an integral part of the Broncos Super Bowl winning squads in 1997 and 1998, leading the team in sacks in 1998 and 1999.

Tanuvasa would return to Hawaii as an assistant coach for his alma mater, Mililani High School. Tanuvasa is a member of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and was a one time All-WAC First Team Selection.

20. Rich Miano (1981-1984) One of the true OGs of the Warrior Walk-On club, Rich Miano has served the University of Hawaii as a player, position coach, assistant coach and an advocate. As a player, he was a standout safety who had three straight seasons of three interceptions. (1982, 1983, 1984). Miano was named to the All-WAC team in 1983 and 1984 before becoming a sixth round selection by the New York Jets.

Miano played in the NFL for 10 years for the Jets, Eagles and Falcons before beginning a 13 year coaching career at the University of Hawaii under June Jones and Greg McMackin. He would also return to his Alma Mater Kaiser High School, leading the Cougars to a Hawaii State Championship in 2013.

Miano is currently the executive director of the Hula Bowl and serves as a sports commentator on OC16 along side Kanoa Leahey. He also served along side the late great Robert Kekaula. Side note, I met Rich Miano as he came to my high school after I finished Judo practice. He was friends with my Sensei, the late Robin Mori and he spoke about heart and competition. You can tell the love he has for Hawaii, UH and Hawaii’s people in genuine, exemplified by his many years of service to the state.

The Top 100: Hawaii’s Greatest Warriors. The Top 10

This was a very difficult list to make. So many great UH players that skimming it down to a hundred was hard enough, having to rank them seemed impossible. Of course, my list won’t be universally liked or accepted as we all have both our personal opinions and favorite players. Below is my criteria for this list.

1. The player must have ended his collegiate career at the University of Hawaii.

2. Play style, big & consistent play ability along with unmeasurable attributes (heart, will, on-field leadership and character) weighed more then stats.

3. Stats however were a big measurable when it came to ranking players similar in achievements.

4. Professional playing careers were taken into account when trying to separate players too close to judge off their Hawaii careers. (Coaching careers had no factor)

5. The position they played was not taken into account.

6. Record holders get a higher nod.

7. Off field behavior whether good or bad wasn’t taken into account.

8. Quality of competition was weighted but only as a separating factor when comparing close players.

With all that being said, let’s get started! This is my rankings through the 2021 season.

1. Colt Brennan (2005-2007): The Hawaii Warriors have a proud tradition of walk-ons achieving heights of grandeur in black and green so it should be no surprise that our number one Warrior of All-Time followed in that esteemed tradition. A walk-on from Saddleback College, Brennan made his way to the islands and dominated. The All-American posted a career 26-10 record with double-digit wins in 06 and 07 to go with a Hawaii Bowl victory and Hawaii’s only outright WAC title. Brennan was a Heisman trophy finalist, becoming Hawaii’s first ever player to attend the ceremony, where he finished third in voting. He also won the Sammy Baugh trophy and held several passing records by the end of his career. Brennan’s single-season TD record (58) stood for over a decade until Joe Burrow broke it in 2019.

   Brennan would be drafted in the sixth round by Washington where he had an impressive pre-season. Not only did he pass for multiple TD’s, he earned the acclaim of Hall Of Fame Coach John Madden. His career would be hampered by injuries.

   Brennan is one of seven Hawaii All-Americans, he also owns the UH record for single-season passing touchdowns, passing yards and passing completions. For his career, he is first in touchdowns and second in passing yards & completions. He is a two time All-WAC First Team selection and two time WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He is a member of the University of Hawaii’s Hall of Fame.

   His number 15 was retired in 2021, only the second ever number to be retired by the University.

2. Ashley Lelie (1999-2001): The Radford High School standout tops the list of phenomenal UH receivers. He is top 8 All-Time in career receptions, yards and touchdowns. A crucial piece in Hawaii’s NCAA record turnaround in 1999, where the Warriors went 9-4 after going 0-12 in 1998, Lelie’s work helped UH capture their second ever bowl win in the 1999 Oahu Bowl. His numbers are skewed due to having three starting quarterbacks in three seasons and a poor 2000 showing by the Warriors. However it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish and Lelie was a leading force in Hawaii’s excellent 2001 season. Not only was he crucial in Hawaii avenging a loss to Tulsa by dominating them in Oklahoma and derailing Heisman finalist David Carr and arch rival No. 18 Fresno State’s season, he pulled off a signature performance in his college finale against undefeated and hated rival No. 12 BYU. The Warriors pulled off the 72-45 victory behind Lelie’s eight receptions for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

   Lelie would leave after his junior season where he would become Hawaii’s highest ever NFL draft pick. He was the nineteenth overall selection by the Denver Broncos. Lelie enjoyed an eight year career in the NFL.

   What set Lelie apart from his fellow receivers was his play. He was the best option in Hawaii’s passing game, going against opponent’s best cornerbacks. He had blazing speed, an incredible jump ball ability, excellent footwork and reliable hands. He didn’t need space to get open and his big play ability is evident in Hawaii’s record books. There is an argument to be made that Hawaii loses to ranked Fresno and BYU without him. If that happens, Hawaii isn’t 9-3 and snubbed from a bowl appearance. The Hawaii Bowl was created the following year to fix that.

   He is a one time All-WAC First Team selection. Ashley Lelie, homegrown baller.

3. Al Noga (1984-1987): The Samoan Sackman lived up to his name during his time in Manoa. The second All-Time leader in sacks at UH, Noga would reek havoc on offensive lines. By the time his career was finished, he was number one in sacks for UH record books, impressive when you consider it was a running league when he played. His numbers would not go unnoticed as he was named to the AP All-American first team and was an Outland Trophy finalist. Noga played a huge role on defense, most notably when he assisted in Hawaii’s victory over Wisconsin.

