SIXTH IN A SERIES
Tommy Lee was ready for the happily-ever-after part of his life.
It was shortly after the 2007 football season when Lee announced he would retire as Montana-Western’s head coach.
"I thought it was time," Lee said. "It wears on you when you’re the head coach. I knew I still had it in me, but it was time to retire."
He spent time in Montana, where he and his wife own a house; visited his children in Utah and the Bay Area; and helped care for his parents in Honolulu.
But football was in his blood — brothers Cal and Ron were Hawaii coaches — and he accepted a job as consultant at Montana last year. Three or four days a week he stayed in Missoula, working with the Grizzlies. After the game, he would make the 21⁄2-hour drive to his house.
"After working with Montana, I knew I wanted to get back into it," said Lee, who was poised to land an assistant coach’s job there.
And then his childhood friend, Norm Chow, was named the Warriors’ head coach this past December. Chow offered Lee the offensive coordinator’s title, with Lee coaching the receivers and Chow handling the quarterbacks.
"I always thought highly of Norm," said Lee, who used to exchange ideas when both were coordinators.
TODAY’S POSITION » RECEIVER
Tommy Lee is the offensive coordinator in charge of UH receivers. Here’s a look:
» Key loss: Wideout Royce Pollard (71 catches, eight TDs)
» By the numbers: In the final two games of 2011, Trevor Davis had a yards-after-catch average of 10.36.
» Key returners: Davis, Billy Ray Stutzmann, Justin Clapp, Miah Ostrowski, Allen Sampson, Scott Harding
» Keep an eye on: Clapp’s 2011 season was abbreviated after he suffered fractured ribs and a punctured lung. Before that, he was the Warriors’ most reliable receiver, catching a team-high 86.4 percent of the passes when he was the primary target. Clapp has won over the new coaching staff with a willingness to catch passes in traffic, and with his strong blocking. The plan is to use him as an inside receiver, although it appears he also can align wide.
» The future: Harding played well as a 24-year-old freshman in 2011. The coaches believe there is a place for a receiver with sure hands and shifty moves.
» Spring work: It will take the early part of spring to sort out the contraction from four primary receivers to two (although there are some three-receiver sets involving a slotback). The X receivers will be aligned on the single-coverage side of the formation; the Z receivers will be next to the tight ends. The X is “a bigger receiver with a little more speed,” Lee said. “If we wanted to isolate a receiver one-on-one with a DB, and we knew we had single coverage on that side, that’s the guy we would like.” Davis, who had a YAC average of 6.73, fits that role. The Warriors will have to wait to evaluate two inside receivers. Ostrowski, who recently completed his basketball season, will be held out of contact drills until after the spring break. Sampson is recovering from an injury. Sampson should be an X receiver because of his speed, but is considered for a slot spot because “he has some wiggle, and can make people miss,” Lee said.
» Final words: On ending his “retirement,” Lee said: “After two years of not traveling and following the wife around, I was well rested.”
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Lee wanted to return to Hawaii to be closer to his parents (his father, Thomas Lee Sr., died last month at the age of 94). Lee received the blessings from Cal, who was not retained on the UH coaching staff, and Ron, who retired from UH after the 2009 season.
"I absolutely wanted him to take the job," Cal Lee said. "We’re not just brothers. We’re friends."
Tommy Lee said when he learned Cal would not be retained, "It was a tough decision. But Cal was very supportive. That made it a lot easier for me. We’ve been in coaching a long time. We know there are hazards about the job. When you have a change in the head position, particularly at the college level, you’re going to have a change of staff. Ron and Cal have been in long enough to understand that."
Tommy Lee will be instrumental in restructuring the Warriors’ offense, which will go from the run-and-shoot attack of the past 14 seasons to the pro set, which employs a tight end and fullback. The switch means reducing the number of wide receivers in the base offense from four to two.
Slotbacks Samson Anguay and Chinedu Amadi have moved to running back. Darius Bright is now a tight end. Lee said there are 13 receivers on the spring roster. UH recruited one receiver, John Ursua, who is expected to go on a two-year church mission.
"We knew we already had some quality guys," Lee said.
The receivers will be divided into X and Z. The X usually will be aligned on the single side of the formation. The Z will be next to the tight end. Trevor Davis and Cecil Doe are at the X; Billy Ray Stutzmann, Chris Gant and Charles Clay are at the Z. Justin Clapp, Miah Ostrowski, Allen Sampson and Scott Harding can be used as wideouts or slot receivers.
"It will be good to see what we have and what we can do," Lee said of Tuesday’s start of spring training.
