Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Football
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The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
. It was part of the
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
until July 2012, when the team joined the Mountain West Conference. From 2000 until July 1, 2013, the football team was renamed to simply ''Warriors'', until a 2013 decision to standardize all of the school's athletic team names took effect, and the team was once again known as the ''Rainbow Warriors''. The Hawaii Warriors were the third team from a non automatic qualifier conference to play in a BCS bowl game. They played Georgia in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
on January 1, 2008, in
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; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, and lost 41–10.


History


Early history

*1909 – The College of Hawaii "Fighting Deans" played and won its game against McKinley High School by a score of 95–5 at
Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade, 12th grade. Protestant missionar ...
. *1920 – The College of Hawaii becomes the University of Hawaii and the football team plays its first intercollegiate game against
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, losing 14–0 on Christmas Day.


Otto Klum era (1921–1939)

*1922 – Hawaiʻi defeats its first collegiate opponent, beating
Pomona Pomona may refer to: Places Argentina * Pomona, Río Negro Australia * Pomona, Queensland, Australia, a town in the Shire of Noosa * Pomona, New South Wales, Australia Belize * Pomona, Belize, a municipality in Stann Creek District Mexico ...
25–6 on Christmas Day. *1923 – A rainbow appears over Moiliili Field after Hawaiʻi upsets Oregon State, 7–0. Local reporters begin calling UH athletic teams the "Rainbows." *1924–25 – The Rainbows, under the guidance of coach Otto Klum, complete back-to-back undefeated seasons. The Rainbows outscore their opponents 606–29 in 18 games. Among the schools defeated during this time are
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
,
Colorado State Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
and
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. These Rainbow teams become known as the "Wonder Teams" due to their outstanding play. *1926 – The Rainbows play their first game at their newly constructed home field,
Honolulu Stadium Honolulu Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Moiliili district of Honolulu, Hawai'i, at the corner of King and Isenberg Streets. Opened in 1926, it was the primary sports venue in Hawaii preceding Aloha Stadium. During its final y ...
. The Rainbows fall to the Town Team by a score of 14–7 in front of 12,000 fans on Armistice Day. *1935 – Rainbow running back and future coach Tom Kaulukukui becomes Hawaii's first All-American player. Kaulukukui starred on Hawaii's 1934 undefeated team and set a school record in 1935 with a 103-yard kick return touchdown during a 19–6 loss to
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
in Los Angeles. Kaulukukui's number 32 is later retired by the University and remained the only number to be retired in Hawaii in football history until Colt Brennan's No. 15 was retired in 2021.


Eugene Gill era (1940–1941)

*1942 – Following the
Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
and the United States' entry into World War II, Hawaii cancels the 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945 football seasons.


Tom Kaulukukui era (1946–1950)

*1946 – Hawaii resumes football play after a four-year hiatus as a member of the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
. Hawaii enters as a
College Division The NCAA College Division was a historic subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) consisting of member schools competing at a lower level of college sports. The NCAA initially divided schools into a College Division and a ...
Independent. The Rainbows continue to play local teams on occasion but the bulk of their schedules are made up of collegiate teams.


Hank Vasconcellos era (1952–1960)

*1955 – A year after suffering a 50–0 blowout loss to
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
in Honolulu, the Rainbows go up to Lincoln the following season and upset the Huskers 6–0. The win is considered one of the school's all-time biggest upsets. *1961 – The UH Board of Athletic Control votes to abolish the football program due to a lack of finances. The program would return to intercollegiate competition the following year behind the urgings of new athletics director
Young Suk Ko Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...
.


Jim Asato era (1962–1964)


Shaughnessy-Sarboe-King era (1965–1967)

*1965 – Larry Price performed in his third Hula Bowl as a College All-Star after a stint in the U.S. Army where he performed twice for the Hawai'i All-Stars. Legendary coach Clark Shaughnessy takes over for one season but the Rainbows flounder through a 1–8–1 season. *1966 – Phil Sarboe, after 15 seasons as head coach at Humboldt State, guides the team to a 4–6 record playing its first all-collegiate schedule. He resigns for "personal reasons" after the season. *1967 – Don King, an assistant under Sarboe, becomes head coach and the much-improved Rainbows post a 6–4 record. Significantly, large crowds (18,000 to 20,000) flock to Honolulu Stadium to watch the Rainbows for the first time in many years, setting the stage for a major gridiron revival in future years.


Dave Holmes era (1968–1973)

*1968 – Head coach Dave Holmes begins what would be the most successful coaching tenure at Hawaii. From 1968–1974, UH won 67 percent of its games and never suffered a losing season. Holmes still ranks as the all-time leader at Hawaii in winning percentage (.718). Drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in the 16th round, Larry Cole becomes the first UH Warrior to be drafted by an NFL team. Cole was a one-year transfer from the
United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
and later graduated from the
University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
. *1971 – Larry Cole becomes the first former Warrior to represent UH in world championship competition in Super Bowl V for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. *1972 – Larry Cole becomes the first former Warrior to start for a world champion football team with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in
Super Bowl VI Super Bowl VI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
. *1973 – The Rainbows record what is widely considered to be the biggest upset in school history, defeating
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
10–7 in front of 52,500 in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. The Huskies were favored to beat Hawaii by as many as 50 points.


Larry Price era (1974–1976)

*1974 – Hawaii becomes an
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
member. The team's new nickname becomes the "Bow's." They play their final year at
Honolulu Stadium Honolulu Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Moiliili district of Honolulu, Hawai'i, at the corner of King and Isenberg Streets. Opened in 1926, it was the primary sports venue in Hawaii preceding Aloha Stadium. During its final y ...
. Larry Price becomes Hawaii's first Division I head football coach. *1975 – 50,000-seat
Aloha Stadium Aloha Stadium is a closed multi-purpose stadium located in Halawa, Hawaii, a western suburb of Honolulu (though with a Honolulu address). It is the largest stadium in the state of Hawaii. , the stadium ceased fan-attended operations indefinitely ...
becomes the new home of Hawaii football. Hawaii loses its first game in the new stadium, falling to
Texas A&I Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...
by a score of 43–9 in front of a crowd of 32,247. *1976 – The
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
reclassifies its divisions and drops Hawaii to Division I-AA (now FCS). Athletic Director
Ray Nagel Raymond Robert Nagel (May 18, 1927 – January 15, 2015) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at the University of Utah from 1958 to 1965 and the University of Iowa from 1966 t ...
appeals the decision and the next month the NCAA reinstitutes Hawaii to Division I-A (now FBS) status.