   Noga’s selection as the WAC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1986 and his three time selection the the All-WAC First Team would see him drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1988 NFL Draft. Noga till today is Hawaii’s All-Time leader in single season sacks. Noga is an three time First Team All-WAC selection. He is a member of the University of Hawaii’s Hall of Fame and was named in Sports Illustrated list of “50 Greatest Hawaii Sports Figures”

4. Davone Bess (2005-2007): A graduate of Skyline High School, Bess played under coach John Beam who has sent multiple players to UH including Jared Smart and Dior Scott. Making his way to Hawaii, Bess exploded on the scene and became an instant fan favorite. He finished his freshman year with over a 1000 reception yards and 14 touchdowns. During his three seasons in Hawaii, Bess had three thousand yard seasons, three straight years of double digit touchdowns and he eclipsed the 100 reception mark in 2007. He is the UH All-Time leader in career reception touchdowns and career receptions.

   Bess would declare for the NFL Draft after his junior season, where he was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent by the Miami Dolphins. He finished the 2008 season with the third most receptions among rookies and the second most receptions by an UDFA rookie of All-Time. He played five years in the NFL, ending his career with the Cleveland Browns.

   During his UH career, Bess was named WAC freshman on the year. He was a three time All-WAC First team selection, AP Third team All-American and was named to the All-Freshman team in national publications, the Sporting News, Football Writers Association of America and Rivals.com. He continues to be regarded as one or the best if not the best Receiver in Hawaii history.

5. Jesse Sapolu (1979-1982): The four time Super Bowl champion and two time Pro Bowler made his mark in Manoa. A one time first-team and one time second-team All WAC selection, the UH Hall of Famer was an unstoppable force for the Warriors rushing attack, led by fellow UH Hall of Fame Running Back, Gary Allen.

   Sapolu would be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers 1983 where he went on to achieve great success and open the door for both Hawaii and Polynesian players to have an opportunity in the NFL. Sapolu began a lineage of great UH lineman, some who went on to achieve great success in the NFL. Warriors like Vince Manuwai (#9), Samson Satele, Hercules Satele, John Estas and more can point to Sapolu for breaking down the door. Sapolu’s success also led to an increased look by mainland programs into Hawaii recruits. Hawaii born/ raised offensive lineman who went to achieve great success in college and/or the NFL like Chris Naeole, Dom Raiola, Toniu Fonoti and Olin Kreutz owe a part of their success to Sapolu.

   Sapolu is still active in football, running the Men In The Trenches football academy and was a moving force in the creation of the Polynesian Hall of Fame.

6. Jason Elam (1989-1992): Elam is Hawaii’s all time leader in points, field goals made and second all time in both career and single season field goals made percentage. Just to show how dominant Elam was during his four years in Manoa, in terms of single-season field goals made, all four of his seasons are in the top five rankings. Elam was named the WAC Special Teams Player of the Year in 1992, adding to his already impressive three All-WAC selections.

   Elam was a member of the 1992 Hawaii Warriors football team which won Hawaii’s first ever conference title and Hawaii’s first ever FBS Bowl Game with a victory over Illinois in the Holiday Bowl. Hawaii finished the season ranked 20th in the nation.

   Elam would be drafted in the third round of the 1993 NFL draft to the Denver Broncos where he was named to the PFWA All Rookie team. Elam finished his pro career after 16 seasons with two Super Bowl titles, three Pro Bowl selections and was named to the second Team All-Pro list on three occasions. Elam is also a member of the Broncos Ring of Honor and the Broncos 50th anniversary team. Elam is a member of the University of Hawaii’s Hall of Fame.

7. Jeris White (1970-1973): The second Radford alum on the list, Jeris White was Hawaii’s first elite DB. Taking the foundation that Steve Adler and George Lumpkin built in 1970, White had a six interception season in 1971. However his impact wasn’t just only being a ball hawk, he was also one of the hardest hitters of his time. He was selected in the second round of the NFL draft in 1974 by the Miami Dolphins.

   White would go on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the then Washington Redskins. White became the first ever UH player to participate in a Super Bowl where he was victorious in Super Bowl XVII over his former team, the Miami Dolphins.

   White ended his UH career with both the most interception return yards in a season and in a career. Another UH trailblazer in the pros, Jeris White finished his UH career with 9 total interceptions and was the true definition of a shutdown corner. White is a member of the University of Hawaii’s Hall of Fame

8. Pisa Tinoisamoa (2000-2002) When it comes to stalwart, hard hitting, reliable linebackers, Pisa Tinoisamoa has to top that list. Making his mark as a sophomore, Tinoisamoa led the team in tackles for loss and was tied for the lead in sacks. As a junior, he was ranked fourth in the WAC for tackles per game to go along with his team leading five sacks. However his finest moment came against No. 12 BYU where he had two forced fumbles and a famous hit at the goal line as time expired on the first half, preventing a BYU touchdown. As a senior, Tinoisamoa had over a 100 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions on his way to being named the most valuable player by his teammates.

   Tinoisamoa would enter the 2003 NFL Draft as one of the top linebacker prospects, he would be selected in the second round by the St. Louis Rams. He spent 8 years in the NFL. Tinoisamoa is ranked ninth in Hawaii career sacks to go along with his multiple WAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. He was a second team All-WAC selection in 2001 and a first team All-WAC selection in 2002.

9. Vince Manuwai (1999-2002) Arguably the greatest offensive lineman in UH history, Manuwai continued a proud tradition of Hawaii Guards dominating the trenches. In his 35 starts, he never allowed a sack. I’m sorry, let me repeat that. Vince Manuwai never allowed a sack in his college career. An impressive feat in itself, made more impressive by the fact that Manuwai played in the pass heavy Run N Shoot offense.

