Football is a pretty big deal in India. Of course, we’re talking about what most of the world calls football and we call soccer. So young Mayur Chaudhari’s parents did not approve of his fascination with the game featuring the funny-shaped ball.
“They didn’t like it,” said Chaudhari, who was born 37 years ago in Mountain View, Calif., after Vasu and Nima moved from India. “They wanted me to be a doctor or an engineer. It’s taken a long time for them to understand. Now they see how passionate I am about it. … I’ve wanted to coach since I was 16.”
They came to the U.S. so Vasu could attain a master’s degree at Villanova. They stayed, moving to California.
“For my father, I think he realized finally that I was actually doing what he did, being the first in the family to do something different. He was the first to leave India,” Chaudhari said.
“Now, my mother (Nima) is a fan. She reads the sports section and tells me what’s going on.”
His latest stop is the University of Hawaii, where last month Chaudhari joined the Rainbow Warriors staff as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.
Head coach Nick Rolovich remembered Chaudhari’s tireless effort as a volunteer assistant at UH in the spring of 2011. And a recommendation from former Hawaii head coach Dick Tomey — who happens to be Chaudhari’s father-in-law — also helped open the door when a replacement was needed for Jake Cookus, who left suddenly.
While Chaudhari’s heritage is rare among college football coaches, so is his history as a player at the level — that being none.
He played linebacker and strong safety at Independence High in San Jose. While earning a degree in English at UC Davis he played lacrosse. It’s also where he started coaching college football.
“Just went out there and started as a volunteer. Before I know it I’m coaching the tight ends,” he said.
There are a few other college coaches who did not play the game after high school. Most notable is Washington State head coach Mike Leach.
It’s never created a credibility problem for Chaudhari, he said. It may actually work the other way more often.
“When I first started coaching the secondary there were those who said I couldn’t do it, couldn’t relate to the players. … I have to make up for not playing,” he said. “I think that it’s about teaching. Can you teach and can you relate to people? I think of this as my classroom.
“If the players know we care about them personally, that becomes our competitive advantage. Then we can be more demanding in our coaching, because they trust us. But that takes time, you have to earn that trust. I am who I am. If I try to fake it, I can’t ask them to be honest.”
Tight ends Dakota Torres and Metuisela Unga and kicker Rigoberto Sanchez all said it’s not an issue.
“Nah, not at all,” Torres said. “I’m really looking forward to it. You can tell he has great leadership skills. It’s all about mutual respect. And there’s a hierarchy, he’s a coach. … I hear he has a lot of experience.”
And that experience is varied. Chaudhari has coached nearly every position at one time or another in stints at Lenoir-Rhyne, Army, VMI, San Jose State and Menlo College and internships with the Atlanta Falcons and Stanford.
Rolovich said Chaudhari reminds him of former UH defensive coordinator Dave Aranda in some ways.
“Not to compare them too much, because they’re different kinds of coaches, but the work ethic is reminiscent,” Rolovich said. “He continuously studies and he has so many valuable contacts he’s developed by his hard work. He might not have played, but that just makes him more impressive as a coach. He’s got so much knowledge, and he’s got a realness to him.”
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.
