Picture the young coach beginning to stir as the warmth of the first rays of Manoa sunlight pierce a cocoon of deep sleep.

He rubs the forest of dark stubble on his jowls because, when you are Nick Rolovich, there is no such thing as a 5 o’clock shadow, just a perpetual 24-hour eclipse.

As he starts to orient himself to time and place, Rolovich sits bolt upright with a stark realization: “My gosh, the start of the New Year is only hours away. Finally! Good riddance to 2017 and on to new opportunities.”

Slowly at first, like a draw play unfolding, a New Year’s resolution begins to take shape. Not a half-hearted, loosely constructed one like some past years, perhaps, but one of urgency and detail. His most important one.

Rolovich is starting his third and most pivotal year as the University of Hawaii’s head football coach — time, he understands, for the soul searching and what-ifs of the past month to be replaced by the implementation of a blueprint for bold action that will turn around the Rainbow Warriors’ sagging fortunes.

In his playing days Rolovich was a quarterback who teammates followed because he dove on loose balls and wasn’t averse to getting in people’s face masks when necessary. But he also knew, as he did after things went south in his first stint as starter, when to pointedly look within himself to examine the hard truths and how to regroup and construct a plan for success.

And there is no time in the present to waste. With the euphoria of his rookie year, a 7-7 finish and Hawaii Bowl triumph in 2016 that seemed to portend even better things for 2017 having been replaced by the thud of a 3-9 record and loudly expressed disappointment of the fans, issues must be confronted and tackled.

There are lessons to be learned from his first round of hires and a shoestring budget to be toed as he reassembles a staff after the revolving door of the past months.

For worse than losing the games that brought a share of last place (1-7) in the Western Division of the Mountain West Conference or losing customers at the box office was losing a portion of his team in the process.

Reflecting on the drama surrounding offensive line coach Chris Naeole’s October departure and the sometimes querulous internal factions, Rolovich is likely infused with determination to rebuild his team beginning with the culture that surrounds it.

“Discipline will be Job One,” Rolovich surely vows to himself. “The university administration can mete out punishment when its policies are violated, but that doesn’t mean, as the coach, I can’t kick somebody off the team, too, when it is called for.”

Gathering steam, Rolovich pounds a tightly balled fist to palm and says, “And, another thing, I’ve had it with these selfish recurring personal fouls. That ends now and, so, too, does somebody taking off his helmet and going on a sideline rant during the game. Anybody tries that and, I’ll tell you right now, they can keep on walking … right on out of the stadium.”

Rolovich allows himself a nod of approval for the framework taking shape, but he knows more must be done. “We’ve got to get back to playing an offense that spreads people out again and attacks. No more of this predictability and timidity that, too often, we lapsed into.”

As he glimpses the figure staring back in the mirror, Rolovich reminds himself what is at the core of his resolution. “This is my team, my school, my home and my mission. I’ve got too much invested here not to get this turned around.”