   Manuwai was a College Football News All-American, A Warrior Club Award (given to the best player on the team), an honorable All-WAC mention in 2000, a second team All-WAC selection in 2001 and a first team All-WAC selection in 2002. Manuwai would go on to be drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He would start over 100 NFL games, being a driving force behind the performances of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.

   Manuwai would help kick off an era of dominant interior lineman including Samson Satele, Hercules Satele, Keith Ah Soon, John Estas and Ben Clarke. Manuwai was the protector for record breaking QBs Nick Rolovich and Timmy Chang as well.

10. Alex Green (2009-2010) The most complete running back Hawaii has ever had, Green made the most of his one year as full time starter. After splitting carries with Leon Wright-Jackson in 2009, Green broke out with a rushing touchdown over No. 14 USC. Green would go on to rush for 1,999 yards in 2010, including a till this day record of 327 yards against New Mexico State. Green would leave UH as the schools leader in single season rushing yards. Green was also hampered the fact Hawaii had an explosive passing attack with counted for over 5000 passing yards. Green also had over 300 reception yards, bringing his total yardage in 2010 to over 1500 yards.

    Green would be an All-WAC second team selection in 2010 to go along with Hawaii’s WAC championship, their fourth ever. He would also gain a WAC Player of the Week nod and national recognition as the Capitol One Player of the Week. Green would go on to be drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Green is tied with Nate Illoa for sixth all time in career touchdowns and tied for second with Jamal Farmer for single season rushing touchdowns at Hawaii. Green in the only running back on the career touchdown list to play less than three seasons in Manoa.

David Shaw, Is This the Final Ride?

Stanford Head Coach David Shaw’s place in both Stanford football and College Football lore is solidified. What he has done at Stanford is nothing short of incredible. As OC, he helped Jim Harbaugh take the Stanford Cardinal to new heights, culminating in the blowout win over Virginia Tech in the 2011 Orange Bowl, sealing a No. 4 ranking for the program. When Harbaugh and DC Vic Fangio left Stanford for the San Francisco 49ers, Shaw was given the task of guiding Stanford to new and consistent heights, a job he did incredibly well. Shaw had 8 straight winning seasons, secured Stanford’s first Pac-12 title since Tyrone Willingham, qualified for 4 NY6 games, winning the 2013 and 2016 Rose Bowl and 4 Top 10 finishes in the Coaches Poll. Shaw is the winningest HC in Stanford history and has helped send top talents like Andrew Luck, Christian McCaffery, Solomon Thomas, Zach Ertz, David DeCastro and Andrus Peat to the NFL. However in recent years, the well has run dry.

After a disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2021, capping off a third straight losing season, many have wondered why Shaw’s job security hasn’t been more of a pressing issue in the media. I think Stanford officials want to keep any issues in house in both respect for Shaw and privacy to both fund and conduct a short list of candidates. In this new era of college football, where Dabo Swinney, Jimbo Fisher, Mel Tucker, James Franklin, Kirby Smart and Lincoln Riley have penned 100+ million dollar deals, Stanford may be looking within to fund a changing of the guard.

Shaw is not at the gallows yet but in the ever changing landscape of college football, Stanford finds themselves in no man’s land. Partially handicapped by location in terms of a competitive market, they suffer at attracting top talent due to lack of recent success, NIL opportunities and academic requirements. However difficulty doesn’t mean understanding and fourth straight losing campaign could and should see Shaw’s time at Stanford end.

However just because things didn’t work out doesn’t mean I don’t have faith in the two time Rose Bowl champion. David Shaw is an incredible coach who plateaued. If he reignites the winning ways of the early 2010s, I have no issue keeping David Shaw. If it is his time, he should have endless Head Coaching possibilities. He’s a great recruiter, a great coach and a good man. He’s a great example for the young men of the world. Quite frankly, (this might be due to my distain for Chip Kelly) I think Shaw would be a perfect fit for the UCLA job. However there are many opportunities I would like to see get extended to Shaw. A job that may possibly be available that I think he’d be perfect for is the Florida State job. Disappointing tenures of Willie Taggart and Mike Norvell have left the Seminoles in ruin. Losing Travis Hunter to Jackson State is both a slap to the face of the brand that’s self-titled “DBU” and to those who questioned Deion Sanders resume when he was linked to the job.

Shaw would have no extra academic hurdles, a bigger market for both NIL and recruiting plus a schedule that guarantees both success and entry into the CFP with a solid resume compared to the Pac-12. Whatever happens, David Shaw is a legend who has a lot of football left to coach.

What Went Wrong with Nick Rolovich and Washington State

The former Cougars HC finds himself without a job and in the mist of a lawsuit with his former employer due to his refusal to follow the State of Washington’s COVID Vaccine mandate for all of it’s state employees. Not only did Rolovich lose his job, he also lost his 3 million dollar a year salary due to his stance. However the vaccine mandate was the final wheel on a derailed wagon, unraveling from his first day in Pullman. Here’s what happened.

The former Nevada and Hawaii OC was admired across the nation for his play design and play calling skills, once on the verge of being hired by then Temple HC Matt Rhule, Rolovich found his first HC job at his alma mater, the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In his four years at Hawaii, he turned around a program that had 10 wins in total from 2012-2015 to a program that had a 10 win season in 2019 alone. He went to three Hawaii Bowls, winning two and a Mountain West division title, accolades which made Washington State acquire his services.

