Before he gave thanks and outlined his goals, Timmy Chang’s eyes told the story of what it meant to be the University of Hawaii football team’s new head coach.
Through moistened corneas, Chang gazed around SimpliFi Arena at the gathering for his introductory news conference.
“I see old faces,” Chang said of former UH teammates, “I see new faces.”
His 3-year-old son Levi — named after Chang’s father, who died in 2015 — raced from a courtside seat to the speaker section, and placed a bag of Goldfish crackers at the head coach’s shoes. “That’s Hawaii,” Chang said, beaming at the gift-giving gesture of aloha.
Chang, who was a UH quarterback for five seasons through 2004, spoke of his recruiting goal of steering the state’s best to Manoa and, if they chose to play elsewhere, keep the doors — and arms — open for a possible return. He spoke of past crowds when confetti filled the air and feet stomped on the ground, and the near-future hope of retro rowdy. He spoke of needing community support to manage a changing landscape of transfer portals and name-image-likeness opportunities. He vowed to adhere to a first-in, last-out itinerary. And he promised: “I’m going to give you my all.”
Later, while Chang engaged in a Q&A session with the media, Sherry Chang recalled the journey that led to her husband landing his “dream job.”
The couple met in Canada, where Chang was playing in the CFL. As Chang advanced in his new coaching career, they lived in Hawaii, Dallas, Virginia, Mississippi and Reno. In December, after four seasons at Nevada, Chang was asked to come along with Jay Norvell, who resigned as the Wolf Pack’s head coach to accept the head coaching job at Colorado State.
“When he got the job to go to Colorado, our house (in Reno) was pretty much packed up and we were on our way to Colorado,” Sherry said. “We bought a house in Colorado.”
When Chang was offered the UH job, Sherry recalled, “we just had to re-route all our plans. … This is his dream job. He’s been waiting for this. All the years we’ve sacrificed, and all the work he’s put in, this is his dream. Of course, he’s nervous to take it on with what’s happened with the program. But I think he’s the right guy to do it. That’s who he is. He makes everything better.”
But first, Chang wanted to call a family meeting. “We had a Zoom meeting with our family,” said Mary Ann Chang, his mother. “It was a very emotional time for Tim. He wanted to know. We told him we’d have his back. … He said, ‘OK, that’s all I need to know.’ He took the job. As they say, the rest is history.”
The program’s history had become a debate topic. Several former players felt a disconnect with the program during Todd Graham’s two-year tenure as head coach. “For the past two years, we were outsiders looking in,” said Michael Lafaele, a former UH defensive lineman.
When some players voiced criticism of the atmosphere under Graham — comments that were aired publicly and received national attention — “that hurt a lot,” Lafaele said. “Any locker room you go to, you’re going to see a bunch of alphas that have a lot of energy. At the end of the day, we squashed that. Whatever goes on in the locker room stays in the locker room. To watch that unfold (after the 2021 season), it was was hard to see as alumni.”
After Graham resigned on Jan. 14, Lafaele led a group of former players who met with athletic director David Matlin. “We wanted to help,” Lafaele said. “We didn’t want to just show face at football games. We wanted to be part of the process, part of the solution.”
Several former players who attended Friday’s event said Chang would help bridge the past to the current program.
“This (hiring) is needed — not only for the fans and the state of Hawaii, but for the guys in the locker room,” former defensive lineman Lawrence Wilson said.
Former UH offensive lineman Samson Satele recalled how Chang and others would help newcomers from the mainland. “We took them around the island, made them feel at home,” Satele said. “When it came to game day, they felt like Hawaii was their home, and that they were playing for Hawaii.”
Lafaele said that under head coach June Jones, the players were given the freedom and responsibility to dictate the team culture.
“The X’s and O’s, Coach Jones did an excellent job with the program,” Lafaele said. “But inside the locker room, that was us. Guys like Timmy, guys like Vince Manuwai, and Samson, Nate Ilaoa had the blueprint of what it meant to be a Warrior inside the locker room. The blueprint was love. We heard about all the kids not being happy with the coach (Graham) and the program, that’s sad. That should never be the case. It’s Hawaii. It’s all about love.”
Now that Chang is the coach, Lafaele said, “it feels like we’re all back on the team again. We’re happy for him. We’re excited about it. The alumni I’ve talked to have the same sentiment. We want to see the program be successful again.”
The Warriors use #BRADDAHHOOD as a rallying cry. But the original “Braddahhood” was UH’s 2000 recruiting class, when 14 of the state’s top prospects decided to become Warriors. Chang and Gerald Welch, now Saint Louis School’s athletic director, were part of that influential class.
“I hope the local kids have the same success with Tim,” said Welch, who has been friends with Chang since the sixth grade. “This is their opportunity to stay home and play for somebody who understands the culture and the pride we have here.”
