During a 20-year coaching career, Jacob Yoro has learned inspiration can come at any time or place.

“The biggest purchase I made the last two years has been my iPad,” said Yoro, who was named the University of Hawaii football team’s defensive coordinator on Wednesday. “I was the guy who had yellow pads everywhere. I’m very particular about organization, and it drove me crazy with the amount of yellow pads I had throughout the year.”

Yoro said he types defensive ideas into his tablet. If he awakens in the middle of the night with a new concept, he will input it into his cellphone, then check on it in the morning. “A lot of thoughts come at 2 in the morning,” Yoro said.

Yoro, a Saint Louis School graduate, joined the UH coaching staff in 2017, working with safeties Trayvon Henderson and Daniel Lewis. The next two seasons, he coached Kaimana Padello, a pass-rush specialist. The past two seasons, Yoro helped in linebacker Darius Muasau’s development as a prolific tackler.

As inspirations, Yoro credits Baylor head coach Dave Aranda, South Alabama defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, and veteran coaches Mark Banker, Legi Suiaunoa, Keith Buckley, Cal Lee and Delbert Tengan.

Yoro said he will try to match the scheme to the personnel. But he favors a lineup that features hybrid defenders.

“Being able to have guys with multiple skill sets and putting them in position for game-plan purposes is extremely important,” Yoro said. “The more athletic guys who are standing up in situations allows you to check and make adjustments in games.”

Newly hired UH coach Timmy Chang also announced these additions to his staff:

>> Fresno State run-game coordinator Roman Sapolu is joining as UH’s offensive line coach. Sapolu, 29, who played at Oregon State, is the son of Jesse Sapolu, a former UH center who won four Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers and helped establish the Polynesian Pro Football Hall of Fame. Roman Sapolu coached Fresno State’s offensive linemen and tight ends during his three-season stint.

“The program is the way it is, and he could be one of the guys that can help establish it and bring it back, that’s exciting,” Jesse Sapolu said. Fun fact: the younger Sapolu was named after Roman Brady, a character from “Days of Our Lives.”

>> Chris Brown returns to his alma mater as a linebackers coach. Brown has spent the past several years coaching linebackers and serving as strength coordinator at powerhouse Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. Brown was one of the strongest Warriors. As a UH senior in 2002, he bench-pressed 500 pounds.

>> Abraham Elimimian, who played cornerback for UH for four seasons through 2004, has been retained for an eighth season as a Rainbow Warrior coach. After coaching the running backs in 2021, Elimimian is returning to defense to coach the cornerbacks.

>> Former UH running back Keiki Misipeka, who grew up in American Samoa and Hawaii, will coach the running backs. Misipeka, who coached at Delaware State and Missouri Southern, recently worked for the NFL as an international scout as part of the Player Pathway program. “My region was Oceania,” Misipeka said.

Misipeka was instrumental in helping UH sign prospects from American Samoa: Jaime Tago, Penei Pavihi, Jeremiah Pritchard, Viane Moala, Alesana Sunia, Eperone Moananu, and Scheyenne Sanitoa. “Revive the American Samoa pipeline,” Misipeka said.

Chang also retained strength/conditioning coordinator Kody Cooke and video coordinator Colin Shaffer.