The program was in need of a HC when Mike Leach took his pass happy, air raid offense to Mississippi State. Rolovich who runs the pass happy Run N’ Shoot, returned the offense to it’s origins in the Pacific Northwest, taking over a program well suited for the controversial offensive scheme. Already with standout running back Max Borghi, Rolovich brought in some island flair by getting St. Louis (HI) High School quarterback Jayden De Laura to commit the the Cougars. An alumnus of the Vinny Passas passing academy titled “Get Better,” Passas helped mold NFL talents and Top 5 NFL Draft selections Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa as well as CFB superstars Timmy Chang, McKenzie Milton, Jordan Ta’amu, Dillon Gabriel and former Washington State QB and Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, Jason Gesser. With De Laura and Borghi as his one-two combo, Rolovich had standout WR Calvin Jackson Jr as a top target and star RT Abraham Lucas as captain. Rolovich began molding Washington State into a top program.

However there were many unpreventable and preventable roadblocks. Less then three months after his hiring, the world shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting and prohibiting football involvement, recruiting and development. Then the murder of George Floyd sparked nationwide unrest across the country, leading some of college football’s top figures to speak out against the injustice. At Washington State, WR Kassidy Woods reported that Rolovich kicked him out of team chats, threatened his scholarship and removed items from his locker due to both Woods’ uncertainty if he would play through the pandemic due to his personal health issues and Woods’ social justice stance/ participation in the WeAreUnited social movement. Woods then released audio of a conversation between him and Rolovich in which Rolovich criticized the unity group. The situation got so bad, Washington State officials had to step in and release an official statement clarifying Rolovich’s viewpoints. Woods then transferred to the University of Northern Colorado.

Rolovich began his Washington State tenure with a win over Oregon State before taking on Oregon in Pullman. Despite three Oregon turnovers and a prolific offensive performance by the Cougars, Washington State couldn’t capitalize on opportunities and led 16-7 with twenty seconds left. Oregon then hit a deep bomb and then ran it in to make the halftime score 16-14. Oregon would dominate the second half on their way to a 43-29 victory. Due to COVID positive tests around the Pac-12, Washington State would only play 2 more times in 2020, losing both matchups to USC and Utah. Both losses were by double digits.

In 2021, incumbent QB Jayden De Laura was set to light CFB on fire. Rolovich however decided to recruit Jarrett Guarantano from Tennessee to challenge De Laura for the top job. I am unsure why Rolovich did this, it could possibly stem from De Laura’s February 2021 arrest for DUI (He was found not guilty in July) but it did cause some controversy in the QB room. Regardless, Rolovich coached 7 games before being fired for the vaccine issue. However Washington State wasn’t impressive in those matchups. 1-3 in their first four games with their only win being against FCS Portland State, an inability to score over 24 points until week 6 despite their defense holding opponents to 24.4 points per game and despite Rolovich winning his last 3 games, out of those opponents, only Oregon State finished the season with a winning record at 7-6.

Rolovich was fired for COVID before he got a chance to be fired for job performance. The team wasn’t up to par, he had a disconnect with his staff and players, evident by new Washington State HC Jake Dickert bringing in a new staff and top FCS QB Cam Ward, leading to De Laura’s transfer to Arizona, the Run N’ Shoot was highly ineffective at the Power 5 conference level and despite having top running backs Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh, the run game was average at best.

Moral of the story is that Rolovich couldn’t stop getting out of his own way. The offensive guru couldn’t put up the points while the defense played incredible. He didn’t adjust to Pullman and its environment, suffering in player moral and recruiting. Only time will tell if this was a one time blunder or will this be the thing that haunts his career.

My Top 5 Hawaii Head Coaches

1. June Jones (1999-2007) The All-Time Winningest Head Coach in Hawaii history has quite the resume in Manoa. Two WAC titles, the first and only outright conference Championship, four bowl victories and Hawaii’s only BCS/ NY6 bowl appearance. Jones finished his tenure in Hawaii with 76 wins including multiple wins over ranked opponents. In terms of career yardage, 3 of the top 6 passers were under Jones, 7 of the top 8 receivers were recruited and played for Jones and 8 of the top 10 career reception leaders were coached and recruited by Jones. Timmy Chang became the NCAA’s All-Time passing completion and passing yards leader, Colt Brennan (#1) became the single-season and NCAA All-Time passing touchdowns leader to go along with his Heisman finalist nomination and Jones holds the record for biggest single season turnaround taking the 1998 squad under HC Fred Von Appen who went 0-12 and going 9-4 with an Oahu Bowl victory over Oregon State and Dennis Erickson.

   5 of my top 10 players played under Jones. He hold Hawaii’s highest preseason ranking, Hawaii’s highest ever ranking and Hawaii’s highest post season ranking. He is also the only Hawaii HC to defeat Boise State since Boise became a member of the FBS. Jones also holds the record for players drafted by the NFL out of Hawaii, Hawaii all conference selections and Hawaii’s highest statistical offensive output. His players have went on to achieve major success in the NFL and Canada capped off by multiple Grey Cup victories.

2. Bob Wagner (1987-1995) The longtime Hawaii assistant first made his way to the islands under then HC Larry Price before being promoted to Defensive Coordinator under HC Dick Tomey. Inheriting the squad after Tomey left for Arizona, Wagner wasted no time making his mark.

   Promoting Paul Johnson to OC, Wagner and Johnson put together the pieces for Hawaii’s explosive triple/ flex option offense. The result was nine win seasons in 1988 and 1989. It also secured Hawaii’s first ever FBS bowl birth in 1989. His best season came in the record year of 1992. Hawaii won it’s first ever conference title, its first ever double-digit win season, secured its first ever mainland birth and its first ever bowl win in the 1992 Holiday bowl, a defining triumph over Illinois. It was also the first time Hawaii finished the season nationally ranked, a feat Hawaii wouldn’t achieve again until 2006.

   Wagner would finish his UH tenure with 58 wins. Wagner would rejoin Tomey in 1998 with the Arizona Wildcats as an assistant before finishing his career as the DC of the UTEP Miners. Wagner then acted as the Athletic Director of Kamehameha Kea’au High School from 2002-2012.

