Rich Miano, newly named interim head coach, wasted little time in planning the resurrection of the Hawaii football team.
"The first thing to do is take care of recruiting," Miano said. He replaces Greg McMackin, who retired as head coach Monday after four seasons.
Offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich and running backs coach Brian Smith are recruiting on the mainland. Defensive line coach Tony Tuioti recently secured an oral commitment from Justin "J.T." Turner, a former five-star cornerback who played at Michigan in 2009.
Miano said every full-time assistant coach will recruit.
"If you’re a coach, you’re a recruiter," Miano said.
The Warriors are seeking offensive linemen, pass-rushers, linebackers and speedy defensive backs.
"With recruiting, every single scholarship is a commodity," Miano said.
"We have to review and make sure (each recruit is) what we need as we move forward."
Miano said a priority will be to recruit locally. He said the UH coaches will "re-visit" every Hawaii high school football team.
"We have to make sure we don’t get out-recruited in our own backyard," Miano said.
In the past, such players as defensive end David Veikune, lineman Wayne Hunter and defensive tackle Kaniela Tuipulotu attended mainland schools before transferring to UH. Miano said the goal is to make UH "the first choice."
Miano has been credited with establishing the Warriors’ walk-on program. Among the former UH walk-on players who went on to play professionally are Travis LaBoy, Ashley Lelie and Chad Owens. The four UH captains this year were former non-scholarship players.
But Miano said the staff will evaluate which players "have a future of helping us win. It’s not fair to this state, this community, and this football program to not try to get the best guys we can on scholarship."
UH athletic director Jim Donovan said Miano was an easy choice to lead the Warriors during the coaching search. Miano, a UH graduate, played 11 NFL seasons and coached at UH for 13 years.
"I have no doubt he can handle the role of interim head coach," Donovan said.
Miano said: "I’m honored that Jim Donovan and (Manoa Chancellor) Virginia Hinshaw allowed me to have the interim tag, and to move the program in the direction it needs to move in. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a head coach."
If named head coach, Miano promised not to "micro-manage."
"Whoever are the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, it’s their offensive style and their defensive style," Miano said.
UH is opening a national search and will convene a search committee. Applications will be reviewed on Dec. 13, but will still be taken after that date.
