Suiaunoa named Warriors’ defensive coordinator
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
Legi Suiaunoa. Suiaunoa has been named the University of Hawaii football team’s defensive coordinator, the school announced today.
Legi Suiaunoa has been named the University of Hawaii football team’s defensive coordinator, the school announced today.
Suiaunoa coached the defensive line the past season, his first at UH.
Suiaunoa replaces Kevin Lempa, who resigned, presumably to accept a non-coaching job at Michigan. Lempa interviewed for a defensive analyst position last week.
The school also announced that offensive coordinator Brian Smith, who coaches the running backs, also will coach the tight ends.
Special teams coordinator Mayur Chaudhari will coach the defensive ends. Suiaunoa will continue to coach the defensive tackles and nose tackles.
38 responses to “Suiaunoa named Warriors’ defensive coordinator”
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Kind of expected. Congrats to the new DC, now we have to find another d-line coach.
No, read the article again.
The situation in the article with the defensive line could be temporary and seems unusual, so maybe the CheeseBall is suggesting they need to combine the jobs.
Maa Tanuvasa for next coaching hire at UH. Great role model. Complete the circle Rolo. Hawaii High School Player-University Of Hawaii Player-NFL Player-Super Bowl Champion-Hawaii Assistant coach? You want the local recruits, this is the guy to do it.
Wow…that would be an amazing hire. Agreed.
YUPS ! GO MA’A !!!!
good choice in-house hire. Totally agree with Maa Tanuvasa!! go get um Rolo.
UH will go FA’A with MA’A!
I like it!
I remember Ma’a but where has he been all these past years?, does he still have that fire to be associated with football in general??
Same mentality as ones saying Chow was a great hire because he was “local” and a “6great role model”. Please get off this small minded “local is better” bs.
Chow NEVER played for Hawaii. Never considered him “local”. He never bleed green. I want someone who bleeds green. Ma’a is the man.
Chow had a very good career at Punahou and as a child growing up would design plays with Cal Lee, a neighborhood friend.
When did “bleed green” mean anyone is a better coach? Then why doesn’t every school in any sports across the nation only have coaches that “bleed” whatever color pertains to that school? As I said, only small minded people would find any connection between being “local” and being good in a profession.
Oxtail, this is nothing even close to being the same.
Have you noticed Chow is about 120 years old while the men we are discussing are not collecting SSI yet?
You wanna go there? Then how about the fact Maa has NO experience as a Div. 1 coach and nothing to show that he would be anything more than an ex-jock that “locals” fall in love with just like Kurt Gouveia whom Chow hired during his desastrous tenure?
I could see the need for a local born and raise Polynesian on the coaching staff who played football in Hawaii at all levels. They would be known to the players and their families here in Hawaii. Jim Harbaugh at Michigan stole Tony Tuioti from our staff.
Look at the number of top local recruits who signed with U.H. on National Signing Day–ZERO! oxtail01 gotta know what it takes to keep the good local recruits home. No bruddah on the coaching staff, no bruddah going sign up.
Sign Ma’a Tanuvasa!
I would love to see all you lowlifes go up to Chris Naeole and tell him he’s not “local” enough or his background isn’t good enough. What a bunch of yoyos!
That may be true for some recruits from Hawaii but I think most of them are more interested in the quality of the coaches and how much they will help them with football.
Fully Agree, Maa would be the next good hire.
Love is blind, in this case also clueless!
Stop with the name calling. You’re spoiling the fun in sports.
Alright Legi!!! Geev’em this coming season!!!
Are they even going to hire another coach? Doesn’t sound like it. Sounds like they just juggled and doubled-up responsibilities.
Brian Smith doing TEs? Kind of bummed to read that. Seems like Rolo wants TEs as an extra blocker to help the run game, not in routes.
Hire the attitude of Leonard Peters, then you’ll have a defense.
knockout punch!
Don’t see it that way. Rolo wants to expand the role TE plays in the offense and have recruited additional tight ends to fill that role. It makes sense for the offensive coordinator to have the TEs also so they fully understand and are integrated into the offensive scheme. If you look at the expanding role of TEs in the pros, you’ll understand where Rolo is headed.
Great observation and knowledge.
TEs….Love it (Gronk, Ho’omanawanui, Russ Francis,Ekaika Francis, Carl Lorch) the can block, run & have sticky fingers….
oops…Ikaika
@rover, other one, Karl…
For me, I believe Kevin Lempa took the brunt of the criticism on his very weak Warrior football team that lost a couple games by a “blow out”. It was the worst Warrior defense I have ever seen in my years of watching University of Hawaii football.
With the hiring of in house of a replacement for Kevin Lempa insteat of going out locally and nationally for a replacement, I believe it was the low budget of our University of Hawaii Athletic department. So they hired Legi Suiaunoa an in house pick for Lempa’s replacement.
I don’t really know what is Legi’s defensive footall experience has and I am sure all Warrior football fan what will be his defensive scheme. Legi will put in the fire if his defensive team resembles the one in 2016. I really hope he does well.
I think you were watching re-runs of the 2015 season.
The defense was pretty close to rock bottom. The change is hopefully for the better.
Wonder why they couldn’t run an ad and see what candidates showed up first?
Do you realiza how the poor pay to coach in Hawaii is a major drawback in EVER keeping our young and talented coaches? Let alone attracting them?
What’s the going pay rate for our assistant coaches??
Way too logical pacificsports.