Dick Tomey era (1977–1986)

*1979 – Hawaii becomes a member of the
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
. *1982 –
Dan Audick Daniel James Audick (born November 15, 1954) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League from 1977 through 1984. A second generation Lithuanian Americans, Lithuanian American, Dan was born into a large militar ...
becomes the first Warrior to have graduated from the university and to have started for a
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion. Audick played for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in
Super Bowl XVI Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
. *1986 – Defensive end
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becomes the first Hawaii player to be named a first-team All-American by the
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. He also was tabbed as the school's first
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
candidate.
DeWayne Jett Dwayne or Dewayne is a traditionally male name. It is Gaelic in origin, deriving from the Irish saint Dubhán. History St. Dubhán was an Irish monk who established an abbey in Hook Head, Ireland during the 5th century. As a surname it is O'Dubha ...
becomes the first Warrior to have graduated from the university and to have started for a
Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
champion. Jett played for the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
in their victory over the
Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
.


Bob Wagner era (1987–1995)

*1989 – Hawaii plays in the program's first major bowl game — the Jeep Eagle
Aloha Bowl The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision (then known as Division I-A) college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. History The Aloha Bowl was established in 1982 by Mackay ...
. Hawaiʻi falls to
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, 33–13, before a sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium. *1990 – The Rainbows rout
BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
, 59–28, on December 1. Earlier that day, BYU quarterback Ty Detmer won the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
. *1992 – Hawaii wins a share of its first-ever WAC championship which qualifies it for the Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl. In the game, the Rainbow Warriors earn their first bowl victory, a 27–17 defeat of Illinois. Hawaii would finish the season ranked 20th in the nation and post a team-record 11 victories. The 1992 Rainbows had 10 regular season victories and two future NFL veterans: defensive end
Maa Tanuvasa Maa Junior Tanuvasa (born November 6, 1970) is a former American football defensive end, mainly for the Denver Broncos. He played nine years in the National Football League, winning two Super Bowl championships as a main component of the Bronco ...
, who played seven seasons; and place kicker Jason Elam, who played 17 seasons and was selected to three
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
s.


Fred von Appen era (1996–1998)

*1996 –
Rich Ellerson Richard Emmet Ellerson (born January 1, 1953) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Southern Utah University in 1996, at California Polytechnic State University from 2001 to 2008, and the United States Military Ac ...
extends
coaching tree A coaching tree is similar to a family tree except it shows the relationships of coaches instead of family members. There are several ways to define a relationship between two coaches. The most common way to make the distinction is if a coach work ...
for former UH Warriors by being named as Head Football Coach for
Southern Utah Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university in Cedar City, Utah. Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University now graduates over 1,800 students each year with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from its six colleges. ...
. In his single season, Ellerson accrued a 4–7 record. *1998 – Hawaii suffers through the program's first-ever winless season, going 0–12 under head coach
Fred von Appen Frederick Martin von Appen (born March 22, 1942) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 1996 to 1998, compiling a record of 5–31. He also served as an assistant ...
. Von Appen coached the Rainbow Warriors. to a 5–31 record in his three years at Hawaii. He would be fired after the season.


June Jones era (1999–2007)

*1999 – June Jones becomes the new head coach at Hawaii and guides the Rainbow Warriors to the best single-season turnaround in NCAA history, winning nine games and a share of the WAC championship. Hawaiʻi would go on to defeat Oregon State in the Jeep
Oahu Bowl The Oahu Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision (then known as Division I-A) bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. Played on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, the Oahu Bowl was sponsored by th ...
, 23–17. *2001 – Hawaii changes its nickname from "Rainbow Warriors" to simply "Warriors." Wide receiver
Ashley Lelie Ashley Jovon Lelie (; born February 16, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos 19th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. Lelie has also played for the Atlanta Fal ...
becomes the highest draft pick in program history as the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
select him with the 19th pick in the first round of the
2002 NFL Draft The 2002 NFL draft was the 67th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually sinc ...
.
Rich Ellerson Richard Emmet Ellerson (born January 1, 1953) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Southern Utah University in 1996, at California Polytechnic State University from 2001 to 2008, and the United States Military Ac ...
extends
coaching tree A coaching tree is similar to a family tree except it shows the relationships of coaches instead of family members. There are several ways to define a relationship between two coaches. The most common way to make the distinction is if a coach work ...
for former UH Warriors by being named as head coach for Cal Poly. During his eight-year tenure, Ellerson led Cal Poly to a 52–38 record. *2002 – Hawaii is invited to play in the inaugural ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl. The Warriors would fall to Tulane, 36–28. *2003 – Hawaii returns to the Hawaii Bowl and defeats
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
in a wild 54–48 triple-overtime game. Most notable win of the season came against Alabama in Tuscaloosa by the score of 37-29. *2004 – Hawaii returns for a third-straight season to the Hawaii Bowl and triumphs over UAB, 59–40. Hawaiʻi quarterback Timmy Chang would also become the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards with 17,072 over the course of his career, eclipsing the old mark (15,031) set by former BYU quarterback Ty Detmer. *2005 – Hawaii finishes 5–7 and misses out on playing in a bowl game for the first time since
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, despite a breakout year for quarterback Colt Brennan. *2006 – Quarterback Colt Brennan sets NCAA single-season records for touchdown passes (58) and passer efficiency rating (185.78), on his way to a sixth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Warriors return to the Hawaii Bowl and defeat Arizona State, 41–24. Hawaii head coach June Jones passes Dick Tomey to become the winningest head coach in school history. *2007 – Brennan adds to his collection of NCAA records, breaking Detmer's career records for TD passes and total TDs passing, rushing and receiving. He and wide receiver Davone Bess also tied an NCAA record for most career TDs by a quarterback-receiver combination. The Warriors are unbeaten, with a breakthrough win against
Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...
, giving the Warriors their first win ever over the Broncos as a WAC member and their first outright WAC title ever. A 35–28 win over Washington in the season finale on December 1 resulted in them finishing No. 12 in the BCS rankings and earning a berth in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
. This is the first regular season Hawaiʻi has ever gone undefeated. Hawaiʻi was also the sole undefeated college football team for the season. Hawaii then played Georgia on January 1, 2008 in New Orleans, losing 41–10.
Ken Niumatalolo Kenneth Va'a Niumatalolo (born May 8, 1965) is an American football coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the Naval Academy from 2007 to 2022, accumulating the most wins in program history. Niumatalolo played college football at ...
extends coaching tree for former UH Warriors by being named as Head Football Coach for
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
. Quarterback Colt Brennan was selected for the second year in a row as a Heisman Finalist, this time finishing in third place behind Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden.