   Wagner is ranked third all time in career wins at Hawaii. Until 2020, the 1992 Holiday Bowl was Hawaii’s only mainland Bowl win. After Wagner left, Hawaii wouldn’t have another winning season until 1999.

3. Nick Rolovich (2016-2019) Getting the Warriors out of the hole Norm Chow dug them in was no easy task but to secure Hawaii’s first non losing season since 2010, capped off with Hawaii’s first bowl win in 10 years was an incredible feat that Nick Rolovich accomplished in his first year in Manoa. Not having a solid idea who his starter should be to start 2016 compounded by playing the Pac-12’s California Golden Bears in Australia and the Big 10’s powerhouse Michigan in Ann Arbor in back to back weeks to start the season seemed like a recipe for another poor season in Manoa. However the tide began to turn with a victory over both Nevada and San Jose State, securing Hawaii’s first back to back conference wins ever in the Mountain West. Hawaii would also beat Air Force in Colorado Springs for Hawaii’s first win against Air Force since 2001 and their first win in Colorado Springs since 1992. Hawaii would cap the 2016 season with a 52-35 victory over Middle Tennessee in the 2016 Hawaii Bowl.

   Rolovich would secure Hawaii’s first winning season in nine years in 2018 and in 2019, he coached an offensive masterclass led by Cole McDonald, featuring Chevan Cordeiro, JoJo Ward, Jason-Matthew Sharsh, Cedric Byrd II, Jared Smart, Dayton Furuta and Nick Mardner. Hawaii would secure their first double-digit win season since 2010 with victories over Arizona, Oregon State, San Diego State, Army and the Zach Wilson lead BYU squad in the 2019 Hawaii Bowl. Hawaii would also win it’s first ever Mountain West division title. Cole McDonald would go on to be the first Hawaii QB drafted since Colt Brennan and the second Hawaii QB to be drafted ever.

   Diocemy St. Juste would become Hawaii’s All-Time single season rushing yards leader under Rolovich, Jehlani Tavai and John Ursua would be the first duo of Hawaii players to be drafted since 2010 and Nick Rolovich only had 1 losing season in his 4 years in Manoa.

4. Dick Tomey (1977-1986) A program needs a true leader with great vision and a skill set, forged through experience and relationship. When Hawaii and AD Ray Nagel was looking to make the next step as a program, they looked to Dick Tomey to deliver. He did and then some. Learning under great coaches such as John Pont, Bo Schembechler, Pepper Rodgers, Dick Vermeil and Terry Donahue, Tomey came to Hawaii via UCLA with his vision.

   His first step was to keep the best local talent home and he did. Tomey coached up multiple top 100 players, including several in the top 20 including Al Noga, Jesse Sapolu, Gary Allen, Niko Noga and Rich Miano. Four of those players attended Hawaii High Schools.

   He was also responsible for keeping Blane Gaison amongst others home when he first came in. Tomey helped lead Hawaii through tumultuous times. During Tomey’s tenure, he helped keep Hawaii as a D1 school, guided the team through it’s transition to the WAC and through three straight seasons of at least five losses. Tomey then won 8 and 9 games in 1980 and 1981.

   When Tomey moved on to Arizona, his assistant Bob Wagner (#2 HC) took over and took the program to new heights. Tomey left Hawaii as the All-Time winningest coach in program history. At Arizona, he won a Pac-10 title and a Fiesta Bowl. He finished in the AP Top 25 polls on four occasions and in the top 10 twice. He left Arizona as the All-Time winningest coach in program history. As an assistant at Texas, he won a Rose Bowl before becoming the HC at San Jose State University. He would give the program their first winning season in 6 years and their first bowl win in 16 years.

   Tomey won WAC coach of the year in 1981, won 63 wins during his time in Manoa and never finished below 5th in the WAC.

5. Greg McMackin (2008-2011) Greg McMackin was given the reigns to a program that just came off a WAC title and a Sugar Bowl appearance. However his roster and staff departed in great numbers. Starters Colt Brennan, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess, Jason Rivers, C.J. Hawthorne, Hercules Satele, Mike Lafaele, Soloman Elimimian, Myron Newberry and more left the program for the NFL Draft or through graduation. Assistant coaches Jeff Reinebold and Dennis McKnight left with June Jones (#1 HC) to SMU.

   Needing a new starting QB, four starters at receivers, a new center and multiple pieces on defense, the 2008 season looked grim. The team would have to play Florida in Gainesville, Oregon State in Corvallis, Boise St on the road and nationally ranked Cincinnati at home. So what does McMackin do? Wins seven games, finishes second in the WAC and qualifies for the Hawaii Bowl.

   He promoted Hawaii High School coaching legends Cal and Ron Lee to coordinators and despite an intense QB battle which saw Inoke Funaki, Greg Alexander and Tyler Graunke see starting snaps, the offense put up over 35 points on 4 separate occasions. He also upset No. 22 Fresno State in Fresno, giving Hawaii it’s first ever win over a ranked opponent on the road.

   McMackin would promote Nick Rolovich (#3 HC) and Dave Aranda to offensive and defensive coordinator in 2010 and reaped the rewards. Not only did both coaches go on to achieve national success, they led a Hawaii team that went 10-4, was nationally ranked and won the WAC. Bryant Moniz, Alex Green, Greg Salas, Kealoha Pilares, Royce Pollard, Rodney Bradley, Corey Parades, Aaron Brown, John Hardy-Tuliau and Mana Silva had stand out performances. They upset No. 19 Nevada as well. The Colin Kaepernick led squad’s loss to Hawaii was their only loss of the season. Greg Salas became UH’s career leader in reception yards that season.

   McMackin would be forced out after an injury riddled season in 2011. He has stayed out of the media spotlight ever since.

