In the six-week grind of the college basketball preseason, sometimes you need to keep your players guessing.

Enter Hawaii assistant coach Adam Jacobsen, the joker of the Rainbow Warriors’ staff.

Jacobsen, a former player and longtime assistant coach at Pacific, was the first hire of new head coach Eran Ganot back in April. In the months since, Jacobsen has taken the lead in directing UH’s new offense and has been a steady voice heading up the team’s guards at practices. He’s also occasionally baffled those around him with an unusual sense of humor that, depending on the moment, can either come off as deadpan or hyperbolic.

"No one’s figured it out. Our players don’t know what he’s talking about," said Ganot, his mouth curving into a slight smile. "He thinks he’s funny. But he does lighten the mood. You need that."

Jacobsen, 40, grew up in a sports-centric family. His father, Von, was a decorated player at San Diego State and raised his four sons with a tough-love style in Southern California. All four played college hoops. Adam’s younger brother, Casey, starred at Stanford and went on to play in the NBA and overseas. Adam excelled as a player at Pacific — scoring more than 1,500 points and setting the then-Big West record for career 3-pointers made at 311 — and made a pretty seamless transition into a longtime Tigers coach.

He honed his style for 14 years at Pacific, including the last couple of years as associate head coach, winning seven league titles when combined with his prolific playing days. When Ganot, a West Coast hoops contemporary, offered Jacobsen a change of scenery, he decided to branch out from Stockton, Calif., at last.

Hawaii is now the adopted home for him; his wife, DeAnn; and their three children, Presley, 11; Ava, 8; and Luke, 3.

"It’s funny, when you’re younger and you play, people ask you where you’re from, where are your parents from, but once you start living somewhere, technically, aren’t you from there?" Jacobsen said. "So when people ask me right now where I’m from, I’m from Hawaii. I’m not from where I was born 40 years ago."

It’s hard to argue with "Coach Jake" when he gets on a roll. UH’s guards have learned to be prepared; a seemingly innocent barb might come packaged with a lesson.

"Yeah, it’s the best of both worlds," redshirt freshman Brocke Stepteau said. "He’s real intense, so if you mess up he’s going to get on you. And there are times he’s joking around, having a good time. You just gotta be ready for anything and have your mind right and focused."

When run correctly, UH’s four-out offensive scheme is no joke. Jacobsen headed up a more traditional system with two post players at Pacific, but said there are similarities with the more perimeter-oriented style that he and Ganot adopted from Saint Mary’s.

There was never much doubt Jacobsen would be a coach. Retired Tigers coach Bob Thomason recalled how he would have to invent things to yell at the guard just so other players knew he wasn’t infallible. Prior to his senior season at Pacific, Jacobsen tore an ACL. He turned the misfortune into opportunity when Thomason allowed him into coaches’ huddles and meetings that year.

He redshirted that season, came back as a fifth-year player, and knew exactly what he wanted to do from there.

"He was very loyal to me and the program," said Thomason, the Big West’s all-time wins leader (414). "He grew up through the program. That will be the same thing at Hawaii. He will be very loyal to Hawaii and the head coach. I think that’s very important."

CBS Sports reported last month that Pacific is under NCAA investigation centered on the alleged academic misconduct of another former Tigers assistant, Joe Ford, who worked with Jacobsen at the same time under Thomason’s successor, Ron Verlin.

Ganot said he was not concerned about the report, and reiterated he selected Jacobsen in part for his high character. Jacobsen declined comment on the matter.

"Our program is very fortunate to have him on board," Ganot said. "His experience, who he is as a person, his family. He comes from a basketball family, does things right."