Greg McMackin era (2008–2011)

*2008 – Head coach June Jones resigns shortly after the 2007 season, ending his nine-year coaching run to become the new head coach at
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...
. On January 15,
Greg McMackin Gregory James McMackin (born April 24, 1945) is a retired American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Oregon Institute of Technology from 1986 to 1989 and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 2008 to 20 ...
, formerly the defensive coordinator under June Jones, accepted the position of head coach.
Rich Ellerson Richard Emmet Ellerson (born January 1, 1953) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Southern Utah University in 1996, at California Polytechnic State University from 2001 to 2008, and the United States Military Ac ...
extends coaching tree for former UH Warriors by being named as head coach for
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. *2009 – Jim Mills becomes the first UH Warrior to be inducted into the
Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...
for his play as an
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
in the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. *2010 – Hawaiʻi wins its 4th WAC Championship by becoming co-champions with Nevada and Boise State. University of Hawaiʻi received and accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference for football only and
Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...
for all other sports. The Warriors bolted from
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
to join the Mountain West Conference along with rivals; Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada. Boise State started playing in the MWC starting in 2011, while Hawaii along with Fresno State and Nevada made their MWC debuts in 2012. *2011 – Coach
Greg McMackin Gregory James McMackin (born April 24, 1945) is a retired American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Oregon Institute of Technology from 1986 to 1989 and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 2008 to 20 ...
resigns as head coach citing "being forced out under pressure" from the past season's record.
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
offensive coordinator
Norm Chow Norman Yew Heen Chow (born May 3, 1946) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Helvetic Guards in the European League of Football. He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Man ...
was chosen to succeed McMackin.


Norm Chow era (2012–2015)

*2012 – After 13 years of the pass–heavy run and shoot offense installed by former head coach June Jones, former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator and new Hawaii head coach
Norm Chow Norman Yew Heen Chow (born May 3, 1946) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Helvetic Guards in the European League of Football. He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Man ...
implements his more balanced pro-style offense. The Warriors go 3–9 on the season, with the only wins coming against
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
and FCS opponents South Alabama and Lamar. *2013 – Norm Chow and the Rainbow Warriors fall to 1–11, defeating only
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
in the last game of the season. *2014 – The season started with promise under new starter Ikaika Woolsey, but during a game versus
Northern Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
, the frustrated crowd of 20,000 was audibly booing the offense for continually running with limited passing plays. Chow described the 27–24 win as "joyless", but following a tough loss to former WAC foe
Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
, the 'Bows put together the best performance of the season with a wild 38–28 win over
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, capturing the
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for the first time since 1992. But the team fell apart, culminating in a disheartening 28–21 loss to Fresno State following a wild 37–35 victory over
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
. The loss salted already smashed hopes of a division title, ending the 'Bows season at 4–9. *2015 – The season started out with a big win for the program over
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
but the team slumped to 2–7 and
Norm Chow Norman Yew Heen Chow (born May 3, 1946) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Helvetic Guards in the European League of Football. He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Man ...
was fired following a program-worst 51-point conference home loss to Air Force, 58–7, with the Falcons retaining the Kuter Trophy.
Chris Naeole Christopher Kealoha Naeole (; born December 25, 1974) is a former American football coach and player. He played college football as an offensive guard for the University of Colorado, where he was recognized as an All-American in 1996 and was dra ...
was named the interim head coach the Sunday following the game. Later, defensive coordinator Tom Mason was reassigned to an administrative role before the season finale. But the Rainbow Warriors fought on, winning their final game of the season and finishing with an overall record of 3–10. On November 27,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
offensive coordinator and former UH Warrior
Nick Rolovich Nicholas Robert Rolovich ( ; born February 16, 1979) is an American football coach and former player, who was most recently the head football coach at Washington State University (WSU). Rolovich majored in economics at the University of Hawaii, ...
took over as head coach, succeeding Naeole. The 107,145 in attendance for the game against
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
at the
Ohio Stadium Ohio Stadium is an American football stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is also the site for the university's Spring Commencement c ...
on September 12 is the second largest crowd to ever attend a University of Hawaii football game.


Nick Rolovich era (2016–2019)

*2016 – The 2016 college football season started with a new head coach on August 27 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, for a game between the
Cal Golden Bears The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
and the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors, the first international football game for UH. Like those before it, the season started with a 51–31 loss, further heightened by a 63–3 thrashing at the hands of national power Michigan. The 110,222 in attendance for the game against
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
at Michigan Stadium on September 3 is the largest crowd to ever attend a University of Hawaii football game. This broke the previous record attendance, which was set in 2015. The team also saw the largest ticket attendance since 2014, 28,687 in a 41–38 loss to UNLV on Homecoming Night. *2017 – The season saw Hawaii win their first two games over
UMass The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medical ...
and
Western Carolina Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded t ...
, but injuries to key players such as
John Ursua John Ursua (born January 17, 1994), nicknamed "J-Dub", is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Hawaii. Early life Ursua was born in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on January 17, 1994, and is the youngest o ...
lead to the Warriors losing 9 of their last 10 games of the season. *2018 – Coming off a 3–9 season, head coach
Nick Rolovich Nicholas Robert Rolovich ( ; born February 16, 1979) is an American football coach and former player, who was most recently the head football coach at Washington State University (WSU). Rolovich majored in economics at the University of Hawaii, ...
decides to switch from a balanced
spread option In finance, a spread option is a type of option where the payoff is based on the difference in price between two underlying assets. For example, the two assets could be crude oil and heating oil; trading such an option might be of interest to o ...
offense to the pass oriented run and shoot offense. Led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Cole McDonald, Hawaii starts the season off with a 6–1 record, before proceeding to lose the next 4 games to
BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, Fresno State, and
Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
. Hawaii becomes bowl eligible with a 35–28 win over
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
behind backup quarterback and true freshman
Chevan Cordeiro Chevan Cordeiro (born October 1, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the San Jose State Spartans. He previously played at the University of Hawaii. High school career Cordeiro attended Saint Louis School in Honolulu. He was the backu ...
's 3 TD passes on 5 pass attempts. Hawaii loses to former WAC rival Louisiana Tech in the Hawaii Bowl by a score of 31–14. *2019 – Coming of their most successful season in 8 years, Hawaii entered the season winning a 45–38 thriller against
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, stopping Arizona quarterback
Khalil Tate Khalil Tate (born October 23, 1998) is an American gridiron football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). After playing quarterback at the Univers ...
1 yard short of the end zone as time expired. Hawaii spends the season with alternating quarterback play, with Cole McDonald starting 13 games, and
Chevan Cordeiro Chevan Cordeiro (born October 1, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the San Jose State Spartans. He previously played at the University of Hawaii. High school career Cordeiro attended Saint Louis School in Honolulu. He was the backu ...
starting 2 and replacing McDonald as starter in 10 of McDonald's 13 starts. Hawaii wins their conference game against
San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
14–11, clinching their first division title in the history of Hawaii's play in the Mountain West Conference. Hawaii loses the Mountain West Championship to
Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...
31–10, but wins their
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
to
BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
38–34 behind Hawaii QB Cole McDonald's 493 yards and 4 TDs. Hawaii finishes the season 10–5, their first ten win season since 2010, and just the seventh in program history. Head coach
Nick Rolovich Nicholas Robert Rolovich ( ; born February 16, 1979) is an American football coach and former player, who was most recently the head football coach at Washington State University (WSU). Rolovich majored in economics at the University of Hawaii, ...
is named Mountain West Coach of the Year as a result, becoming the first coach to win it from Hawaii during their tenure in the Mountain West.


