When quarterback Dru Brown announced his intention to leave the University of Hawaii before his senior season to play elsewhere, “Best wishes” weren’t always the prevailing sentiments of Rainbow Warrior fans.

Some compared him to a “rat” fleeing a sinking ship.

Legendary UH volleyball coach Dave Shoji was less caustic but, from his @DaveShoji account, tweeted what was on the minds of some: “Hey Dru Brown, Hawaii was only school to offer you (a scholarship), now this?”

While it is easy to be disappointed or feel jilted by Brown’s departure, in this day and age of sports loyalty is increasingly portable and the two-year starting quarterback is only availing himself of something coaches and athletic administrators have done for decades with impunity.

For instance, take Zak Hill, who would have been Brown’s first offensive coordinator at UH. He bolted from Manoa after only 48 days on the job for the same, but much more lucrative, position at Boise State.

Even Nick Rolovich, the coach Brown leaves behind in a lurch, was at Massachusetts a matter of weeks before deciding the fit would be better at Nevada. A year later when Nevada changed head coaches, Rolovich accepted a job at Temple but changed his mind after two weeks when faced with an enhanced offer from the Wolf Pack and the impending arrival of twins.

Those, too, were “family” decisions.

How much the boos and criticism received in 2017, the prospects of another losing season in 2018, the previously announced departure of UH’s most productive receiver, Dylan Collie, for greener pastures or a forthcoming change in offenses weighed in the decision perhaps only Brown knows for sure.

What is known is that Brown gave UH his best for two seasons and was a stand-up guy throughout, shouldering blame for not just his performance in hard times but that of the offense, without publicly pointing fingers elsewhere.

Even when receivers dropped balls or the offense game plan turned conservative, Brown refused to engage in the blame game.

For all the references to “student-athletes,” players have been considered little more than chattel for decades with rules structured to penalize them from changing schools.

An art major can transfer without restriction for any reason. But scholarship athletes must sacrifice a season of eligibility if they transfer to another Football Bowl Subdivision school unless they are graduate transfers. Even those who succeed in gaining a release from their school can have the choice of transfer schools restricted.

The exception being players who receive bachelor’s degrees before the completion of eligibility. They are allowed to transfer immediately and without penalty, the route Brown hopes to take by graduating this summer.

It was what brought Noah Allen to the UH men’s basketball team from UCLA last year and three-time All-American Carly Kan to UH from Missouri for beach volleyball.

Shoji was an anomaly in college coaching, somebody who never wandered or chased greener pastures, staying at UH for 42 years.

And, he was up front with potential UH recruits his final years, telling a succession of classes there were no guarantees he’d still be at the school when they finished their careers. That, too, was remarkable.

In the end, after an exchange of tweets with Brown, Shoji tweeted, “you’re right, I don’t understand your decision, but I DO respect it. I was too emotional when I read about it. Good Luck to you!”

Sentiments we can all embrace.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.