UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas » Timmy Chang has been a graduate assistant at SMU for only a few months, but it’s clear his new gig is a great fit.

"We (my family and I) love the area. We love Dallas," the former Hawaii quarterback said. "It’s very different of course from Hawaii but the people here are really nice. They’re really friendly. I come to a great working environment every day and I just enjoy myself. I enjoy everything about it."

Timmy Chang:
Will tutor SMU’s
Garrett Gilbert on the
fine points of the run
and shoot

Chang joined the Mustangs at the request of former UH head coach June Jones, SMU’s head coach since 2008, along with former Hawaii assistant and current SMU offensive coordinator Dan Morrison. The main reason he’s here is to help ease the transition of Garrett Gilbert to Jones’ run and shoot offense. Gilbert is a junior who transferred in from Texas after playing 24 games, including 14 starts, for the Longhorns over the past three years before falling out of favor due to injuries and poor performance.

Since he has already completed an undergraduate degree at UT, Gilbert is eligible to play immediately and will be the Mustangs’ starter when they open the season Sept. 2 at Baylor. He and Chang haven’t been working together long, but he’s already seeing the benefit of working with someone who knows how to run Jones’ offense.

"Well, first off, he’s very knowledgeable, especially when it comes to this offense, running it as prolifically as anyone’s ever done it before," Gilbert said. "So he’s got a lot to give there. Not to mention he’s had success at the next level, so he’s got a lot of knowledge football-wise that he can share with you. He hasn’t been shy about it. He’s been vocal about it, helping us out and giving us pointers here and there."

Chang is equally impressed with his young protégé, who he sees as having an unlimited ceiling in the run and shoot.

"The kid is smart. He can make all the throws and he’s very accurate. I think with more repetition, he’s going to be just fine," Chang said. "I think he has a very great upside. As he gets more reps, he’s just going to get better and more polished. I’m very excited to see him and be part of his next two years."

One interesting aspect of being on Jones’ staff is that Chang is hearing Jones tell his current quarterbacks many of the same things he heard back at Hawaii. But hearing it has a coach instead of as a player has definitely taken some getting used to.

"Yeah, I’m on the other side of the spectrum. It brings back a lot of memories," Chang said. "I’m getting flashbacks of what I used to do. It’s a unique experience, a great opportunity and I’m very thankful for it. I’m learning from one of the best coaches in college."

Since he’s new to coaching, he has yet to develop a coaching philosophy. Instead, he’s more focused on learning skills he views as integral to having success in his new profession.

"I think I have a lot to learn about relating to kids. When you’re a player, it’s a lot different. When you’re a coach and you’re analyzing it every single day, you’re seeing things from an outside perspective," Chang said. "How to relay the information to the kids and stuff like that, I think that’s the most important thing. I’m still figuring out my way. Coach Jones has a great philosophy that I definitely am going to be really close to. It’s going to be a part of me."