Why Conference Realignment Doesn’t Benefit the New Guy

Rumors have emerged today that USC and UCLA are days away from becoming members of the Big 10. A deal already agreed upon would send the two Southern California programs to a conference that has been represented in six of eight college football playoffs. This is off the heals of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF joining the Big 12 as incumbent Big 12 members Texas and Oklahoma will be heading to the SEC.

This is not the first time the SEC has plucked programs from the Big 12 as Texas A&M and Missouri joined the SEC in 2012. Also throughout the early 2010s, the Mountain West absorbed several WAC programs as the conference was dying out. Eventually WAC programs Boise St, Fresno St, Nevada, Hawaii, San Jose State and Utah St became members of the Mountain West. They did this as Utah and TCU left the Mountain West for the Pac-12 and Big 12 respectively. Also Colorado and Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Pac-12 and Big 10 respectively. A lot of change for little success.

None of these teams have qualified for a college football playoff spot or a BCS National Title Birth since their move. Missouri played in two SEC championship games but lost both by double digits, Texas A&M has never played in an SEC Championship game. Nebraska has played in one Big 10 Championship game which they lost by 39. Colorado has played in one Pac-12 Championship game which they lost by 31. Utah has played in 4 Pac-12 title games, finally winning the conference in 2021. They lost to Ohio State in an epic Rose Bowl matchup. TCU has played in one Big 12 Championship game which they lost but they do have a Big 12 Championship, a shared title with Baylor from the 2014 season. Both Baylor and TCU missed out on the CFB due to a lack of a championship game.

Utah and TCU from the Mountain West and Boise St and Hawaii from the WAC are four of the non P5 teams to make a BCS birth in the BCS era. Utah, TCU and Boise St have won BCS bowl games and TCU played Boise in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. However since the Mountain West expanded, only Boise State has played in a BCS/ NY6 bowl game and they did that only once.

Now Oklahoma, Texas, USC and UCLA are headed to conferences with better defenses and higher quality of competition. There is a reason Buckeye fans get nervous when they play Purdue, there’s a reason Texas A&M partied hard when they beat Alabama, conference realignment does not benefit the team realigning. Sure there’s more money in play but that also means the incumbent members make more money as well. The gap is hard to close. If you want to make the CFB, designing a more difficult road is not the answer.

Dissecting What Went Wrong With the Norm Chow Era

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in Kaua’i, I made the journey down with my parents from Waimea Canyon to a local café for some much needed lunch. I walk in to see how Norm Chow and Hawaii is doing in his first game and I see Hawaii down 26-0 on the road against USC. Marquise Lee took the first play from scrimmage, 75 yards to the house. It was a precursor for what was to come. The Norm Chow era was in short, disastrous. However it wasn’t disastrously bad. A few turns in the road and things could’ve gone another way. Chow, the quarterback mastermind responsible for Phillip Rivers record breaking season at NC State, Steve Young’s tremendous era in Provo, followed by his mentorship of Heisman winners Ty Detmer, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart came in with a great reputation. He guided Robbie Bosco and Steve Sarkisian to record seasons as the awards flooded in. His play calling and coaching assisted BYU and USC to a National Title each. Reggie Bush, LenDale White and Jim McMahon became stars under him so that begs the question, what went wrong?

The Pro Style Offense: It is no secret that the two greatest eras of UH football came off 2 innovative “gimmick” offenses. The highly criticized flexbone option and the “college style” Run n Shoot. Neither found championship success in the NFL but in Hawaii, led to conference titles and national success. In an expected move, Chow went with a Pro Style Offense that he used to great success at USC. With powerbacks Joey Iosefa and Sterling Jackson, Chow had the running game to support his offense. He brought in Sean Schroeder from Duke where his HC and QB whisperer David Cutcliffe had good things to say about him. Cutcliffe is responsible for the developments of Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Daniel Jones so expectations were high, especially since he was replacing incumbent starter David Graves.

However the Pro Style Offense requires a consistent running game, led by a dominant offensive line. Hawaii just couldn’t recruit the monsters of years past for a multitude of reasons. Increased attention by Power 5 schools on Polynesian players, lack of depth on the team already and an O-line built for a passing game and horizontal run game. With Hawaii having multiple Power 5 opponents per year, it was a numbers game.

Also Hawaii couldn’t spread the field like in the Run N Shoot due to the nature of the offense. Quite frankly, Chow never had the personnel for the Pro Style Offense and he never changed his philosophy.

The Quarterback Carousel: Sean Schroeder was one of many promising QBs who came to Hawaii and never panned out. Ohio State’s Taylor Graham came to Hawaii with high expectation in 2013. Graham’s father Kent played at Ohio State and in the NFL. He was a tall, pocket passer with the frame similar to the successful QBs that Chow coached at USC. Long story short, it didn’t work out and Schroeder was reinstalled as starter after Graham went down with an injury.

Ikaika Woolsey was a JUCO transfer who became the starter in 2014. He would be benched for Graham against Wyoming but would come in once Graham went down with another injury and Woolsey came in to lead Hawaii to victory. The second ever conference win in the Mountain West and Hawaii’s first win against Wyoming since 1992. However the good times did not last and Woolsey would finish the year as the starter. Hawaii went 4-9. However Woolsey would be Hawaii’s winningest QB in Mountain West history at three conference wins.

Max Wittek was supposed to be Hawaii’s saving grace. Despite 8 wins in 3 years, there was a lot of momentum heading into 2015. The immergence of Marcus Kemp as WR1 with an excellent WR room, a solid O-line consisting of Ben Clarke, Leo Kolomantangi, Elijah Tupai, Asotui Eli and a right side anchored by stars Dejon Allen and R.J. Hollis along with Paul Harris as RB1. Also the 2015 Hawaii defense was the best Chow has had. All he needed was a gunslinger and he had it. The former heir apparent to Matt Barkley found his way to Hawaii after losing a QB battle to Cody Kessler. Expectations shot through the roof for the Mountain West Preseason First-Team Selection after a three touchdown performance in a season opening win against Colorado. The first and only time Chow had a winning record in his four years. However like Woolsey, the good times did not last and Wittek’s time in Hawaii ended with a season ending injury.

