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STAR-ADVERTISER / NOV. 2001
UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa at the UH practice field. Lempa is a candidate for a non-coaching job on the University of Michigan football staff, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has learned.
Kevin Lempa, the University of Hawaii football team’s defensive coordinator, is a candidate for a non-coaching job on the University of Michigan football staff, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has learned.
Lempa met with Michigan officials this past weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Lempa and his wife own a home in Maryland. He became a grandfather this past fall.
Lempa had worked under Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown at Boston College for three seasons through 2015 and at Maryland in 2009 and 2010. Brown was hired at Michigan in 2016.
Lempa started his second stint as UH defensive coordinator this past season, helping the Rainbow Warriors to a 7-7 record, highlighted by the victory in the Hawaii Bowl. He previously ran UH’s defense for three seasons through 2002.
Even becoming a sort of ball boy for the UM is an honor when you consider how low the Warriors are as a team.
Allie, you’re better than that. We know that you’re not a fan of football, and you have a twisted idea that money should be spent on academics instead of sports, but please, make your comments directly to one of the players, preferably a lineman. That should do the trick!
just telling the truth…
Would like to think UH players and their coaches are better able to handle criticism and conflict off the field. UH football already lost supposedly their best defensive player to off field violence and the inability to control his anger. Most try to look on the bright side but it was no coincidence that the very best blue chip Hawaii high school players all choose to not play for Hawaii. Nothing to do with rock fever as the culture on the Laie side is for their kids to physically remain close to their friends and family. From a geographic standpoint there is NO disadvantage for a top football player playing in Hawaii to make it to the NFL. Teo, Mariotta and others have solidified Hawaii’s reputation as producing NFL level players and many scouts and coaches do not hesitate to come to Hawaii to check players out at the high school and college level, IF there are those type of quality player at UH. This Lempa story is a big problem in that in order for UH to make improvements they have to stabilize their coaching staff and the coaches have to be experienced, fit in well and know how to win games. This wishy washy story of Lempa “kind of” applying for a Michigan job is detrimental to the players as they need stability. If Lempa is no good (there is debate on that) he should be replaced, regardless of whether he gets the Michigan job or not. In order to build a solid building that can be seen from far away that is a money maker, you have to build a really solid foundation that will not go anywhere. Right now the UH “base” is fluid and sketchy which Allie rightfully points out. Rolo is definitely an improvement over florist Chow fun but he does not have much time to build his tower that is needed to make money for UH. In fact Aloha stadium planners have ZERO faith in Rolo and the UH football and want to replace the 50K seat Aloha stadium with a much smaller 30K seat stadium and use the rest of the land for housing and a rail yard.
And have to work for that joke of a coach? No way but we each have different tolerances.
You mean the “joke” that makes millions and is in demand all the time? Guess who the joke’s on.
Hey, niheawilli: are you calling Harbaugh a joke of a coach…..you have got to be kidding….he is a proven winner and Rolovich could not even hold his jock straps compared to Harbaugh….give me a break!!
And you couldn’t hold Rolo’s jock strap either so what’s the point. If you could you wouldn’t be here making those kinds of comments.
Still a clown though
Oh I hope we don’t start the swinging door like we had with Chow. Let’s keep some consistency going here Lempa. We’re starting a good thing – Pride Rock!. Just renewed my season tickets this morning and in the envelope it talked about COMMITMENT. Seems to me it should extend to coaches too. Come on, Lempa.
Maybe he was encouraged by Rolo to look elsewhere?
No big loss if he leaves. Let’s face it, defense wasn’t very good and got blown out by all the decent teams, except for one good game against AF. There’s hundreds of candidates waiting in line, lot of them hungry young guys waiting to prove themselves. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a guy like a young Aranda.
Yeah, Aranda! Man, we let a good one go! But, good for him! Happy to see him doing well!
Good for UH, but What?! Why?! Michigan what are you thinking?
Lempa, just leave, don’t need your goodbyes….
LemPat was not producing a creative defence. Aloha to Lemoa.
Enlighten me. What the heck is a non-coaching job on the University of Michigan football coaching staff?
Why don’t you enlighten your lazy self and use a little thing called the internet?
waterboy
Wow and everyone were complaining about his play calling and defensive schemes. Guess they knew what they were talking about.
Don’t think he’ll make coordinator type of money in a non-coaching job. Even at UM. The non-football factors may appear to be closing in. He’ll still make good money, I’m sure. Closer to the grandchild. Back on the continent. At a power 5, high profile school. Lempa may not have the energy needed to be a coach, let alone a coordinator at the college level any more. That is good. The non-coaching position might be just up his alley. He’s not the first baby boomer to go off to pastures of lesser responsibility.
What happened to the good old Dick Tomey days when we had the Noga brothers and Rich Miano….? Back then, UH was feared for its defense and, as the old saying in football goes, defense wins championships. We proved that in 2007, going undefeated as an offensive machine and outscoring all of our opponents by huge margins, but then we faced Georgia, a team with a real defense.
Wish him well and hope he gets the job he has applied for. Cannot blame him for going to a big time school. Football after all is a business
and he has to do what is best for him and his family.
The defense was terrible overall. Rolo is expected to look at players as well as coaching performances. Was it imminent? Who cares as long as the program improves.
Maybe there’s one or two candidates already waiting in the wings? Isn’t coach Lempa close to retirement anyway?
Looks like Lempa is gone. I’m sure Coach Rolo is looking at his list of candidate for Defensive Coordinator. Maybe one from Nevada where he was the Offensive Coordinator. I don’t mean the current Nevada DC, but probably someone on the Defensive side that could fill the need.
Wow, Nevada, the bastian of great defenses. Why even bother to search, when a great defensive mind at Nevada is available. HA HA HA!
Ask jj to help with the search. In fact, jj should be a consultant to the team. He has more experience than all the coaches combined. Work out a performance based deal, a win-win for jj and UH.
They won some road games because of the D-Fence this past season.
Great opportunity for Lempa, he should not turn it down. Hope Rolo can get someone good to replace him if he should go. At least we got some good recruits coming in to work with.