The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represents the

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa (University of Hawaii—Mānoa, UH Mānoa, Hawai'i, or simply UH) is a public land-grant research university in Mānoa, a neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawa ...

NCAA Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

college football. 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, and Texas. Due to most of ...

until July 2012, when the team joined the

Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations ...

. 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 Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

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 on ...

on January 1, 2008, in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

McKinley High School by a score of 95–5 at Punahou School. *1920 – The College of Hawaii becomes the University of Hawaii and the football team plays its first intercollegiate game against

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the 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. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

, 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 states, 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 wes ...

, Colorado State 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 Washingto ...

. 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. The Rainbows fall to the Town Team by a score of 14–7 in front of 12,000 fans on

Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, Fran ...

. *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 university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

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 Hawa ...

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 and ...

. 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 so ...

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.

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 divis ...

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 Un ...

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 Super Bowl V was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to determine the National Football League (NFL) champi ...

for the

. *1972 – Larry Cole becomes the first former Warrior to start for a world champion football team with the

in Super Bowl VI. *1973 – The Rainbows record what is widely considered to be the biggest upset in school history, defeating Washington 10–7 in front of 52,500 in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. 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 intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

member. The team's new nickname becomes the "Bow's." They play their final year at Honolulu Stadium. 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 ...

by a score of 43–9 in front of a crowd of 32,247. *1976 – The

reclassifies its divisions and drops Hawaii to Division I-AA (now FCS). Athletic Director Ray Nagel 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

. *1982 – Dan Audick becomes the first Warrior to have graduated from the university and to have started for a Super Bowl 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. *1986 – Defensive end Al Noga becomes the first Hawaii player to be named a first-team All-American by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...

. He also was tabbed as the school's first Heisman Trophy candidate. DeWayne Jett 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 ...

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 Comm ...

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 ...

, 33–13, before a sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium. *1990 – The Rainbows rout BYU, 59–28, on December 1. Earlier that day, BYU quarterback Ty Detmer won the Heisman Trophy. *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, 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 ...

Fred von Appen era (1996–1998)

*1996 – Rich Ellerson 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 wo ...

for former UH Warriors by being named as Head Football Coach for Southern Utah. 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. 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 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 headquar ...

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 extends

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 List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

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. Aloha Stadium, Hawaii

*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 killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanistan ...

, 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

. 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

on January 1, 2008 in New Orleans, losing 41–10. Ken Niumatalolo 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 and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

. 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 , pr ...

. On January 15, Greg McMackin, formerly the defensive coordinator under June Jones, accepted the position of head coach. Rich Ellerson 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 ...

for his play as an offensive tackle in the

. *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

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

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 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 its ...

offensive coordinator Norm Chow 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 The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

offensive coordinator and new Hawaii head coach Norm Chow implements his more balanced pro-style offense. The Warriors go 3–9 on the season, with the only wins coming against UNLV and FCS opponents South Alabama and Lamar. *2013 – Norm Chow and the Rainbow Warriors fall to 1–11, defeating only

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 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 ...

, 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'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

, the 'Bows put together the best performance of the season with a wild 38–28 win over

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the 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 southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

, capturing the Paniolo Trophy 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 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

but the team slumped to 2–7 and Norm Chow 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 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,

offensive coordinator and former UH Warrior Nick Rolovich took over as head coach, succeeding Naeole. The 107,145 in attendance for the game against Ohio State 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 ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ** ...

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 U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and ...

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, but injuries to key players such as John Ursua 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 decides to switch from a balanced spread option 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,

, Fresno State, and Utah State. Hawaii becomes bowl eligible with a 35–28 win over UNLV 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 U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

, stopping Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate 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

starting 2 and replacing McDonald as starter in 10 of McDonald's 13 starts. Hawaii wins their conference game against San Diego State 14–11, clinching their first division title in the history of Hawaii's play in the

. Hawaii loses the Mountain West Championship to

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 Subdivi ...

to BYU 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 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 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 uni ...

, 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 announces the hire of former Arizona State head coach Todd Graham. Graham retains two assistants, Jacob Yoro and Abe Elimimian from Rolovich's staff, and hires G. J. Kinne and former Hawaii linebacker Victor Santa Cruz as offensive coordinator 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 ...

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

, 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 "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. 2022 UM vs Hawaii

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 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 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 * Independe ...

(1909–1978) *

(1979–2011) *

(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 Hawa ...

, 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. 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 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 s ...

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 60 ...

and a 68–37 Warriors victory in 2006 over

Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

. 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 Benazir Bhutto ...

, allegations that Fresno State fans were physically and verbally abused by hometown

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

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

, and was played annually until 1997, shortly before Wyoming departed from the WAC and joined the newly formed

. 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.

and Hawaii play for the Paniolo Trophy. 'Paniolo' is a Hawaiian word meaning “ cowboy”, and the trophy featured a bronze 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 ...

residents with

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 and Hawaii gained a rivalry trophy when the California Hotel and Casino 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 Vega ...

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 (1926–1974) *

(1975–2020) * Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex (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, 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, 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 performer: played in ( V, X, XIII) 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 performer: played in ( X) and champion in (

) * Dan Audick, 1× Super Bowl champion (

XVI 16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and . In English speech, ...

) *

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 champion ( XVII) * Jesse Sapolu, 4× Super Bowl 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 champion ( XIX) * Mark Tuinei, 3× Super Bowl 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) * Jason Elam, 2× Super Bowl 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, 2× Super Bowl champion ( XXXII,

) * Adrian Klemm, 3× Super Bowl champion (

XXXVI 36 (thirty-six) is the natural number following 35 and preceding 37. In mathematics 36 is both the square of six and a triangular number, making it a square triangular number. It is the smallest square triangular number other than one, and it ...

