On an SPF-75 afternoon, Timmy Chang was solar energetic.
“Having fun,” Chang said as he exited the Ching Complex following his third spring practice as the University of Hawaii football team’s head coach.
With the state’s COVID-19 restrictions lifted, Saturday’s 150-minute practice was the first in two years open to UH fans.
Sixty members of the Mau Toa youth football program were among the attendees. Former Warriors who were on the sideline included John Wa‘a, R.J. Hollis, John Ursua, Andrew James Ho, Darrick Branch, Tavita Woodard and Hunter Hughes.
“We want them around,” Chang said of the alumni turnout. “I coach a bunch of my teammates’ sons now, and that’s fun. Having them around, seeing the support, it means everything.”
Saturday’s practice was the first with shoulder pads. But the feisty atmosphere had started two days earlier, when a hold-me-back scuffle broke out after a defensive end knocked down a running back in a no-knockdown session.
“It’ll get chippy out here,” Chang said. “At the end of the day, when we leave and we walk out these gates, and we go in the locker room, we’re all one.”
On Saturday, there was redemption. Leonard Lee, who was a vocal critic of previous coach Todd Graham, rejoined the Warriors this month after a vote of approval from teammates and participation in a walk-on tryout. Lee, a safety, made two interceptions in team sessions.
There also was progress. Steven Fiso, who was recruited as a safety and played tight end last season, showed speed as a wideout on deep routes. Zion Bowens also made several catches.
And the competition continued for a successor to quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who transferred to San Jose State. There are seven quarterbacks on the spring roster. Washington State transfer Cammon Cooper and Brayden Schager, who was 2-1 as a starter last season, have received the bulk of the reps. Chang said the evaluation will include more video reviews. He has maintained there is no timetable for establishing a depth chart at quarterback.
“They’re all different styles,” Chang said. “You’ve got lefties. You’ve got tall ones. You’ve got shorter ones. You’ve got guys that can run. You’ve got pocket guys. They all bring something different to the playbook. There are a lot of different plays inside there. We’ve got to go back and evaluate and see where guys are at.”
After Cordeiro entered the transfer portal following the regular-season finale, Schager was named UH’s starting quarterback for the 2021 Hawaii Bowl. But the Warriors announced they did not have enough available players to compete in the bowl.
Schager indicated offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker and Chang have been helpful in teaching the hybrid offense.
“It really feels like a whole different culture right now with this new coaching staff,” Schager said. “It’s really changed for the better, and I think we’re going to be better.”
The past two years, Cooper played in a Washington State offense coached by two former Warriors and teammates of Chang’s — Craig Stutzmann and Brian Smith. Cooper acknowledged this spring is about learning the offense.
“Realizing it’s OK to mess up sometimes, like every play is not going to kill my chance,” said Cooper, noting the encouraging atmosphere fosters “being able to play fast and with confidence.”
Chang, who enjoyed a record-setting career as a UH quarterback, was reminded there were nine passers on the Warriors’ roster in 2000, his freshman year. “It makes for good competition, right?” Chang said. “I think we’ve got seven now. The room’s full. What’s so special about those guys is they all work hard, they’re all in the film room, they’re all asking questions. … They’re a hard-working group. That’s what we want at the quarterback position. The competition will keep going.”
