After Dismal Season, University of Hawaii Warriors Release Two Football Coaches

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University of Hawaii college football has been on a losing streak, impacting athletic department revenues.
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University of Hawaii college football has been on a losing streak, impacting athletic department revenues.

After a 2013 season with dismal 1-11 record, following a 3-9 season in 2012, some fans have called for University of Hawaii Head Football Coach Norm Chow to be fired.

On Tuesday, December 10, Chow dismissed two coaches who work under him: Thom Kaumeyer, the defensive coordinator who spent two seasons with the Warriors, and Tony Tuioti, the linebacker coach with the University since Chow’s predecessor, Greg McMackin.

The university in 2012 recruited Chow under a contract that pays him $550,008 annually plus bonuses – more than any other state employee including the governor, the president of the University of Hawaii and the head of the University’s John Burns School of Medicine.

The agreement allows the University to terminate Chow without cause if the coach is paid lump sum damages of the amount remaining on his contract through year four plus $200,000 for year five. Terms of the deal can be renegotiated annually after completion of the second year of the contract.

Chow, 67, grew up in Hawaii but has spent his coaching career on the Mainland, serving as an assistant coach at a number of universities and with the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.

Norm Chow, head football coach for the University of Hawaii, makes more than any other state official

Since Chow took over, university ticket sales have slowed. During Chow’s first year as coach, ticket sales dropped to 20,821. This year, the University sold 18,194 of 50,000 seasons tickets available, the lowest number in at least the past 10 years.

Contrast that with 2008, the year the Warriors went to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The university set a record for ticket sales with 27,705; the next year it sold 23,976.

“The biggest revenue generation for the department is from UH football, and the fact that season tickets were down this year is a huge concern and impacts everything to do with athletics,” said Rep. Mark Takai, a graduate of the University who regularly attends its sporting events. Takai is a candidate for Congress in 2014.

For the 2013-14 school year for the University Warrior football team, the university budgeted $8,849,258.

The university’s booster clubs, including the Ahahui Koa Anuenue football booster club, contributed $6,959,495 million to the athletic department and its teams in fiscal 2013.

Greg McMackin, UH Football Coach

Athletics received $2,219,978 from corporate sponsors in fiscal 2011 and $2,316,861 in fiscal 2012.

Two years ago on December 5, 2011, then University of Hawaii head football coach Greg McMackin, stepped down waiving nearly half of his $1.1 million employment contract.

McMackin compiled a 29-26 record as head coach, guiding the Warriors to the championship of the Western Athletic Conference in 2010.

But the team stumbled badly in 2011 as McMackin was heading into the final year of his 5-year employment contract.

McMackin’s predecessor, June Jones, made $800,000-per year.

Jones, hired in 1998, was at the University of Hawaii for nine years, and was credited with resurrecting a football program with a 0-12 record.

June Jones

Jones, a former University of Hawaii Warrior player, had a 76-41 record, including an undefeated season in 2007, which led the University’s invitation the Bowl Championship Series’ Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Jones, who had the distinction of being the coach with the most victories, left the Hawaii Warriors for Texas’ Southern Methodist University in January 2008 under a 5-year contract valued at $10 million.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. The DC has to be a pro i.e. an experienced vet coach that can use the players available along with a few recruits, peferably some juco transfers would be a good idea to implement an effective, sound def team. You don't need a bunch of blue chip players on def in the MWC just look at Utah St, and SDSU in the same conf. They have been winning games with defense & the offense scores just enough pts. to win games. Just bend – don't break & keep the other team off balance. Its football guerrilla warfare. It works. In the MWC there isn't any one team with a huge talent, or $ advantage like the SEC so a turn around can happen faster, but in college turn arounds can happen quick even in the SEC just look at Auburn went from worst to first in1 year. Lets face facts UH isn't going to pay $2M to June Jones, or anyone else to coach any time soon so your not getting any of the top names to come to the islands except on vacation. Unless they can get that guy that owns Lanai to be a donor, lol.

  2. So here's how the blueprint would play out: Norm hires a good, experienced def coach that knows his sfuff & they pick up a few key players that fit the system & combine them with players they already have (the current def players are good enough they just need good coaching, direction & an Effective system) & Norm does the same concentrating on the offense. Norm, remember Reggie Bush, Lendale White, Matt Leinart – you can't get them back, but you could play a tailback, a power back, and a accurate passer that understands the system at the same time & of course you need a good o-line so no excuses there HI is the o-line capital of the world. Another key is you gotta have depth and endurance if you want to win. Here's an idea have the players commit to extra conditioning/strength training in the offseason. They stir, mix it up & bake it all in the offseason. The season starts with a new attitude of Warrior spirit especially @ home "you must protect this house!"

  3. They upset some teams and they lose some games due to inexperience. They win some & lose some but, they live to fight another day. Think about it the MWC doesn't have any teams like Oregon, Stanford, or even a SC, or UCLA. (sidenote: look at AZ state's quick turnaround based on def) The new dee suprises teams & Norm's offense gets it together to score just enough to pull out the wins. Its obvious by now his offense is not like the quick hit June Jones run & shoot. Grind em' braddah! They win most of their games at home & upset a few teams on the road. Teams will say you might beat UH but, your going home tired & sore. They go 8-5 & bowl eligible. Where did they come from? The options for UH fans are the Aloha Bowl, or the Vegas Bowl, cha-ching. Cash that check UH. If after that some people are still bitter then they should move back to New York since they are taking space for others that love the island lifestyle. So don't give us that crap about Hawaii being too nice & too laid back, or too pakiki just need some smarts, creativity, determination & persistance. They were a winning program in the past & can be again.

  4. […] 2010.  With this type of performance who is to say these players earned their share of grub.  According to the Hawaii Reporter “Since Chow took over, university ticket sales have slowed. During Chow’s first year as coach, […]

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