Staff’s mix of young energy and veterans forms a nice chemistry

This is the 11th stop on Tom Mason’s odyssey that started at Walla Walla Community College in 1978. But such is life for most college and pro football coaches. Few remain in the same place very long.

But when a staff can stay together is when it has the best chance to win together, the University of Hawaii’s new defensive coordinator said.

“I think that’s the key,” Mason said after a recent practice at Ching Field.

His longest stop was at Fresno State as linebackers coach under Pat Hill from 2001 to 2007. That group of coaches remained cohesive, and the Bulldogs posted winning records six of the seven years.

During the same time frame, UH went through five defensive coordinators — but also had just one losing season and peaked with its 12-0 regular season in 2007 and Sugar Bowl appearance. And lest we forget, it was a complete staff overhaul when June Jones arrived in 1999 and Hawaii went 9-4 after 0-12 the previous year.

So no secret formula exists. And as the Rainbow Warriors enter 2015 with a 50-percent overhaul of their staff — including all three coordinators — head coach Norm Chow feels his leadership team has come together well.

“This is an exceptional group,” he said. “Our chemistry has been terrific.”

As with the players, the real test comes Thursday when UH opens its season against Colorado.

In addition to Mason, the new coaches are offensive coordinator Don Bailey, special teams coordinator Jake Cookus, defensive line coach Lance Samuseva and defensive backs coach Abe Elimimian.

When you add in the holdovers — Kurt Gouveia (linebackers) Luke Matthews (receivers), Wayne Moses (running backs) and Chris Naeole (offensive line) — you see a staff that may be the best mix of veterans and young energy that Hawaii has had in a while. It includes men who have been where the players are now and where they want to go.

“I think the staff as a whole covers all the bases,” said Elimimian, who along with Samuseva started on winning Hawaii teams in the 2000s. “We have guys with lots of experience, guys who can relate to the kids, guys who succeeded in the NFL and guys who understand Hawaii culture.”

It’s a diverse staff, in many ways. Naeole — who starred at Kahuku and Colorado and started 150 NFL games in 12 years at New Orleans and Jacksonville — said that’s what the game has become.

“I think it’s football in general, even going back to my college days,” he said. “Football is one big melting pot, guys from all over the country and all over the world.”

Chow was a career assistant before becoming the UH head coach prior to the 2012 season. He admits adjusting to spending most of his time overseeing a staff instead of instructing players hasn’t been easy. And he knew it wouldn’t be.

“I asked head coaches (before taking the Hawaii position), what’s the toughest part of the job. They told me it’s keeping all of the coaches in the same direction,” Chow said. “For me personally, the big part is coaching the coaches, making sure they’re all going in the same direction.”

At the coordinator level, Mason said he spends almost half of his time working with his position coaches, especially since he is new.

“Probably 60 percent with players, 40 percent with coaches. The biggest thing with the coaches is to keep everyone on the same page,” he said. “There are a thousand different ways to do things. So you have to let them know your way.”

This group looks like it could develop into an excellent staff. But it won’t have forever to synergize, as Hawaii is 8-29 in Chow’s first three seasons and only a winning record this fall can ensure it will remain intact for 2016.

Even the young ones know that’s the nature of their profession.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.