When the Hawaii football team lost safeties coach Jacob Yoro this past weekend, the Rainbow Warriors activated graduate assistant Nick Locher as a safety mechanism.
For the remainder of spring training, Locher will fill the void created by Yoro, who accepted an analyst position on Missouri’s coaching staff.
Locher, who worked with the nickelbacks in the Warriors’ 4-2-5 scheme, now also will coach the safeties under the direction of defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman.
“I get to have a little more hands-on coaching,” Locher said. “I’ll be able to build on the things that are working well, and try to introduce some new and innovative ways to spark (the players’) learning and ultimately lead to more production.”
During Tuesday’s practice, the first since Yoro’s departure, the Warriors’ secondary battled during scrimmage-like sessions.
“We’re going to miss him,” safety Justin Sinclair said of Yoro, who was the Warriors’ defensive coordinator the previous two seasons. But Sinclair said Locher is “a dog, he’s a ball coach. He knows what he’s talking about. I don’t know where he came from, but he definitely learned a lot wherever he was. He brings a lot of value to our room.”
Locher, who grew up in Owensboro, Ky., decided to “retire” as a player to pursue a coaching career. He was a student assistant working with the Western Kentucky safeties in 2020. The following year, he was promoted to graduate assistant and then to quality control assistant under WKU head coach Tyson Helton. “I’ve been around a lot of football and done just about every job in the building at some point,” Locher said.
In 2022, Locher coached the safeties and nickelbacks at Valdosta High in Georgia. Last April, he applied for a graduate assistant’s job with the Warriors. Helton, a former UH assistant coach, wrote a strong letter of recommendation.
Last season, Locher helped Yoro with the nickelbacks. This spring training, Thurman arranged for the corners, safeties and nickels to meet as a defensive back group, although there also are drills and meetings that are separated by position.
“He’s a great guy to work for,” Locher said of Thurman. “He’s very personable with a great personality. He’s got techniques and fundamentals that are next level.”
Associate head coach Chris Brown said Locher is “going to be an amazing coach. You talk about a guy who goes above and beyond. He’s constantly asking questions. He’s constantly wanting to learn.”
Locher is working on earning his second master’s degree. He’s taking six credits this semester. “I’m following Coach (Timmy) Chang’s message of time management,” Locher said. “I’m making sure my time is being used correctly.”
Brown said: “The thing about him is he doesn’t need much. He could sleep on the floor. All he wants to do is coach. Coaching is his pride and joy. It’s not about money or material things. He’s an awesome guy. You ask him to do something, he’ll do it. He’s also versatile and can coach a bunch of positions.”