, XXXVIII, XXXIX) * Kimo Von Oelhoffen, 1× Super Bowl champion ( XL) * Travis LaBoy, 1× Super Bowl performer: played in ( XLIII) * Isaac Sopoaga, 1× Super Bowl performer: played in (

XLVII 47 (forty-seven) is the natural number following 46 and preceding 48. It is a prime number. In mathematics Forty-seven is the fifteenth prime number, a safe prime, the thirteenth supersingular prime, the fourth isolated prime, and the sixth ...

) * Marcus Kemp, 1× Super Bowl champion ( LIV)

Notable players

* Dan Audick – former Super Bowl champion with the

. * Dino Babers – 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, M ...

(2016–present). Former head coach at Eastern Illinois (2012–2013) and Bowling Green (2014–2015). Former Hawaii running back, defensive back (1979–1983) and graduate assistant (1984). * Davone Bess – Wide 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 pl ...

(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 islan ...

. * 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) ...

(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 Ra ...

(2010), Hartford Colonials – UFL (2011), Saskatchewan Roughriders – CFL (2012), LA KISS – AFL (2014). 2007 Heisman Trophy 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

. 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 eleme ...

. * 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 M ...

by the

. Two-time Super Bowl champion (1997 & 1998) and 3x

selection (1995, 1998 & 2001).

(1993–2007, 2010), Atlanta Falcons (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 – former head coach at Southern Utah (1996), Cal Poly (2001–2008) and

(2008–2013). * Kynan Forney – Offensive lineman taken with the 219th overall pick in the 7th round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. * 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 W ...

(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 a ...

(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 ring ...

. 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 divisio ...

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 ...

. 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 by the

. *

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

(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. Former head coach for the Atlanta Falcons (1994–1996),

(1998), and SMU (2008–2014) and former offensive coordinator for the

of the Canadian Football League. Led Hawaiʻi to two WAC championships. * Kurt Kafentzis – 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 a ...

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 t ...

– NFL defensive back for the

and Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts * Marcus Kemp – 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 t ...

(2017–19). * Adrian Klemm – Offensive lineman taken with the 46th overall pick of the 2nd round of the 2000 NFL Draft 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

, 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 Stee ...

. * Travis LaBoy – Linebacker taken with the 42nd overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the

. 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) NFC West, West division, an ...

(2008),

(2010), and

(2011). * Ashley Lelie – Wide receiver taken with the 19th overall pick in the 1st round of the

by the

(2002–2005). Atlanta Falcons (2006),

(2007),

(2008),

(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 ...

by the

. *

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 he ...

by the New York Jets. Played for the New York Jets (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 play ...

(1991–1994), and Atlanta Falcons (1995). Former all WAC defensive back and associate head coach for Hawaii. Current Spectrum Sports Color Analyst. * Ken Niumatalolo – Current head coach at

(2008–present). Former Hawaii quarterback (1987–1989). * Al Noga –

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 expansio ...

(1988–1992),

(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 20 ...

(1994). * Brian Norwood – Current assistant head coach, passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach at

(2020–present). Former Hawaii defensive back (1984–1987). * Joe Onosai – former Hawaiʻi football player, and World's Strongest Man competitor. Current defensive line coach for the Pac-5 Wolfpack, a Hawaii High School team. * Leonard Peters – former Hawaiʻi safety (2004–2007). Has represented the USA in

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

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

. Attended UH: 1972–1973. Former Hawaiʻi

. * Nick Rolovich – Former head coach at Hawaii (2016–2019),

(2020–2021). Former Hawaiʻi quarterback (2000–01) and QB coach/offensive coordinator (2008–11). Played in the AFL (2003–2007). Former offensive coordinator/QB coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack (2012–2015). * Rigoberto Sanchez – Punter,

(2017–present). Pro Football Writer's Association All Rookie Team (2017). * Victor Santa Cruz - Current

at Hawaii (2020–present). Former head coach at Azusa Pacific (2006–2019). Former linebacker for Hawaii (1990–1994). * Jesse Sapolu –

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 numb ...

(1983–1997). Two-time

er, four-time Super Bowl 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 for Montreal Alouettes (1973–1975) and BC Lions (1976). * Brian Smith – former Hawaii center and

long snapper In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point at ...

(1998–2001). Former Hawaii associate head coach and offensive coordinator (2016–2019), assistant coach (2004, 2008–11). offensive coordinator and running backs coach at

(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 – Defensive lineman,

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...

(1994),

(1995–2000),

(2001). Two-time Super Bowl champion. * Jahlani Tavai – 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 ...

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 For ...

. * Mark Tuinei – Offensive lineman,

(1983–1997). Two-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion. * Jeff Ulbrich – Linebacker taken with the 86th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the

. 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. * John Ursua – Wide receiver taken with the 236th overall pick in the 7th round of the

by the

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 – Current offensive coordinator at

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

(2016–present). Former Hawaii graduate assistant (1986–1987). * Brent Brennan – Current head coach at San Jose State. Former Hawaii graduate assistant (1998). * Jerry Burns – former head coach at

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 ...

(1961–1965) and for the

(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. ...

(1995–98) and Houston Texans (2002–05). Former Hawaiʻi assistant coach. * Tyson Helton – Current head coach at Western Kentucky (2019–present). Former Hawaii assistant coach (2000–2003). * Paul Johnson – former head coach at Georgia Southern (1997–2001),

(2002–2007), and the current head coach at

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part o ...

(2008–2018). Former Hawaiʻi assistant coach. * Jeff Monken – Current head coach at

(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 eig ...

– 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 the Saskatchewan Roughriders. * Dick Tomey – former

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 i ...

(2015–2016). *

– 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 Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...

. 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