UH promotes D-line coach Suiaunoa to defensive coordinator

In a frenetic 24 hours, University of Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich accepted defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa’s resignation, promoted Legi Suiaunoa as Lempa’s replacement, added duties to two assistant coaches, and pledged to become more involved in the offense.

Rolovich made the announcements a few hours before departing for Friday’s trip to American Samoa.

The moves were finalized when Lempa, who is expected to join Michigan’s football staff as a non-coaching defensive analyst, submitted his anticipated resignation letter on Thursday. Lempa met with Michigan officials this past weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich. Lempa will earn about $200,000 — roughly the same as his annual salary at UH — and be closer to his family home in Maryland.

“Being a new grandfather, and spending Christmas with his grandchild, really put some things in perspective for him,” Rolovich said. “It was something he wanted to be able to continue to do. It would be a lot harder to do from here.”

Lempa, who was hired by Rolovich in December 2015, completed his second stint as UH defensive coordinator. He held that position for three seasons through 2002.

Rolovich said he received some 15 inquiries about the defensive coordinator’s position when the job was posted on Monday. Rolovich said Suiaunoa, who was the defensive line coach, fit the requirements of football IQ, diligence, familiarity with the program and players, and strategic aggressiveness. Rolovich made the offer on Thursday night. Because it was an in-house promotion and the union did not object to a quickened process, the position was allowed to be filled only a few days after being advertised.

“I went from being really excited to now it’s business,” Suiaunoa said of the offer, “It’s time to take off the gloves and get to work. And that’s what we’re doing.”

The Rainbow Warriors’ first of 15 spring practices is on Feb. 20.

The Warriors switched to a 4-3 base under Lempa, although they mixed odd fronts and several sub-packages. Suiaunoa said there is a frame to choose a scheme based on the personnel.

“The X’s and O’s might change, but the philosophy of what (Rolovich) wants doesn’t,” Suiaunoa said. “We want to be aggressive. There are a lot of different ways to apply pressure. We’ll be aggressive in how we coach the guys. We’ll be aggressive in how we attack the football. We’ll be aggressive in how we attack the day and approach practice. We’ll be aggressive in all we do.”

Rolovich and Suiaunoa first met during a football camp in Seattle in 2014. At the time, Rolovich was Nevada’s offensive coordinator, and Suiaunoa, a former Nevada linebacker, was a Montana assistant coach.

“I thought he was a good person from the start,” Rolovich recalled. “I like being around good people. For me, I wanted to coach with that guy.”

That opportunity was created after Rolovich was hired as UH head coach in November 2015. Suiaunoa applied for the defensive-line coach’s job, although he expressed an interest in a greater role in the future.

Suiaunoa will continue to coach the defensive tackles and nose tackles. Special teams coordinator Mayur Chaudhari, who coached the tight ends in 2016, now will coach the defensive ends. Sean Duggan, who was hired last year as linebackers coach at Lempa’s insistence, will remain at that position. Rolovich said the final full-time assistant coach’s position will be filled by Feb. 13. He said that coach likely will work with secondary coach Abraham Elimimian.

Offensive coordinator Brian Smith, who also coached the running backs, will add the tight ends to his assignment. Smith will get assistance from Rolovich, who tried to stay away from the play-calling decisions last year.

“I want to get involved in helping on offense more,” Rolovich said. “I know the tight ends are under Brian, but I’m going to take them a lot of the time myself.”

Rolovich said he was pleased with the moves.

“Why do I trust Legi?” said Rolovich, a father of four. “His defense will put the food on the table for my children to eat.”