The last time I’d visited Nick Rolovich at his office was five months ago, two days before he would make it four-for-four in coaching Nevada’s offense in a win over his alma mater.
This time it was two days before his first spring practice as head coach of many of those same Hawaii players.
“You want to see if they can play football. Do the fundamentals. Will they fight for each other? Will they fight with each other?”
Nick Rolovich
UH football coach
Rolovich’s office in Reno looked like he’d just moved in, not like he’d been there since 2012. His new one overlooking Cooke Field on Manoa’s lower campus is full of memorabilia, including game balls atop a high cabinet.
“A lot of that stuff was in my closet in Reno, because it was all Hawaii stuff,” Rolovich says. “I hope to stay here a long time.”
Tuesday he begins the on-field part of pulling together the remnants of Norm Chow’s fourth losing season, of finding out who on the roster really wants to play and really wants to win.
“You want to see if they can play football. Do the fundamentals,” he said. “Will they fight for each other? Will they fight with each other?”
In 1999, June Jones learned who was tired of losing after an 0-12 season. As it turned out, there were enough, and enough talent, to build a winning team around.
“Scheme is a great discussion point, but it’s more primal than that,” Rolovich said. “At least a fraction of this team has to be sick of losing.”
The last time Rolovich saw them play, the Rainbow Warriors put forth one of their best all-around performances in many years. They led 17-0, on the road, late in the first half. But UH fell apart and lost 30-20 to Rolovich and the Wolfpack.
UH coach Norm Chow’s sideline meltdown drawing a personal foul that helped Nevada score before intermission was a key turning point. Within a couple of weeks, Chow was finally fired.
In one of his first speeches to his new team, Rolovich addressed that game — especially the part Hawaii dominated.
“You guys weren’t less-talented than Reno,” he told them. “Maybe you loved playing the game less at that time.”
If there’s anyone left who doesn’t want to be here, the coaches will figure that out in the coming weeks.
Although getting the best local players to stay home and play for Hawaii remains a challenge, Chow brought in many players from the continent with Hawaii or Polynesia connections. It’s something all UH coaches try to do; one of Rolovich’s final Manoa recruits his last year as offensive coordinator here in 2011 was quarterback Ikaika Woolsey, a northern California kid of Native Hawaiian heritage.
The starter of 19 games the past three seasons is finally a senior. And the man who brought him here is finally coaching him.
“In recruiting he was so proud and excited about the opportunity to represent Hawaii,” Rolovich said. “His challenge now is he’s had six coordinators. He almost has to get hypnotized and get a clean slate. He has to talk the language (of the current offense) and execute.”
And, whether he ends up starting or not, Woolsey’s unique bond with the new coach makes him a key to transition and renewal of spirit.
“They gotta develop trust in the spring,” Rolovich said. “Trust in each other, trust in the coaches. And we gotta be able to trust them.”
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads Opens in a new tab.
