Rolovich taps Eastern Washington coach for offensive coordinator
Nick Rolovich was named as the new UH head football coach on Nov. 30. (Star-Advertiser file)
The University of Hawaii’s football offense is expected to take flight.
Zak Hill, UH’s newly hired offensive coordinator, plans to implement a quarterback-friendly offense that will “play fast and throw the ball around a little bit.”
Hill spent nine seasons in two stints at Eastern Washington, where he was the quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator. In eight of the nine seasons, the Eagles were ranked in the top 10 in passing among FCS schools. He has coached Vernon Adams, a two-time finalist for FCS player of the year who now is Oregon’s starting quarterback, and Bo Levi Mitchell, who led Calgary to the CFL’s 2014 Grey Cup title.
“He’s been very successful in developing quarterbacks,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said of Hill. “I think that’s an important component here.”
Rolovich and Hill, who arrives in Honolulu on Saturday, will design the offense the next couple of months. Rolovich said Hill will have play-calling autonomy.
Hill said he expects the offense to use elements of Eastern Washington’s wide-open passing game, and Rolovich’s read-option at Nevada and four-wide offense at Hawaii.
Rolovich and Hill have known each other through coaching clinics the past two years. While growing up, Hill’s family took annual trips to Honolulu and Maui. Rolovich’s wife was raised on Maui.
“I have always loved Hawaii,” Hill said. “I love the culture and tradition and feeling of family over there. Hawaii’s always been a big part of my life, even though I haven’t lived there, per se. I think it’s a great job. I think having coach Rolovich over there makes it that much easier.”
45 responses to “Rolovich taps Eastern Washington coach for offensive coordinator”
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Wow! Excellent pick! I guess JJ is not coming. Go Rainbow Warriors!
Good thing. I was getting tired of the JJ holdouts that had a hard time letting go of the past.
Worth celebrating alone. Co-ed parents just exhaled.
I hear you!
That rumor has long since been debunked. I wish people would show some semblance of intellect when posting comments. I guess that would be unrealistic here.
You guess? Just like you were guessing for 4 years that Chow would turn it around? No need to guess, just read better.
Only thing missing now is an accurate QB
And receivers who can catch.
All of not most of the time. lol
Night and day between Rolo’s start-up, as compared to the previous head coach. Starting to look like Matlin made the right choice. Again.
Way to premature to be claiming Maitin made the right choice. Rolo was never a head coach, much less successful on and he has chosen to hire all younger coaches who were never successful as coaches at the highest level in Div 1A or thr NFL. I hope Rolo turns the football program around but I think the coaching staff he assembled is not going to attract the type of blue chip recruits from both Hawaii and the mainland. JJ and Miano, both with NFL creds and plugged in to the local blue chip recruits, especially on the Laie side, would have attracted the recruits UH needs to win games. Rolo, Naeole, Hill, etc. are questionable in their recruiting capability, especially in Hawaii. If Rolo should fail and struggle like Chow, Maitlin is the one who should be fired as he owns this decison that will determine the financial fate of UH atheltics. If Rolo wins, UH athletics makes money, UH loses like Chow, they will go many millions more in debt.
I hope Rolovich is not making the same fatal mistake that Chow did; thinking a certain offensive scheme can just be brought in and BAM, it works! You need the personnel to execute complex, high scoring offenses. And who has Eastern Washington played besides Western Washington … Southern Oregon, Portland State, Yosemite Tech? So you see, it’s all relative, personnel and competition level. Good luck to the new staff nonetheless, they cant do any worse than Chow.
Yes, scheme can only take a team so far. Looking forward to see who Rolo brings in to recruit.
They played Washington and Oregon the past 2 years and lost close games. Also gained over 500 yards against both teams which is a lot better than what we could do.
They put up 549 total yards (438 passing and 5 TD passes) against Oregon.
As for having a stud QB; their starting QB was a walk-on.
So far, I think Rolovich is doing a pretty good job. At least he didn’t come in and fire everyone and bring in his “own guys” like Chow did. I’m excited again, for the first time in 3 years. Go Warriors!!
State must make an investment to fund UH Athletics. Now would be a good time.
I think a good time for the state to make an investment was 10 years ago.. And still waiting…
No, State should not waste taxpayer dollars to continuously bail out failed programs like UH athletics or the DOE. They are given enough taxpayer dollars and they should sink or swim with what they are given. If Rolo fails like Chow then maybe it is time to shut down UH football, baseball, tennis, track and field, swimming etc, and keep only programs like Wahine and mens volleyball and basketball as the number of players are much less and not such a financial drain.
