What now?
By Dave Reardon
Some of you have weighed in a little bit with your thoughts on how Hawaii can improve on its 7-7 record of 2008. Please have at it some more.
By Dave Reardon
Some of you have weighed in a little bit with your thoughts on how Hawaii can improve on its 7-7 record of 2008. Please have at it some more.
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December 26th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Get a new QB, and replace some of the coaching staff…….
December 26th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Need to make some coaching changes. Ron Lee is not a Division 1 offensive coordinator and continues to get outcoached. His game planning was awful and his in game adjustments were even worse. Brian Smith needs to go as well. He’s done nothing all season to get his guys prepared to play.
December 26th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Without question, this loss to ND sets our program back several years. In fact, it might have erased all the gains we had under June Jones. After the loss in the Sugar Bowl and now this embarrassment on national TV, I find it hard to believe that the national media will give any respect to the Warriors.
How do we rebuild? Start by getting rid of our second-rate coaching staff and hire Norm Chow or any other big name coach. Seriously, does anyone think that our coaching staff could get hired at a BCS school? Could Ron Lee get a job as an offensive coordinator at a Pac-10 school? Let alone a Mountain West program? Yet, we allow him to call plays for the Warriors on national TV and are shocked that we can’t compete against big-time programs.
December 26th, 2008 at 8:15 am
What more can we say…serious coaching overhaul is what I see needs to be done, and serious recruiting.
I just wonder if our season was as good due to the quality of players that remained or what. This team can be built upon to be better. Looking back at some of those games this season, we should have easily had 10 wins…we can be and should be better than this.
I blame it all on the coaching staff. I plan on writing a letter to the AD to express my displeasure with the current coaching staff. As a die hard UH fan and alumus, I expect more. Did UH not learn what a good UH football team means to the State of Hawaii??
December 26th, 2008 at 8:25 am
FIRE BRIAN SMITH, he was responsible for the worst offensive line in Div 1 football history. No way can he come back next year.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:30 am
It would be interesting to see how the players feel about this coaching staff…especially on offensive. Do they believe in the current offensive system and are they willing to go to battle trusting the play calling and strategy? I think that would be telling of a lot of the struggles the offense has had this past year. The offense needs something they can believe in. Someone needs to pull it together or else next year will be a loooooooooooong season.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Tough question. What next. There are alot of different ways we could go. Coach Mac’s approach to bring in young coaches that know the system didn’t work this season, but, we can’t completey abandon the system. That would really set us back. Here are some of my ideas:
1) REALLY re-evaluate the QB. I have pulled for GA all season long. But you can’t keep saying “if he had time he can throw the ball.” You should be able to say that about any D-1 QB. We need a QB that can make things happen when protection breaks down like Colt could. What about Steele, or an athletic guy like that? If we are going to take our lumps at QB, they should be with a guy that has more than 2 years to play. BUT make your decision on QB in the offseason and stick with him.
2) O-line needs help. Coaching maybe the problem, but players are the ones who get burnt every play.
3) Play calling. We all heard that Ron Lee wanted to use more of the run to balance out the shoot. What ever happened to that. RB is supposed to be where we have our better athletes. MORE BALANCE IS A MUST.
4) Move the Ha’a to a post game role. If you want to do it in the locker room before the game, fine. But it is kind of ridiculous to put on this show and call out the opponent and then not even show up on the field.
5) Corners and safeties have forever been our weakness. This is where I think a coaching change needs to be made. Sorry Miano. I think he should stay on the staff, but not with the DB’s. During his playing days, he relied on his heart to make up for his size and athletic talent, and overachieved to success. I think he expects his players to do the same. It’s not working, and hasn’t for too long.
6) Finally, re-design the uni’s. I really liked last years better. Especially the pants. Why don’t they shine like every other teams in the NCAA? It looks like the players are wearing felt pants. They just don’t look like D-1 uniforms.