Todd Graham era (2020–2021)

*2020 – Coming off a ten win season and a division title, head coach
Nick Rolovich Nicholas Robert Rolovich ( ; born February 16, 1979) is an American football coach and former player, who was most recently the head football coach at Washington State University (WSU). Rolovich majored in economics at the University of Hawaii, ...
suddenly departs from the program to take the head coaching position at
Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...
, taking most of his coaching staff and support staff with him. Starting quarterback Cole McDonald also departs from Hawaii, declaring for the NFL Draft. Approximately 1 week later, athletic director
David Matlin David Alexander Kalakaua Matlin (born November 16, 1964) is the current director of athletics for the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Prior to his appointment as athletic director at Hawaii, he previously served as Executive Director of the Hawaii ...
announces the hire of former Arizona State head coach
Todd Graham Michael Todd Graham (born December 5, 1964) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2020–2021). Graham has served as the head football coach at Rice ...
. Graham retains two assistants,
Jacob Yoro Jacob Yoro (born December 8, 1979) is an American football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Hawaii. Coaching career After his playing career ended due to injury, Yoro began coaching at th ...
and Abe Elimimian from Rolovich's staff, and hires
G. J. Kinne Gary Joe "G. J." Kinne III (born December 1, 1988) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently the head coach at Texas State University (TXST) in San Marcos, Texas. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted fr ...
and former Hawaii linebacker
Victor Santa Cruz Victor Santa Cruz (born April 7, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive ends coach at Hawaii. Prior to that, he was the head football coach at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California from ...
as
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
and
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
respectively. The Rainbow Warriors win their first game of the season against rival Fresno State, 34–19, accumulating over 300 yards of rushing and forcing four turnovers; Graham becomes the first UH head coach to win in his debut since
Bob Wagner Robert C. Wagner (born May 16, 1947) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii from 1988 to 1995 and led the Rainbow Warriors to their first top 20 finish in 1992. Wagner graduated from W ...
in 1987. The season was also highlighted by an upset of previously undefeated Nevada, which effectively gave the Rainbow Warriors a bowl berth ahead of San Diego State and Fresno State on a tiebreaker. They capped off the year by winning the New Mexico Bowl over
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 28–14. The bowl victory clinched a third straight winning season and the 100th win in Graham’s career. *2021 – Issues with Aloha Stadium led to that venue halting the scheduling of new events as of December 2020. As a result, the Rainbow Warriors announced plans to play home games on campus at the
Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex The Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex, located on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, features a three-story building next to an all-purpose track and Clarence T. C. Ching Field. The facility, built in 2015, includ ...
"for at least the next three years". Despite a season that saw the team reach a program-record fourth consecutive bowl game even with a 6-7 record, an upset over Fresno State, and reclaiming the Paniolo Trophy with a 38-14 win over Wyoming in Laramie, Graham resigned after multiple reports surfaced of player mistreatment on January 14, 2022. It was also later discovered the Hawaii Bowl was only canceled because Hawaii players refused to play in the game due to injuries, COVID-19 issues, and competitive disadvantages, done by a players-only vote without Graham's knowledge.


Timmy Chang era (2022-present)

*2022 - Following the resignation of Graham in January 2022, Hawaii signs former quarterback Timmy Chang to a four year deal to be head coach.
Jacob Yoro Jacob Yoro (born December 8, 1979) is an American football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Hawaii. Coaching career After his playing career ended due to injury, Yoro began coaching at th ...
and Abe Elimimian were once again retained as part of the staff, but most of the rest of the staff was new, including
Ian Shoemaker Ian Shoemaker is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the offensive coordinator at Hawaii. He was the head football coach at Central Washington from 2014 until 2018. Coaching career Western Washington Following Shoemaker ...
as offensive coordinator and quaterbacks coach. 19 players from the 2021 team transferred elsewhere in the fallout of Graham's tenure as coach, leaving the 2022 team depleted of depth. With these issues, the team struggled much of the season, recording a 3–10 record and a 2–6 record in conference.


Conference affiliations

*
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
(1909–1978) *
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
(1979–2011) * Mountain West Conference (2012–present)


Championships


Conference championships

† Co-champions


Division championships


Bowl games

Bowl games played from 1934 to 1952 were not NCAA-sanctioned. In December 1941, just prior to the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
, Hawaiʻi was scheduled to play in a three-team round robin tournament called the ''Shrine Bowl'', which included Hawaiʻi, San Jose State, and Willamette University of
Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...
. Only one game was actually played, with Hawaiʻi defeating Willamette 20–6. * The game was canceled due to Hawaii’s withdrawal due to COVID-19 and other issues.