In Chow’s four years, he had four different starting quarterbacks.

The Hiring and Firing Saga of Assistants

Like his quarterbacks, stability with assistant coaches was not happening. Not only did Norm Chow get rid of offensive and defensive coordinators Nick Rolovich and Dave Aranda, Rolovich going on to replace Chow in Hawaii, win two bowl games, MW division title and eventually become the HC of Washington State and Aranda winning a National Championship as the DC of LSU, a Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl as the HC of Baylor, Chow’s replacements lasted a total of three years.

Tommy Lee was named offensive coordinator in 2012, his first coaching job in 5 years. Lee, a Hawaii native would supplement Chow’s offensive expertise. Lee would retire after the season.

Thom Kaumeyer was the DC from 2012-2013. He came from the Jacksonville Jaguars and though statistically Hawaii had their best defense since 2007, the defense gave up 35 or more points in 8 different games. In 2013, the defense gave up 35 or more points in 8 different games again. He left after the 2013 season.

Aaron Price was Chow’s next OC in 2013 but left before the season started for reasons unknown. Chow would act as OC in 2013 and 2014.

Kevin Clune was brought in in 2014. The Utah State linebackers coach made an immediate impact in Manoa, coordinating a defense that gave up 12 fewer points per game. In fact, Hawaii’s defense only gave up 35 points or more in 4 games in 2014. However his success would be noticed by his former employer and he returned to Utah State in 2015 for a $40,000 raise. He would get another promotion to Oregon State. He currently works for BYU.

In 2015, Chow brought in FCS OC Don Bailey from Idaho State and former June Jones DC Tom Mason from SMU. Mason hit the ground running with the defense, holding Colorado to 20 points, holding Ohio State to 17 points through three quarters in Columbus before the defense tired out due to lack of offensive production, holding Wisconsin to 28 points in Madison as the offense stalled again and stifling MW star Donnel Pumphrey and SDSU. Only once Chow was fired did the defense start to truly unravel.

However Don Bailey’s offense was another story. In the first five games of the season, the offense failed to score a single point in three games. The offense only scored more than 30 points once all season. Both men were fired after 2015.

In four years, Chow had 6 different coordinators.

The Mountain West: When Norm Chow was hired, he preached unity and teamwork. He removed the name plates from the jerseys because the player play for the name of the front. He had the players sand and scrub the locker rooms, helping a cash strapped program with improvements and he hit the transfer market and recruiting trail hard. However Chow had a big task ahead of him. Not only did he inherit a money stricken program, it was also Hawaii’s first year in the Mountain West. Moving from the dying WAC, Hawaii would rejoin former conference opponents Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, San Jose State and Utah State along with reigniting old rivalries with UNLV (whom Hawaii already played annually), Wyoming and Air Force. A team that was 5-3 in 2011 before Bryant Moniz went down failed to win a conference game till week 12. In fact, there wasn’t a single conference loss in 2011 that was within eight points.

In his four years in Manoa, Chow had only 4 conference wins. In contrast, Nick Rolovich had 4 conference wins in 2016 alone. At least Chow was 2-1 verses UNLV.

The Hawaii Board of Regents, AD Jim Donovan, AD Ben Jay and the Stevie Wonder Blunder

I could spend all day talking about how UH got duped out of $200,000 dollars in an attempt to hire Stevie Wonder for an on-campus concert or how that led to the firing of then AD Jim Donovan. Or how UH had to get the FBI involved to find the money or how AD Donovan’s replacement Ben Jay resigned, leaving UH in an annual deficit of $3,000,000 dollars. Or AD Ben Jay’s comments about not being able to afford to keep a UH program alive, offeniding UH fans so much that my Judo Coach, the late Robin Mori took the the streets in a fundraising effort titled “We get um.” How about the fact that players interested in the program saw an AD say it might not be around in a couple of years or the lack of funds to pay Chow’s buyout after year three.

Perhaps taking every payday from Power 5 opponents to supplement the deficient didn’t help either.

Long story short, Chow’s time and legacy was harmed by the lack of financial support and leadership by Manoa’s upper management.

Just Wasn’t Good Enough: Football is a game of inches and there are so many moments that could’ve changed the Chow era. If the offense showed up in Columbus and Madison, Hawaii would have had two Big 10 road wins. If the kick return TD against SDSU in 2014 wasn’t called back, Hawaii would’ve had a 2-0 conference record and momentum. Maybe if Hawaii completed their comeback against Fresno State in 2013 or beat #25 Washington in 2014 or successfully recovered the onside kick against Oregon State a week later, things would’ve been different. What if Ben Clarke wasn’t always playing hurt or what if Diocemy St. Juste wasn’t injured?

There’s a lot of what ifs but at the end of the day, having only one road win in four years is just not good enough. Hawaii had a lot of talent but the scheme wasn’t there. There’s a reason Nick Rolovich won a Hawaii Bowl just a year later. Not having the ability to utilize the loads of slot receivers he had, no defensive stability, no consistency, it was just all bad. Norm Chow is a brilliant offensive mind who had incredible tenures at BYU, NC State, USC and for the Tennessee Titans but he just wasn’t the right fit for his native home.

Thanks for that funny flower commercial though.

The Dreadhead Trio of Greatness

If you went around and asked football enthusiasts like myself, what offensive system or philosophy influenced you, the answers may differ. Some might say the Pro style offense or the spread offense. Maybe you might have some old heads with the wishbone or wing-t. If you ask me, it’s the Run N Shoot. What? That old offense that fizzled out in the nineties? Yes, while it died in the NFL and evolved into the spread option/ rpo offense in college, the Run N Shoot was very much alive in the Hawaiian islands.