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR WARRIORS. It WAS a rebuilding year. Unfortunately, next year will be too, on defense.
December 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
While we trash the offense, how do you like our defense, ha, ha? They were suppose to be our strength yet we could not stop an inept Utah State offense as well as getting blown apart by Notre Dame. If a Navy team that has strict criteria in recruiting gave Notre Dame all they could handle and we couldn’t, something is very wrong here. I say dump the coaches that are either way over their heads or put them on an action plan to produce…after one year, if the results are the same, fire them…this is the job they chose and the bad comes with the good.
December 26th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Dave, what is your opinion about the coaching staff especially the offensive side of the ball?
December 26th, 2008 at 11:46 am
New coaches and better recruiting and let’s bring back the Muddle huddle, maybe we’ll get some highlights on ESPN. Can’t Hawaii give us more to cheer about? Maybe a Hawaii NFL team? How about a bailout for Hawaii sports cause this aint working.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I don’t think you fire coaches yet. But yes, they should be put on notice.
Have any of you had to fire anyone? It really isn’t easy.
Head coaches say cutting players is the hardest thing they do, but I bet firing assistants they hired is harder. They have to admit that they made a mistake. And if they hired the guy, it usually means they worked with them before and liked them a lot … usually both in football philosophy and life philosophy.
Anytime you fire someone you hired, you are admitting you made a big mistake. And you are taking away the livelihood of someone you believed in.
So it’s a double-edged sword. Some of you will say Greg McMackin needs to start firing guys, that’s what he gets paid big bucks for, tough decisions. But then that would mean the $1 million a year head coach boo-boo’d in building his staff. Quite a conundrum. It’s a lot easier to cut or fire guys you didn’t bring in (or promote) yourself.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Also, after a 7-7 record in what can be spun as a “transition year” against a brutal schedule, I doubt there will be pressure from the AD or above to make big changes.
December 26th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Dave, I never liked the coaches he hired because none of them had experience. Ron Lee seems way over his head right now. Maybe you don’t fire him and move him back to WR coach. If Mac doesn’t make some changes in the staff he won’t have to worry about firing anyone because he will be fired. Highest paid coach in UH history needs to get the job done even if it means firing your buddies. Looking at where the team ranked in all offensive catergories and not seeing any improvement is the reason why there needs to be changes. Like Mac always says this isn’t PE football.
December 26th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
<p>Regardless of what UH should or shouldn’t do in anyone’s opinion, I think it would take back-to-back losing seasons for them to fire a head football coach. Remember, vonAppen got three. It’s too much contract to eat for one thing. After one losing season you may see an assistant or two fall on his sword.</p>
December 26th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
First year with a new head coach and a lot of new assistants. The investment has been paid for with the blood of the Warrior seniors. My vote is to give that investment in building a coaching staff for the future a chance to show return, not be so fast to treat it as a grand experiment or a sunk cost and move on to who knows what. All the sports writers and fans have demanded better all year, and we have not received it. Might we all need to do a reality check in the mirror, admit we were spoiled, and instead of comparing to the 2006 & 2007 Colt Brenan and June Jones years, shouldn’t we compare to the 5-7 year where Colt began to learn the run-shoot system? I am reluctant to speak on play calling without inside knowledge. Let’s just say as armchair coaches and fans, we saw things that disturbed us. We saw defenses prepared for exactly what we were going to do; and we saw offenses that took one or two weaknesses and drove 21-28 points through those weaknesses while avoiding our strengths. From time to time we saw great execution by the Warriors mitigated by a better game plan by the opponent. However, we also saw sloppy execution and lack of discipline by the Warriors allow an inferior opponent game plan to produce points and turnovers. But as much as San Jose, Utah State, and Cincinatti were demoralizing give aways, Fresno and Nevada were truly inspirational. Unexpectedly we ended up with the record many of us thought we would have, and went to the Hawaii Bowl and drew too many true parallels to the Sugar Bowl. Too many ifs … if Tyler had decided to show up, if Dan Kelly would have equaled his previous year performance, if we didn’t have to keep patching the O-line from Spring Practice through Notre Dame, if we could have played Mouton at a pure position all year, if Soares could have gotten healthy, if Greg Alexander could have learned how not to take obvious sacks, as well as he learned to get first downs with his feet . . . I think all of these ills culminated in the drubbing by Notre Dame at home in the Hawaii Bowl. If we make hasty, unfounded changes just to appear that we are doing something, then instead of Notre Dame being a catharis for a 2008 season we can put behind us, it would present the beginning of a very confused rebuilding year for 2009. That would be a guaranty to make 2009 uglier than 2008. Mahalo!