Head coaches


Rivalries


Fresno State

Battle for the Golden Screwdriver With the BYU rivalry losing steam after the Cougars left the WAC in 1999, the rivalry with Fresno State has increased greatly in recent years, with both teams being the oldest members of the WAC contending regularly for the conference championship. Coaches from both schools have accused each side of various episodes of poor sportsmanship over the years, and both schools have some of the nation's rowdiest home fans. The rivalry has featured some lopsided results, including a 70–14 Fresno victory over Hawaiʻi in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
and a 68–37
Warriors A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...
victory in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
over Fresno. In
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, allegations that Fresno State fans were physically and verbally abused by hometown Hawaiʻi fans circulated the internet and television media added to this rivalry. It was being reported that several Fresno State fans attempted to warn Boise State fans from attending Hawaii football games due to potential violence against them, however no incidents were reported by Boise State fans and many photographs from Hawaii-based publications covered incidents where Hawaii and Boise State fans were seen mingling together before and after their 2007 game. The rivalry still continues to be one that is anticipated by both sides and continues to the present, with Fresno State having joined the Mountain West Conference in 2012, reuniting it with Hawaiʻi and other former WAC members in Nevada and Boise State. It is Hawaii's most-played rivalry series. The two teams have met 55 times, with Fresno State leading the all-time series 30–24–1 through the 2022 season.


Air Force

Battle for the Kuter Trophy This is one of the oldest rivalries involving Hawaii, along with the Fresno State rivalry. This rivalry is attributed to the late General Laurence S. Kuter, who was stationed on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as commander of the Pacific Air Forces. This led to the creation of the Kuter Trophy, a symbol of sportsmanship and school pride, but also the eternal friendship between the Air Force and Hawaii. The Falcons are in possession of the trophy following a 56–26 win in Honolulu in 2019. The two teams have met 22 times, with Air Force leading the series 14–7–1.


Wyoming

Battle for the Paniolo Trophy The rivalry began in 1978, when Hawaii joined the
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
, and was played annually until 1997, shortly before Wyoming departed from the WAC and joined the newly formed Mountain West Conference. The rivalry was renewed in 2013 when Hawaii joined the MW as a football-only affiliate member. The teams have met 26 times, with Wyoming leading the series 16–11.
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
and Hawaii play for the Paniolo Trophy. 'Paniolo' is a Hawaiian word meaning “
cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
”, and the trophy featured a
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
cowboy on horseback, twirling a lariat. The trophy was donated to the two schools by the Wyoming Paniolo Society, a group of
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
residents with
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
roots. Because the two teams could not find the original trophy, a new trophy was modeled after a statue that stands in Waimea on the Big Island at the Parker Ranch Center. Wyoming won that game in Laramie 59–56 in overtime. Before that, the last time the two schools met was in 1997 in the old Western Athletic Conference with Wyoming winning 35–6 in Honolulu. Hawaii holds the Paniolo Trophy as they won the most recent meeting, 38–14 in Laramie, their first since 1991.


San Jose State

Dick Tomey Legacy Game The two schools were each led by legendary coach Dick Tomey, who died in 2019. The winner of the rivalry game each year takes possession of the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy. San Jose State currently holds the trophy after winning the last 3 meetings, the most recent in
San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
in 2022. The two schools first met in 1936. The Rainbow Warriors and Spartans have played each other 45 times as of the 2022 season. As of 2022, the series is tied at 22–22–1.


UNLV

Battle for the Golden Pineapple Beginning in 2017, the annual game between
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
and Hawaii gained a rivalry trophy when the
California Hotel and Casino The California Hotel and Casino (also known as The Cal) opened in 1975 at a cost of $10 million with a hotel and casino located in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada near the Fremont Street Experience. When it opened it had 325 rooms which has since bee ...
donated the "Golden Pineapple" to the winner of the game.
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
has long been a popular destination for Hawaiians for both pleasure and relocation, so much so that it has been dubbed "the Ninth Island", with the Cal Hotel in particular aggressively marketing itself to Hawaiian tourists. The 'Bows lead the all-time series between the two schools 19-13 as of 2022.


Stadiums

* Moiliili Field (1909–1925) *
Honolulu Stadium Honolulu Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Moiliili district of Honolulu, Hawai'i, at the corner of King and Isenberg Streets. Opened in 1926, it was the primary sports venue in Hawaii preceding Aloha Stadium. During its final y ...
(1926–1974) *
Aloha Stadium Aloha Stadium is a closed multi-purpose stadium located in Halawa, Hawaii, a western suburb of Honolulu (though with a Honolulu address). It is the largest stadium in the state of Hawaii. , the stadium ceased fan-attended operations indefinitely ...
(1975–2020) *
Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex The Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex, located on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, features a three-story building next to an all-purpose track and Clarence T. C. Ching Field. The facility, built in 2015, includ ...
(2021–present) * New Aloha Stadium (planned to open in 2023)