The Run N Shoot is predicated on a Quarterback and his Wide Receivers possessing a tremendous about of trust and intelligence. A single route can turn into at least 5-7 combinations, dependent on defensive reads and with no tight end/ only five blockers, a receiver must get open quick. Come 2005 and the dawn of swagger, speed and skill hit Aloha Stadium.

Dawning the iconic Nike Black Hawaii Jersey, with the green numbers and white trim was three men. Their last names in white, partially covered by their dreads read out Bess, Rivers and Grice-Mullen. Their looks, iconic. Their play, incredible. They combined for a career 822 receptions, 10,899 receiving yards and 112 touchdowns. During their time in Manoa, the trio captured a WAC title, the 06 Hawaii Bowl, a BCS birth, national attention and award nomination. All three players are in the top 5 for receptions, yards and touchdowns in UH history and all three will be in my Top 100 Hawaii Warriors of All-Time list as Top 25 selections.

In 2007, a fourth dreadhead receiver was added when C.J. Hawthorne converted from defensive back. I got four words to describe Hawthorne. Vertical and Horizontal Speed. Hawthorne was a dawg who could fly, especially with the ball in his hands. The dreadheads made football fun for me, in fact my passion for the game came from watching them run all over defenses. I’ll never forget their play in the victories over Boise State and Washington. They had so many iconic moments. Bess summersaulting into the endzone. Grice-Mullen making defenders look stupid in open space, the man snatched ankles on a weekly basis, Rivers’ one leg sideline catch against Washington, the tribute to Sean Taylor. This list goes on.

Every boy in Hawaii wanted to wear Ryan Grice-Mullen’s #1, Davone Bess’ #7 and Jason Rivers #84 as kids. I know I did. To have all three in black and green at the same time was incredible to watch. They influenced a whole generation of Warriors fans and I am not alone when I say all three men should be inducted into the UH Hall of Fame.

The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 6: Hawaii says Aloha to the Mountain West

I had the privilege to speak with Omar Borja of Beyond the Stripes podcast, discussing the recent announcement that Hawaii has scheduled a home and home series with Sam Houston State as Sam Houston State recently moved to the FBS level as a member of Conference USA. The matchup will see Hawaii return to the familiar recruiting ground of Texas, a state where Hawaii most recently played in 2020 (against Houston in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl, moved to Houston, Texas because of COVID). The state of Texas and Texas Universities are no strangers to Hawaii. Obviously the last Texas vs Hawaii matchup was in 2020 with Hawaii owning a 2-0 record over the University of Houston (2003 Hawaii Bowl was the previous matchup which ended in a triple OT victory for Hawaii and a massive brawl at Aloha Stadium). Hawaii has also played Rice, UTEP, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU and TCU in previous seasons. Hawaii also currently has 15 players on roster from the state of Texas as well.

So what does this all mean? Well Sam Houston State is replacing BYU on Hawaii’s schedule as the Cougars saw the Warriors as cut casualties as they try and shape their schedule to go after a CFP spot once they move to the Big 12. Sam Houston State is a good but not daunting challenge for the Warriors and the return to Texas could be fruitful in the recruiting game. NIL and the transfer portal has flipped recruiting upside down and there could be a lot of talent left for grabs in the Lonestar State.

However to me, this is about something deeper. I have not been shy when it comes to both my distain of the Mountain West’s treatment of the Warriors and the University of Hawaii’s inability to make the Warrior brand bigger than it is. Hawaii is an internationally recognized brand that draws fans to any event it participates in. The Mountain West allows Hawaii to have in conference games on OC16 and not mainstream cable. Unacceptable. Hawaii for 6-7 games out of the season, has an independent time slot that is both beloved by sports fans and sports bettors. It is of my opinion that Hawaii has outgrown the Mountain West, the Mountain West doesn’t value Hawaii because it is a football only school and the path to on-field success and financial profit is to go independent. Perhaps Sam Houston State could be the start of something new?

There are three ways to secure an annual seven figure check in college football. Play a Power 5 school on the road, be a part of a Power 5 conference/ secure a P5 TV deal and/or play in a New Years Six Bowl Game. The Mountain West hasn’t sent a team to a NY6 Bowl game since 2014 (Boise State) while Boise State was essentially a yearly participant in the WAC (back when you had to go undefeated to have a chance). Fresno State had both Derek Carr and Davante Adams and still couldn’t get it done, just as another example. While TCU and Utah have moved to P5 conferences, Boise stays stagnant in the MW and Boise has been their best team since the conference realigned in 2012.

Hawaii already has long, storied histories with programs like Fresno State, UNLV, Army, Navy and Air Force. Include places that recruit Hawaii players heavily like Nevada, New Mexico State and the Pac-12 and a 13 game schedule gets way easier to make. Hawaii can also reach out to other independents Norte Dame, UConn and UMass along with familiar FCS programs Portland State, Idaho and UC Davis. Hawaii still has ties to the Mountain West and I’m sure teams want to keep a trip to Hawaii on their schedules. Going back to Texas, Hawaii has a big tie to the Big 12, a conference which has four Texas teams (not counting the outgoing Texas Longhorns). Houston, Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor which both won the Big 12 and has the Hawaii tie as Baylor’s HC Dave Aranda was Hawaii’s DC under Greg McMackin.

Quite frankly, Hawaii doesn’t benefit from the Mountain West anymore. Hawaii has something to offer that no one in the nation does. It’s hard to find solid programming for late nights on Saturday and I’m sure a bidding war would erupt for Hawaii’s services. College football is a better place when Hawaii is good, ask ESPN about ratings in 2007.