December 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Coaches should tell Leon Wright-Jackson to show up in shape and hard as a rock or stay home. My son and I were shocked at how out-of-shape Leon appeared during the August practices. Gassing tremendously at every workout, every sprint, especially the ones that involved hitting and gauntlet type stuff. At that time we wrote it off to us not really being knowledgeable of how he should look, but Leon’s potential was not realized this year due to continued nagging injuries – which are many times the direct result of showing up not ready to play. Leon may have been guilty of believing our own UH PR machine and enjoying the good life as a newlywed. How coaches can help. Serve notice that everyone needs to show up in top shape for Spring and Fall – no prima donnas, no one gets a pass; and make it clear to the seniors that they expect leadership in this area. But to be fair, misusing Leon could have contributed to his approach to the season. The QB needs to get Leon the ball from a running start 5 yards back – not from a standing start to the right or left of the QB. Leon is not Pilares in terms of style and field of vision. But Leon can be just as productive if he is used to his strength. Yeah if he lines up deep it may telegraph a LWJ run, but that can be used to our advantage too when we don’t. What is the difference between UH saying we are going to dump short passes and screens at you every play, and saying we are going to get Leon a full head of steam before he gets the ball, and we challenge you to stop him. Just as I am sure that Pilares can get tons of all purpose yards next year and beyond, we have got just one year to prove that our offense will not stifle a pure runner like LWJ.
December 26th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
1) Fire DeLaura, the strength and conditioning coach! Players are not getting bigger or faster under his coaching. How is it that he and Miano run a speed and agility camp every week for youth and high school players, but they do not improve the speed of their own players? Obviously the camp is just a money maker for those running it, as they have no clue how to improve players’ performances.
The off-season conditioning program is a joke. After conditioning in the off-season under DeLaura, players come to fall camp slow, fat, and out of shape.
2) Changes need to be made in the coaching of the secondary. The DB’s and safeties are slow, can’t tackle and have no cover skills.
3) The offense is not longer a threat to score as it was under JJ. Ron Lee and Rolovich are not experienced enough to successfully coach the offense or the QB’s. The product that they put on the field this year was terrible. the QB caused most of the sacks this year because he could not make a decision and release the football. Either he was poorly coached or he is not the one.
December 26th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I think the first thing that needs to be done is to reopen the QB competition again. Brent R. was named the starter at the beginning of the year so why don’t we give him another chance at it. From what we have seen yesterday GA is too slow with his release and his reads. BR was picked because he had a quick release and threw a pretty ball so why don’t we give him another chance to compete for the starting QB. From what we saw of BR he was making the right reads but you can tell he just needs more reps and practice. I really hope Macks considers reopening the competition again.
Second either you fire Brian Smith or you change something that he is doing because his offensive line right now is pathetic.
Just my two cents.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
There was a reason why we were so good the previous seasons before this year. We had talent and lots of it. We also had great teachers of the game in our coaches. There are a couple of needs that need to be addressed and quickly. First off we need talent in our offensive line. We looked good 2 years ago because we had guys who were NFL caliber players. Last year there was a drop in talent on the line but we had a good blocking back that was able to band aid most of the problems. This year we had really poor talent on the line and put too much pressure on our line, running backs and new quarterbacks to perform in this environment. Was it the coaching staff preparation of the players? I don’t think so. Was it the coaching staffs game plan? Maybe. This is the major issue that needs to be worked out before anything else.