Individual awards and recognitions


Retired numbers

AP All-Americans * Colt Brennan, 2006 & 2007 3rd team QB * Davone Bess, 2007 3rd team WR * Chad Owens, 2004 2nd team KR (AP) * Jason Elam, 1991 3rd team K *Larry Khansmith, 1988 2nd team RS *
Al Noga AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...
, 1986 1st team DL * Walter Murray, 1985 3rd team WR AP Little All-Americans *
Levi Stanley Levi (; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron, Moses and M ...
, 1973 2nd team DT * Jim Stone, 1971 3rd team DE * Tim Buchanan, 1968 1st team LB *
Nolle Smith Nolle or Nölle may refer to: *''Nolle prosequi'', legal Latin term for the discontinuance of a prosecution *Marianne Nölle (born 1938), German serial killer *Thomas Nölle (1948–2020), German artist *Richard Nolle, American astrologer, coiner o ...
, 1941 1st team HB Scripps/FWAA Freshman All-Americans * Davone Bess, 2005 WR *
Samson Satele Samson H. Satele (born November 29, 1984) is a former American football center. He played college football at Hawaii and was drafted in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Satele also played for the Oakland Raiders an ...
, 2003 OL * Chad Owens, 2001 KR CoSIDA Academic All-Americans *
Chris Shinnick Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name *Chris Abani (born 1966), Nige ...
, 1997 Mosi Tatupu Award * Chad Owens, 2004 Sammy Baugh Trophy * Colt Brennan, 2006 Super Bowl Performers * Larry Cole, 5×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
performer: played in ( V, X,
XIII XIII may refer to: * 13 (number) or XIII in Roman numerals * 13th century in Roman numerals * ''XIII'' (comics), a Belgian comic book series by Jean Van Hamme and William Vance ** ''XIII'' (2003 video game), a 2003 video game based on the comic b ...
) and champion in ( VI,
XII XII may refer to: * 12 (number) or XII in Roman numerals * 12th century or XII in Roman numerals * ''XII'' (album), a 2012 album by American country music singer Neal McCoy * ''XII'' (single), a 2019 single album by K-pop singer Chungha, featuri ...
) * Golden Richards, 2×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
performer: played in ( X) and champion in (
XII XII may refer to: * 12 (number) or XII in Roman numerals * 12th century or XII in Roman numerals * ''XII'' (album), a 2012 album by American country music singer Neal McCoy * ''XII'' (single), a 2019 single album by K-pop singer Chungha, featuri ...
) *
Dan Audick Daniel James Audick (born November 15, 1954) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League from 1977 through 1984. A second generation Lithuanian Americans, Lithuanian American, Dan was born into a large militar ...
, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XVI) *
Jeris White Jeris Jerome White (born September 3, 1952) is a former professional American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Redskins. He played football at ...
, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion (
XVII 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...
) *
Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961) is a Samoan former American football player in the National Football League. He played both center and offensive guard, and played his entire career for the San Francisco 49ers. Sapolu attended Farrington ...
, 4×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XIX, XXIII, XXIV, XXIX) *
Dana McLemore Dana McLemore (born July 1, 1960) is a former professional American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints. He played his high school football at Venice High School and c ...
, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XIX) *
Mark Tuinei Mark Pulemau Tuinei (March 31, 1960 – May 6, 1999) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. Known as a "gentle giant", his career lasted for 15 years (1983–1997) and his ability ...
, 3×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion (
XXVII 27 (twenty-seven; Roman numeral XXVII) is the natural number following 26 and preceding 28. In mathematics * Twenty-seven is a cube of 3: 3^3=3\times 3\times 3. 27 is also 23 (see tetration). There are exactly 27 straight lines on a smooth c ...
, XXVIII,
XXX XXX may refer to: Codes and symbols * 30 (number), Roman numeral XXX * XXX, designating pornography ** XXX, an X rating#United_States, X rating ** .xxx, an internet top-level domain intended for pornographic sites * XXX, a symbol of the straight ...
) * Jason Elam, 2×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XXXII,
XXXIII 33 (thirty-three) is the natural number following 32 and preceding 34. In mathematics 33 is: * the largest positive integer that cannot be expressed as a sum of different triangular numbers. * the smallest odd repdigit that is not a prime num ...
) *
Maa Tanuvasa Maa Junior Tanuvasa (born November 6, 1970) is a former American football defensive end, mainly for the Denver Broncos. He played nine years in the National Football League, winning two Super Bowl championships as a main component of the Bronco ...
, 2×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XXXII,
XXXIII 33 (thirty-three) is the natural number following 32 and preceding 34. In mathematics 33 is: * the largest positive integer that cannot be expressed as a sum of different triangular numbers. * the smallest odd repdigit that is not a prime num ...
) *
Adrian Klemm Adrian William Klemm (born May 21, 1977) is an American football coach and former offensive tackle who is the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive line coa ...
, 3×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XXXVI,
XXXVIII 38 (thirty-eight) is the natural number following 37 (number), 37 and preceding 39 (number), 39. In mathematics *38! − 1 yields which is the 16th factorial prime. *There is no answer to the equation Euler's totient function, φ(''x'') = 38, ma ...
, XXXIX) *
Kimo Von Oelhoffen Kimo K. von Oelhoffen (; born January 30, 1971) is a former American football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played colle ...
, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( XL) *
Travis LaBoy Travis LaBoy (born August 20, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. LaBoy is the son of former U. Hawaii DE Cliff LaB ...
, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
performer: played in ( XLIII) * Isaac Sopoaga, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
performer: played in ( XLVII) *
Marcus Kemp Marcus Kemp (born August 14, 1995) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Hawaii. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He briefly played for the Miami Dolphi ...
, 1×
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion ( LIV)


