FIRST IN A SERIES
It was a January evening at a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles, and the dinner conversation turned into a recruiting pitch.
Thom Kaumeyer and his wife, Kayoko, listened as Norm Chow, Hawaii’s newly hired football coach, detailed the defensive coordinator’s job he was trying to fill.
"I knew of him for many years," Chow said. "I saw how aggressively he coaches, which is one of the traits I was looking for in a defensive coordinator. I talked to a mutual friend, and we thought there was a chance we could get him."
Kaumeyer recalled: "Little did he know this was the dream job (Kayoko) wanted for me. She didn’t need any convincing."
After all, it was fate that brought the couple together — they met on a Hawaiian Airlines flight when he was on vacation from a coaching job in Japan and she was filling in for her pregnant sister on a business trip — and it would be their destiny to live in Hawaii.
"This is where she wants to retire," Kaumeyer said, smiling. "I love it, too. We’ve come here 10 or 12 times (during a 16-year marriage)."
TODAY’S POSITION » LINEBACKER
Defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer and assistant coach Tony Tuioti are in charge of the linebackers. Here is a look at the position, heading into spring practice.
» Key losses: Corey Paredes (107 tackles), Aaron Brown (103 tackles)
» By the numbers: The linebackers accounted for 39.1 percent of the Warriors’ tackles in 2011.
» Top returners: Art Laurel (nine sacks, 14.5 backfield tackles), Kamalani Alo, T.J. Taimatuia, George Daily-Lyles), Jordan Monico
» Keep an eye on: Brenden Daley, who missed the 2011 season because of a foot injury. He has the size (6-3, 255) and strength (435-pound bench press) to play inside, and the speed (4.7 seconds in the 40) to be disruptive on the perimeter. He is an every-down linebacker.
» The future: Kahuku High’s Benny Fonua, the state’s 2011 defensive player of the year, is physical and athletic. "Benny is tenacious on the field," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. "He’ll keep coming. On defense, he was the signal-caller. He had to make the adjustments. We moved him all over. We put him in a three-point (stance), two-point. He goes 100 percent wherever we put him. He played tight end. He gave us some crucial blocks. He’s awesome."
» Spring work: The emphasis will be on fundamentals — open-field tackling, learning the concepts of the base defense and sub-packages — and sorting out roles. The coaches have high hopes for Lance Williams, a grayshirt from Farrington High who joined the team in January. They also would like to see if Daley, who has looked sharp in conditioning drills, is back to where he was in unsupervised workouts last summer. Daily-Lyles is entering his fourth year in the program — his first start was against USC in 2010 — and expectations have heightened now that he is healthy.
» Final words: "There are some disguised things we can do that will make it fun to get to the quarterback and execute their jobs," Kaumeyer said.
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Although Kaumeyer wanted to return to college coaching after three seasons as an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he did not betray his poker demeanor.
"I kept telling (Kayoko) we needed to get paid," Kaumeyer said. "We can’t give it away for free."
An agreement was reached, and Chow landed a defensive coordinator whose aggressive schemes would complement the pro-set offense that would be implemented.
"We share very similar philosophies of defense," Chow said. "He’s a good teacher, a good leader. It was exciting to get him."
Kaumeyer is an easy fit. His blood is a blend of Japanese and German, and he often receives "howzit" greetings around town.
"A lot of people think I’m local," said Kaumeyer, who was raised in California but has coached or played in the four corners of the mainland. He also was head coach of a pro team in Tokyo.
While his wife remains on the mainland until the waiting period is completed for their dog and cat to move here, Kaumeyer has been busy with recruiting (he helped land two Florida prospects last month) and remodeling the defense.
Whether the Warriors use an odd or even base front, there will be a hybrid end/linebacker in the mix. The strongside linebacker will be aligned near the line of scrimmage in most packages to create a five-man front.
Kaumeyer said he will allow each defensive player to choose a position for spring practice.
"I want them to do something they want to do," Kaumeyer said. "You tell them, ‘Play this position,’ they might not feel comfortable. I want them to pick where they want to start out. If we have to move them, we’ll give them a reason why they have to move."
He said that interaction will carry into games, which is why he will coach from the sidelines instead of the coaches’ booth.
"I’m a big input guy," Kaumeyer said. "I want to tell the players, ‘Here, I’m thinking of going this way. What do you think?’ I tell them to be honest. It might look good on paper, but if they don’t run it right or if they don’t have the emotions to blitz, it’s not going to turn out the right way. I want them to feel the game, so they can get comfortable, and play fast."
Kaumeyer said he will emphasize concepts — basic rules for the different defensive schemes and sub-packages — with the freedom to make changes.
"Am I a thick-playbook guy?" he said. "No."
He added: "I believe in fundamentals, being aligned correctly, knowing where your eye progression goes. You have to understand the team game. If this guy is fast, you have to take space. If you don’t, he’ll juke you regardless. If you miss with a tackle, miss with your leverage and know your help is coming. It’s important to know the team concept. In the NFL, it’s schemes and matchups. In college, it’s team and working together."
Kaumeyer said he hopes to have a primary rotation of about 18 or 19 players, which will lead to seamless substitutions.
"If we can keep it simple, they can play fast," Kaumeyer said. "If they have similar roles (in every scheme), it’ll be easier to learn."