Our scat back type running backs are wrong for this system. We need big bruising type runners that are quick on the feet. We have the wrong type of running backs in our system. Either they run fast like a deer but cant block, or great blockers but slow as glue. They need to change things up with our predictable nature.
What is the answer for constant blitzing coaches? I know the other teams are bringing it but it seemed like the team is never prepared for it. That should be the first read. Routes need to be adjusted and we need to counter all the blitzing that happens. Easy 10 yards at least everytime it happens but it seemed as if the QB was surprised when it happened. Colt looked great most of the time when blitzing happened because it was always his first read.
As for the players, I thought they did a wonderful job out there and executed the game plan as best as possible. If they win all the games they gave away, they would have been 10-4 this year and we would never have been so hard on the team. The team needs to make player adjustments this off season and I just hope that better talent starts really getting in the starting lineup. Coach Mack is a smart enough guy to realize what needs to be done. I just hope he gets the support from his staff and the fans this next year.
December 27th, 2008 at 7:42 am
just a few thoughts, the team has a new head coach who probably stuck with an offensive philosophy he is not completely sold on. he also had to re-build an entire offensive unit that was setting not only school records but national records. then you play a road heavy tough early schedule and you still finish 7-7!!! i think you really couldn’t have expected such a good year considering the challenge that was at hand. as far as changes, i think it’s tiome to scrap the run and shoot. i think mac would be in favor of a more pro-style run driven smash mouth offense. he expects his defense to be physical and tough and i suspect he would like his offense to play that way too. i think for the sake of a smooth transition his first year he stuck with what the team had done previous. after seeing the outcome i would like him to make the switch to a more run friendly, physical style. the team has great atheletic big men and would probably produce some very good tight ends and fullbacks. i say they take advantage of that and go to a prostyle offense. it would solidify macks desire to be a physical, tough team. it would enable the warriors to be a better road team. the really good teams in the country are successful because they can pack there defense and their run game on the road. it would also help recruiting. the islands lose it’s best offensive lineman to schools who are smash mouth pro style programs because ultimately to play in the nfl you gotta be a road grader and you don’t learn those skills in this system. can you imagine tha yards pilares couild rack up with two pulling gaurds a full back and a tight end leading the way. can you imagine g.a’s effectiveness with a big tight end and play action in the fold. i think the team showed alot of heart to get to 7-7 but if they are gonna build on the last couple of years it’s time to man up and physical on both sides of the ball!!! give me a tight end, a full back and a nasty demeanor and you can keep everything else in tact for now and i bet you they win 10 games next year!!!
December 27th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Just a thought… Ron Lee should be the running back coach… Nick Rolovich should be the offensive coordinator… and Craig Stutzman should be the wide receivers’ coach. Rolovich has a better understanding of how the offense should work and can build on what he has learned in the June Jones system as well as his experience professionally. The whole idea about being an effective coordinator are these factors: 1. Can you create the offense you’re coaching 2. Can you build on it effectively 3. Can you coach/teach it 4. Can you inspire a level of confidence in what you’re coaching 5. Is there a conviction that comes from within about the offense? What are your thoughts Dave?
December 30th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I disagree with mainland warrior about switching to a pro-style offense. The run-and-shoot enables UH to compete with BCS and other, more talented schools with less talented players. Plus, more college teams are moving to run-and-shoot style offenses, even the pros are doing it now, though not as often as the colleges are. The RNS, when properly executed, is a terrific offense. Yes, the Colt-and gang teams were special, but look at the other UH teams under JJ — though not as prolific as Colt’s teams they were productive and exciting to watch; the coaching is the difference. I think Coach Mack made mistakes in hiring too many young guys as coaches when he should have looked for more seasoned, experienced coaches; especially since CM himself is a novice head coach who hasn’t been a HC in over 20 years. CM also erred in having the Lee brothers as his OC and DC; though seasoned (old) they are inexperienced at this level and were outcoached all year by the opposition. They could not make any in-game or half-time adjustments.