Notable players

*
Dan Audick Daniel James Audick (born November 15, 1954) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League from 1977 through 1984. A second generation Lithuanian Americans, Lithuanian American, Dan was born into a large militar ...
– former Super Bowl champion with the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. *
Dino Babers Dino Sean Babers (born July 19, 1961) is an American football coach who is the current head football coach at Syracuse University. He was head coach at Bowling Green State University from 2014 to 2015. Prior to that, Babers had been head coach at ...
– Current head coach at
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
(2016–present). Former head coach at
Eastern Illinois Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...
(2012–2013) and Bowling Green (2014–2015). Former Hawaii running back, defensive back (1979–1983) and graduate assistant (1984). * Davone BessWide receiver,
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
(2008–2012),
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
(2013). Former Hawai'i wide receiver (2005–2007). * Rick Blangiardi – former Hawaii linebacker (1965–1966). Former Hawaii assistant coach (1972–1976). Former television executive and current mayor of
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
. * Colt Brennan – former Hawai'i quarterback (2005–2007). Taken with the 186th overall pick in the 6th round of the
2008 NFL draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
by the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
(2008–2009).
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
(2010),
Hartford Colonials The Hartford Colonials, originally the New York Sentinels, were a professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons. A charter member of the UFL, the Sentinels began play in 2009 nominally ...
UFL (2011), Saskatchewan Roughriders
CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(2012), LA KISS
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
(2014). 2007
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
Award Finalist. * Tim Carey – Arena Football League player * Timmy Chang – former Hawaiʻi quarterback (2000–04). Former tight ends coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack, now the current head coach as of 2022. * Larry Cole – Five-time Super Bowl performer and champion with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. Former Hawaiʻi
student athlete A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
. * Jason Elam – Kicker taken with the 70th overall pick in the 3rd round of the
1993 NFL Draft The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...
by the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. Two-time
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion (1997 & 1998) and 3x
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection (1995, 1998 & 2001).
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
(1993–2007, 2010),
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
(2008–2009). Previously tied with Tom Dempsey and Sebastian Janikowski for the longest field goal in NFL history (63 yards). * Abe Elimimian – former Hawaii cornerback (2000–2004). Current Hawaii assistant coach (2015–present). *
Rich Ellerson Richard Emmet Ellerson (born January 1, 1953) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Southern Utah University in 1996, at California Polytechnic State University from 2001 to 2008, and the United States Military Ac ...
– former head coach at
Southern Utah Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university in Cedar City, Utah. Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University now graduates over 1,800 students each year with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from its six colleges. ...
(1996), Cal Poly (2001–2008) and
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
(2008–2013). *
Kynan Forney Kynan Lerrol Forney (born September 8, 1978) is a former American football player. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. He also played for the San Diego Chargers. ...
– Offensive lineman taken with the 219th overall pick in the 7th round of the
2001 NFL Draft The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
by the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. * Keith Gilbertson – former head coach at
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
(1986–1988), Cal-Berkeley (1992–1995) and current assistant coach for the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
(2005–2008) . Attended school. *
Kevin M. Gilbride Kevin Michael Gilbride (born December 14, 1979) is an American football coach in the National Football League. He last served as the tight ends coach for the Carolina Panthers and as the tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears after a successfu ...
– Son of former
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
head coach
Kevin Gilbride Kevin Bernard Gilbride (born August 27, 1951) is an American football head coach. He was a coach for twenty years in the NFL, spending seven of them as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, with whom he earned two Super Bowl rin ...
. Former tight ends coach for the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
and the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. Former Hawaii backup quarterback. *
Wayne Hunter Wayne Hunter (born July 2, 1981) is a former American football offensive tackle. Drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft, he played college football at Hawaii after transferring from Cal. Hunter has also play ...
– Offensive lineman taken with the 73rd overall pick in the 3rd round of the
2003 NFL Draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
by the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. *
Ivin Jasper Ivin Jasper (May 14, 1970) is an American football coach and former player. He is quarterbacks coach at the United States Naval Academy and has also spent time as the offensive coordinator for the school. He had been on the Navy Midshipmen footba ...
– Current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
(2008–present). Former Hawaii quarterback (1991–1994). * June Jones – former Hawaiʻi head coach and QB. Current head coach and general manager for the Houston Roughnecks of the
XFL XFL may refer to: Sports * XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001 * XFL (2020), a professional American football league Vehicles * Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...
. Former head coach for the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
(1994–1996),
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
(1998), and SMU (2008–2014) and former offensive coordinator for the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
of the Canadian Football League. Led Hawaiʻi to two WAC championships. *
Kurt Kafentzis Kurt Michael Kafentzis (born December 31, 1962) is a former American football defensive back who played one season with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and atte ...
– NFL defensive back for the
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...
*
Mark Kafentzis Mark Kevin Kafentzis (born June 30, 1958) is a former American football defensive back who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Browns in the ...
– NFL defensive back for the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts *
Marcus Kemp Marcus Kemp (born August 14, 1995) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Hawaii. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He briefly played for the Miami Dolphi ...
Wide Receiver, Super Bowl LIV champion with the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
(2017–19). *
Adrian Klemm Adrian William Klemm (born May 21, 1977) is an American football coach and former offensive tackle who is the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive line coa ...
– Offensive lineman taken with the 46th overall pick of the 2nd round of the
2000 NFL Draft The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
by the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. 3x Super Bowl Champion with the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, current assistant offensive line coach for the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. *
Travis LaBoy Travis LaBoy (born August 20, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. LaBoy is the son of former U. Hawaii DE Cliff LaB ...
– Linebacker taken with the 42nd overall pick in the 2nd round of the
2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
by the Tennessee Titans. Played for the Titans (2004–2007),
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
(2008),
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
(2010), and
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
(2011). *
Ashley Lelie Ashley Jovon Lelie (; born February 16, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos 19th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. Lelie has also played for the Atlanta Fal ...
– Wide receiver taken with the 19th overall pick in the 1st round of the
2002 NFL Draft The 2002 NFL draft was the 67th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually sinc ...
by the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
(2002–2005).
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
(2006),
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
(2007),
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
(2008),
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
(2009). *
Kim McCloud Kim McCloud (born May 8, 1968) is an American football coach and former defensive back who is currently a Defensive Analyst for the University of Montana. He was previously the cornerbacks coach at Syracuse University and then interim cornerback ...
– former Hawaii
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
, (1987–1990). Current Hawaii defensive analyst (2020–present). * Cole McDonald
Quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
taken with the 224th pick in the 7th round of the
2020 NFL Draft The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...
by the Tennessee Titans. *
Rich Miano Richard James Miano (born September 3, 1962) is a former American football defensive back who played 10 seasons for three teams in the National Football League (NFL). He has served as executive director of the Hula Bowl, a college football all-st ...
– Safety taken with the 166th pick in the 6th round of the
1985 NFL Draft The 1985 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985, at the Omni Park Central Hotel in New York City, New York. The league also hel ...
by the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. Played for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
(1985–1989),
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
(1991–1994), and
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
(1995). Former all WAC defensive back and associate head coach for Hawaii. Current Spectrum Sports Color Analyst. *
Ken Niumatalolo Kenneth Va'a Niumatalolo (born May 8, 1965) is an American football coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the Naval Academy from 2007 to 2022, accumulating the most wins in program history. Niumatalolo played college football at ...
– Current head coach at
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
(2008–present). Former Hawaii quarterback (1987–1989). *
Al Noga AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...
Defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
,
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
(1988–1992),
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
(1993),
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
(1994). *
Brian Norwood Brian Norwood (born August 12, 1965) is an American football coach. He currently serves as defensive backs coach, assistant head coach, and defensive passing game coordinator at UCLA Bruins football, UCLA. Prior to that, he most recently was the c ...
– Current assistant head coach, passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
(2020–present). Former Hawaii defensive back (1984–1987). * Joe Onosai – former Hawaiʻi football player, and
World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international Strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decembe ...
competitor. Current defensive line coach for the Pac-5 Wolfpack, a Hawaii High School team. *
Leonard Peters Leonard Peters (born December 26, 1981) is an American football safety and a rugby player. He was originally signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and was on the Chicago Bears practice squad. He played collegiately at Ha ...
– former Hawaiʻi safety (2004–2007). Has represented the USA in
Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
,
Rugby League Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
, and Rugby Sevens. * Golden Richards – Two-time Super Bowl performer and champion with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. Attended UH: 1972–1973. Former Hawaiʻi
student athlete A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
. *
Nick Rolovich Nicholas Robert Rolovich ( ; born February 16, 1979) is an American football coach and former player, who was most recently the head football coach at Washington State University (WSU). Rolovich majored in economics at the University of Hawaii, ...
– Former head coach at Hawaii (2016–2019),
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
(2020–2021). Former Hawaiʻi quarterback (2000–01) and QB coach/offensive coordinator (2008–11). Played in the
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
(2003–2007). Former offensive coordinator/QB coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack (2012–2015). *
Rigoberto Sanchez Rigoberto Jovany Sanchez (born September 8, 1994) is an American football punter for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Hawaii and was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in ...
Punter,
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
(2017–present). Pro Football Writer's Association All Rookie Team (2017). *
Victor Santa Cruz Victor Santa Cruz (born April 7, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive ends coach at Hawaii. Prior to that, he was the head football coach at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California from ...
- Current
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
at Hawaii (2020–present). Former head coach at
Azusa Pacific Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private, evangelical Christian university in Azusa, California. The university was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900, in Whittier, California, and began offering degrees in 1939. The unive ...
(2006–2019). Former linebacker for Hawaii (1990–1994). *
Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961) is a Samoan former American football player in the National Football League. He played both center and offensive guard, and played his entire career for the San Francisco 49ers. Sapolu attended Farrington ...
Offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
,
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
(1983–1997). Two-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
er, four-time
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion. *
Larry Sherrer Larry Sherrer (born January 1, 1950) is a former American football running back who played two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes and BC Lions. He first enrolled at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to ...
– former Hawaiʻi running back. Played in the
CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
for
Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
(1973–1975) and BC Lions (1976). * Brian Smith – former Hawaii center and long snapper (1998–2001). Former Hawaii associate head coach and
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
(2016–2019), assistant coach (2004, 2008–11). offensive coordinator and running backs coach at
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
(2020–present). *
David Stant David Stant is a football coach; currently head coach of the Keio Unicorns. Playing career High school Stant graduated from Kahuku High School in 1981. College After high school Stant played for Southern Oregon, until a knee injury ended his car ...
– former Hawaiʻi lineman. Current head coach for the
Keio Unicorns The Keio Unicorns football program represents the Keio University in college football. They are members of the Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association The Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association is an American college football l ...
of the Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association. *
Craig Stutzmann Craig Keola Stutzmann (born July 14, 1980) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Texas State Bobcats football, Texas State. He was previously the co-offensive co ...
– former Hawai'i wide receiver (1998–2001) and assistant coach (2008, 2016–2019). *
Maa Tanuvasa Maa Junior Tanuvasa (born November 6, 1970) is a former American football defensive end, mainly for the Denver Broncos. He played nine years in the National Football League, winning two Super Bowl championships as a main component of the Bronco ...
– Defensive lineman,
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
(1994),
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
(1995–2000),
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
(2001). Two-time Super Bowl champion. *
Jahlani Tavai Jahlani Karl Tavai (born September 28, 1996) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He is the younger brother of J. R. Tavai and older brother of Justus Tavai. He played college ...
– Linebacker taken with the 43rd overall pick in the 2nd round of the
2019 NFL Draft The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
by the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. *
Mark Tuinei Mark Pulemau Tuinei (March 31, 1960 – May 6, 1999) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. Known as a "gentle giant", his career lasted for 15 years (1983–1997) and his ability ...
– Offensive lineman,
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
(1983–1997). Two-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion. *
Jeff Ulbrich Jeffery Wade Ulbrich (; born February 17, 1977) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Hawaii and was dra ...
– Linebacker taken with the 86th overall pick in the 3rd round of the
2000 NFL Draft The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
by the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. Former Defensive Coordinator for the
UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). ...
. Current defensive coordinator for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. *
John Ursua John Ursua (born January 17, 1994), nicknamed "J-Dub", is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Hawaii. Early life Ursua was born in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on January 17, 1994, and is the youngest o ...
– Wide receiver taken with the 236th overall pick in the 7th round of the
2019 NFL Draft The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
by the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
.