UH football MAKES money. When will that sink into your thick skull?
Zak Hill was one of the top candidates to replace Scott Frost at Oregon as OC.
I have not seen the Eastern Washington offense. Is it it a pass first offense or something like the pistol with its run orientation? I was wondering what type of offense Rolo would install.
From my recollection, it’s a one-back set, but I’m not sure exactly how they operate off of it. I do know they led all of FCS in passing at 353 yards per game (total offense was 478 per game).
I like the hire. And he’s young, 36. Same age as Rolo?
Mahalo for the information. Nice to see him assembling a younger staff. Looking forward to seeing who the DC is.
Warrior Fans do you remember Bo Levi Mitchell ??? One of the top QBs in Texas back in ’07 who committed to UH then when JJ bolted to SMU he followed him. Things didn’t work out so he ended up at EWU and was coached by Zak Hill. BLM has a pretty good career at EWU as did Vernon Adams. I hope Coach Hill doesn’t come in and “promise” us 75 TD’s in ’16 only to find out that it will be our opponents who laid that number on us … While the excitement of “Rolo” being back as HC, the ’16 schedule is probably tougher than the ’15 start. Sydney, Australia to start, a week later in Ann Arbor, then 2 weeks later in Tucson, AZ
GO ‘BOWS !!!!! LIVE ALOHA / PLAY WARRIOR …
2014 Grey Cup MVP
Not too sure about this pick, especially if Rolo isn’t coaching the offense or calling plays. He’s not even OC, just a position coach. He is also from a lower division team. Bailey was OC, named coordinator of the year, and from a lower division, FCS team too and he did poorly here. If Rolo coaches the offense and calls plays, which he should, then things might be different.
Hill was the passing game coordinator at EWU (another coach was the running game coordinator), but he called the plays during games so you could say he was essentially the OC.
Really why didn’t they hire you for the head coaching job? Because you have no experience let Rolo do his job.
This comment was for pacificsport.
Yup, you were cheering for Norm Chow too when he was hired. Just pointing out some concerns. I pointed out that Bailey might be a failure when Chow hired him and I was right. You have an inexperienced OC from a lower division program, its a gamble. The OC was actually the HC, whose offense is a jumble of things, according to him, “Jokingly, I sometimes call it the ‘nation offense’, stealing a little bit from people around the nation,” said Baldwin, a Central Washington alum who is 51-21 during his time at EWU. You want to only laugh, read only the comics.
I am sure this pick is better than any Chow picks.
I wish them all the best of luck! But the only time I’ll go back to Aloha Stadium is for free shave ice at the Flea Market.
So why you even bother to post here? It’s meaningless, arrogant, and self serving. Guess too much cold ice froze your brains.
Because doesn’t want to post under allie.
Huge catch by the Coach, this shows Rolovich was a great decision.
Didn’t EWU with Veron Adams knock off Oregon State a couple of years ago when OSU was nationally ranked? I am actually an alumni of EWU, changing careers to nursing (met my wife here who is a nurse) so I could get a good job back in Hawaii (local boy) during the early 90s. EWU is like Boise State, building their program from nothing up to the pinnacle of the FCS, being national champs in 2010 and frequently ranked in the top 20.
I meant Vernon Adams
Hey Rolo, Ron Lee was the best receivers coach UH ever had
islandsun, agreed UHawaii needs a darn good WR and, if needed, a good TE coach. Dropped passes was a big problem.
It was easy with JJ getting the receivers who could run routes and catch the ball with qbs who actually could pass. With Woolsey at qb, won’t make a difference who is the receiver coach. Let’s all hope we can get a legit Div.1 qb.
Happy it was’nt JJ.
So far, so good. Good recruits and good coaches. I think Rolo can turn the UH football program around and start winning again. Might have to give him at least two years.
hey now I truly believe we can score. Now can we get a good one to help Kennedy to stop third down plays?
Also no kick off after score and get run back for td. Looking for good dc hire to supplement oc.
Go Warriors!
Pacificsport I didn’t like the Chow hire cause of the offense he ran so don’t give me your bull. Do you think the Rolo is going to take your advice fat chance. Wake up and grow up.