To-do list for next year:
1. Revamp the OL — recruit JC kids who can help right away. Get Brian Smith some help or get him out of there. Averaging 4+ sacks a game is a joke, especially since we don’t throw it as much as we did with JJ.
2. Open the QB competition again; maybe Rausch wins it or maybe Corey Nielsen wins it, but open up the competition again.
3. Time to ask the OC and the DC to retire; they are overmatched at this level.
4. Be more creative in offensive playcalling. Early in the season CM said the fans would be treated to some surprise new plays — didn’t see it all year long. Move Funaki to RB and include a halfback option pass play. Run a no-huddle offense sometimes to keep the defense off-balance and guessing (and tired). Vary the snap counts. Throw more quick slants to offset blitzes. Allow the QB to audible, if necessary (when he sees a blitz coming, different coverages, etc).
5. Cut back on the penalties — especially the personal fouls. Too many late hits!!! It is shameful to be ranked as the most penalized team this past year. Time to get tough with the offenders.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hindsight as we all know is perfect 20/20. As many of the previous posts have suggested, changes need to be made to get better. Let’s reflect first on how we got here, a 7-7 record. First, we had a major and sudden transition of head coaches with little time to recruit (and limited budget) and build a new coaching staff who needed to get comfortable with each other in their new roles. We lost basically our whole experienced offensive weapons that were in tact for the past 2-3 yrs. All four receivers (who played practically every down) who got into NFL camps and even have one (Davone Bess) starting for a playoff team. Our QB Colt Brennan (starting for 3 years) was one of the most productive and most accurate QB’s in college football history and who finished third in the Heisman and got drafted and made an NFL team. Our offensive lineman over the past several years have included a starting (from his rookie year) NFL center in Samson Satele, Uperesa, Herc Satele, Esera all received NFL opportunities. The only lineman with that ability still on the team is John Estes. Another thing is we were relatively healthy on the O-line for two years to build chemistry. This year there were many injuries and a lack of chemistry (not to mention many boneheaded personal fouls and mental errors to shoot ourselves in the feet). Coaching and discipline–maybe? Our heir apparent QB with the most experience (4 yrs in the system) in Tyler Graunke self-destructed by not taking care of his school work and personal issues really set the team back and we needed to throw Alexander, Funaki, and Rausch into the fire when they were not ready for prime time. Alexander improved a lot in the second half of the season with more reps and time to understand the system,timing, reads. Rausch may be the best QB for next year and Alexander a close second so we should be set there. The schedule was probably the most difficult in UH history or at least close to it. Florida #1 and probably this years National Champ, Oregon St beat the then #1 team USC and almost qualifying for the Rose Bowl, Boise St ranked #9 or so, Cincinatti ranked #13 or maybe higher, Fresno St #22 when we beat them AT THEIR field, La Tech going to a bowl and winning it, Nevada bowl bound, San Jose St almost bowl eligible, and Notre Dame with all their Parade All-American talent. This year, so many breaks (referees, our own physical,mental blunders, missed/blocked field goals, special teams, poor tackling by our safeties, etc) Even with all of these challenges, we end up 7-7. We easily could conceiveably have ended up 10-4 (should have beaten San Jose St, Utah St, and Cincinnati). With this schedule, even our 2006 and 2007 teams would not fare too much better and our 2007 team would definitely NOT go undefeated! So, in conclusion, we need to keep it in perspective. I’m confident we will be a better team offensively next year and adequate defensively, our recruiting is going exceedingly well (congrats to coach Mac and staff), and the coaching staff will be in tuned with their roles and hopefully make the necessary adjustments to not make the same mistakes (clock management?, calling a stretch run from the end zone?). Happy New Year!