Three more football coaches have emerged as possible candidates for Hawaii’s head coaching job.
Oregon State defensive coordinator Mark Banker, City College of San Francisco head coach George Rush and UH director of personnel George Lumpkin have surfaced as contenders to succeed Greg McMackin, who retired as UH head coach after four seasons.
The six-member search advisory committee will convene at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, after which they will sift through the applications. Applications still will be accepted after that.
Banker was a UH assistant coach in 1995, Bob Wagner’s last season as the Warriors head coach. After that, Banker coached at Southern California and with the San Diego Chargers before rejoining Oregon State. He has been with the Beavers for 11 seasons. His recruiting areas are Los Angeles and Hawaii.
Friends in Hawaii encouraged Rush to apply. City College of San Francisco is 12-0, ranked No. 1 nationally and faces Mount San Antonio College today for the California community college championship. The state winner is recognized as the national champion.
Rush has strong ties to Hawaii. Several years ago, Evan Dobelle, who was UH president at the time, named Rush as a consultant for a proposed project to start a football league involving Hawaii’s community colleges. The project never materialized.
Several CCSF alumni have played for UH, including offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich. Quarterback Ikaika Woolsey, who is a part-time CCSF student, is set to join the Warriors as a grayshirt in January.
Rush has coached at CCSF for 35 years, and won seven national titles.
Lumpkin has coached or played for the Warriors in 38 of the past 41 years. He has worked as an assistant coach, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. In 2008, he was a finalist for the head coaching job that went to McMackin.