Notable coaches

*
Dave Aranda David Christopher Aranda (born September 29, 1976) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at Baylor University. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at LSU, Wisconsin, Utah State, Hawaii, Delta State, and Cal ...
– Current head coach at Baylor (2020–present). Former Hawaii defensive coordinator (2010–2011). *
Robert Anae Robert Anae (born December 21, 1958) is an American football coach and former player who is current serving as the offensive coordinator (OC) for NC State since December 2022. Prior to NC State, he was the OC at the University of Virginia and Bri ...
– Current
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
at
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
(2016–present). Former Hawaii graduate assistant (1986–1987). * Brent Brennan – Current head coach at San Jose State. Former Hawaii graduate assistant (1998). *
Jerry Burns Jerome Monahan Burns (January 24, 1927 – May 12, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. He played in college for the Michigan Wolverines before becoming a coach. He was the head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1961 to ...
– former head coach at
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
(1961–1965) and for the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
(1986–1991). Former Hawaiʻi assistant coach. * Dom Capers – former head coach of the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
(1995–98) and
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
(2002–05). Former Hawaiʻi assistant coach. * Tyson Helton – Current head coach at
Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...
(2019–present). Former Hawaii assistant coach (2000–2003). * Paul Johnson – former head coach at
Georgia Southern Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hin ...
(1997–2001),
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
(2002–2007), and the current head coach at Georgia Tech (2008–2018). Former Hawaiʻi assistant coach. *
Jeff Monken Jeffrey Michael Monken (born April 15, 1967) is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at the United States Military Academy, a position he has held since the 2014 season. Monken previously served as the head football ...
– Current head coach at
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
(2014–present). Former Hawaii graduate assistant. (1989–1990) * Larry Price – former Hawaiʻi head coach and former radio personality on 92.3 KSSK in Honolulu. * Adam Rita – Former CFL coach and general manager. Won 79th Grey Cup as head coach. Former Hawaii assistant coach (1979–1982). *
Roy Shivers Roy Shivers (born July 5, 1941) is a former professional American football running back and Canadian football personnel administrator, most notably as the first black general manager in professional football. He was a general manager for eight se ...
– former Hawaiʻi assistant coach and former
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. * Dick Tomey – former
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
head coach (1987–2000), Hawaiʻi head coach, head coach at San Jose State (2005–2009), and associate athletic director for sports administration at the
University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
(2015–2016). *
Bob Wagner Robert C. Wagner (born May 16, 1947) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii from 1988 to 1995 and led the Rainbow Warriors to their first top 20 finish in 1992. Wagner graduated from W ...
– former Hawaiʻi head coach.


Future non-conference games

The NCAA permits Hawaii to play one more than the normal 12 games during the regular season to recoup its unusually high travel costs to and from the mainland. The team's opponents who play at Hawaii each season are also allowed one more game than their normal limit.Kevin K.
The Hawaii Exemption
FBSchedules.com, 25 May 2010.
This rule was modified before the 2016 season; Hawaii is now open to play before Labor Day Weekend (during FCS Kickoff Week). The exemption was modified to avoid a 13-game schedule with no bye weeks. Announced schedules as of October 25, 2019.


References


External links

* {{Mountain West Conference football navbox American football teams established in 1909 1909 establishments in Hawaii