The Hawaii football coaches’ most intense strategic sessions are conducted in meeting rooms, in hotel lobbies and at dining tables.

It is where a revolving group of coaches gathers to play dominoes.

“It’s a grand game,” head coach Nick Rolovich said.

At first, last season’s participants included Rolovich, offensive coordinator Brian Smith, defensive coordinator Legi Suiaunoa, receivers coach Kefense Hynson and offensive line coach Chris Naeole. “I stopped playing,” Rolovich said. “My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail toward the end of the year. But there are some good domino players on this coaching staff.”

The best might be Suiaunoa, who brings a chess master’s foresight and a poker player’s stoic stare.

“Part of the game is knowing the pieces you have and putting the pieces in the right places,” said Suiaunoa, who also might be discussing his duties choreographing the Rainbow Warriors’ defense.

Suiaunoa, who was promoted from defensive line coach following Kevin Lempa’s resignation in February, has a passion for playing dominoes and coaching football.

“Dominoes was a serious game for me growing up,” said Suiaunoa, who was raised in Oceanside, Calif. “I played with people in the neighborhood, guys I grew up with, my brothers. We had a lot of games. That was a way for us to entertain ourselves. I like the strategy. You have to think ahead. You have to figure out what you need.”

He brings the same approach to football, although most of the details are worked out prior to the game. Of his return to play-calling for the first time since 2009, when he was Eastern Oregon’s defensive coordinator, Suiaunoa said: “The game is pretty much called before the game starts in terms of certain situations. That’s what I try to do. The game is played during the week when we game-plan and execute (in practices). By the time game-time comes, they pretty much have an idea what’s going to come.”

In spring training, Suiaunoa emphasized the 4-3 base. This preseason, he installed sub-packages and personnel groups to expand the defensive menu. In doing the math, there can be as many as 16 players who are considered starters depending on the scheme. Under the parameters set by Rolovich, Suiaunoa has employed three-deep rotations and various degrees of contact in individual drills and team sessions. On Saturday, Rolovich trimmed practice to 90 minutes, with half the time spent on the starters working against the scouts.

“We’ve got to play a game (this coming Saturday),” Rolovich said of the road opener against UMass. “We’ve got a 91⁄2-hour flight. I wanted to have a mental day (on Saturday), and get the guys out there. They were dialed in. It was pretty short. In and out, got our job done. It was very productive. Now we’re having a barbecue.”

Between bites, Rolovich praised Suiaunoa’s work with the defense. A week earlier, the Warriors simulated game day, with Suiaunoa calling plays from the stands during a scrimmage-like session at Clarence T.C. Ching Field. Suiaunoa will be in the coaches’ booth during games this season.

“I like his demeanor on the headset,” Rolovich said. “I know he cares about it, and wants to do a good job.”

Suiaunoa declined to declare the Warriors to be fully ready at this time. “We’ve still got some more days (of practices),” he cautioned. “I think we will be.”

But Suiaunoa said he and the assistant coaches have given the players samples of ways to counter wide-ranging situations. “Hopefully, we do a good enough job during the week so when the game comes, it’s not a trial run,” Suiaunoa said. “We’ve done it all week.”

Suiaunoa added: “There are some subtle changes, some tweaks, you’re going to have to do with your game plan as things show up in the game. You have calls that help that. For the most part, these guys are playing and executing what they’ve done all week in terms of calls and situations.”