The University of Hawaii brought in iconic Rainbow Warriors quarterback Timmy Chang as head coach to return the program to former glories and provide a first winning campaign since 2019. Entering his third season at the helm, that vision has yet to become a reality, but having made some changes to the Hawaii coaching staff for 2024, could this season be the one?
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Timmy Chang
Chang was named the head of the Hawaii coaching staff in January 2022, marking his first head coaching appointment of a now-12-year career. In his two seasons with the Rainbow Warriors, he’s compiled an 8-18 overall record, which doesn’t tell the full story of the year-on-year improvement between his inaugural campaign and the second year of his tenure.
Of course, Chang’s significant contribution to the program to date stems not from his coaching role, but from his time as a player with Hawaii. A legitimate legend in his own lifetime, the former Rainbow Warriors quarterback thrived in the program’s high-powered offenses of the early 2000s, making a national name for himself while earning multiple professional playing opportunities.
At the end of his four-year starting career at Hawaii, Chang held the FBS records for all-time passing yards and total offense. Even now, two decades later, the Rainbow Warriors quarterback sits second in career passing yards, while his four campaigns of 4,000+ passing yards remains the marker to beat for every college football quarterback to come afterwards.
At the conclusion of his playing career, Chang returned to Hawaii to complete his bachelor’s degree before embarking on his coaching career. Starting as a graduate assistant at SMU, he was the offensive coordinator with two programs outside the FBS before joining the Nevada staff, where he coached both WRs and TEs until being made the Hawaii head coach in 2022.
Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach, Dennis Thurman
Dennis Thurman arrives on the Hawaii coaching staff for the 2024 college football season, bringing a wealth of expertise and experience from a 35-year coaching career. Serving as the defensive coordinator for the Rainbow Warriors, he’ll also be responsible for the program’s cornerback room, reprising a role he last held with the Memphis Express of the AAF.
Thurman draws on over a decade of experience playing the game of football at the highest level. During his collegiate career he was a two-time All-American with the USC Trojans and a part of their 1974 national championship-winning team. He also played nine years in the NFL, tallying 36 career interceptions and five touchdowns during his career in Dallas and St. Louis.
Two years after his playing career ended, he began coaching with the Phoenix Cardinals, beginning a career that now spans three decades. His first college opportunity came with his alma mater in 1993, while he’s spent time at Jackson State and Colorado more recently. However, the bulk of the coaching resume detailed below comes from multiple seasons coaching top-tier NFL talent.
- Phoenix Cardinals (DB coach, 1988-1989)
- Ohio Glory (DC, 1992)
- USC (secondary, 1993-2000)
- Baltimore Ravens (defensive assistant, 2002-2003; DB coach, 2004-2007)
- New York Jets (secondary, 2009-2012; DC, 2013-2014)
- Buffalo Bills (DC, 2015-2016)
- Memphis Express (DC and CB coach, 2018)
- Jackson State (DC, 2020-2022)
- Colorado (Director of Quality Control, 2023)
- Hawaii (DC and CB coach, 2024)
Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach, Thomas Sheffield
Thomas Sheffield joined the Hawaii coaching staff for the 2022 season and enters his 13th overall campaign as a coach with experience at multiple levels of the game. In addition to his role as the special teams coordinator for the Rainbow Warriors, Sheffield is responsible for developing the program’s tight ends.
A Sam Houston State alum, Sheffield got his first coaching opportunity with the Bearkats working as an offensive quality control coach in 2011. He quickly ascended the college ranks, holding multiple roles at various programs before establishing himself at the FBS level with the performance of his special teams units at the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Brandon Talton, Romeo Doubs, and Julian Diaz earned all-conference honors under Sheffield’s tutelage in Reno, adding to Jamie Gillan and Eric Nelson as players earning career accolades while developing under the talented special teams coach. His full coaching resume can be found below.
- Sam Houston (offensive quality control, 2011)
- Mary Hardin-Baylor (RB, TE, ST and IWR coach, recruiting coordinator, 2012-2014)
- North Texas (offensive graduate assistant, ST coach, 2015-2016)
- Arkansas Pine-Bluff (ST coordinator, 2017-2019)
- Nevada (ST coordinator, 2020-2021)
- Hawaii (ST coordinator, TE coach, assistant head coach, 2022-2024)
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, Dan Morrison
Despite some offensive successes in 2023, Chang opted to shake up the Hawaii coaching staff for the 2024 campaign by bringing a familiar face back to the Rainbow Warriors. Dan Morrison served as the quarterback coach for the program from 1999-2007 and will reprise that role for the Mountain West outfit this year.
In addition to coaching Brayden Schager and the rest of the Hawaii quarterbacks, Morrison will take on co-offensive coordinator duties alongside head coach Chang. The pair formed a formidable duo in the early 2000s, and the hope will be that they can tap into the nostalgic element to bring success to the islands once more.
MORE: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors’ Top 10 Returning Players in 2024
Morrison brings a depth of experience to the Hawaii coaching staff, having earned his first job as offensive coordinator at Santa Monica High School in 1973. In addition to mentoring Chang, the returning member of the Hawaii coaching staff boasts Colt Brennan and Garrett Gilbert as successes on a coaching resume that includes the stops listed below.
- Santa Monica High School (OC, 1973-1981)
- Punahou School (HC, 1986-1988 and 1993-1998)
- ‘Iolani (OC, 1989-1990)
- Lewis and Clark College (QB coach, 1991)
- Roosevelt High School (OC, 1992)
- SMU (Co-OC, QB coach, and associate HC, 2008-2014)
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats (QB coach, 2017-2018)
- Houston Roughnecks (QB coach, 2020)
- Washington State (QB coach, 2021)
- Seattle Sea Dragons (QB coach, 2023)
- Hawaii (QB coach, 1999-2007; QB coach and co-OC, 2024)
Linebackers Coach/Associate Head Coach, Chris Brown
A three-time all-conference linebacker for the Rainbow Warriors during his playing career, Chris Brown returned to his alma mater in 2022 as the linebackers coach on the Hawaii coaching staff. He also serves as the associate head coach, a similar role to the assistant head job he held at high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman where he helped the team to two national titles.
Running Backs Coach, Anthony Arceneaux
A new addition to the Hawaii coaching staff for the 2024 college football season, Anthony Arceneaux will coach the program’s running backs. Although it will be his first time coaching that position group, the former Utah Utes player has 16 years of experience. He most recently coached WRs at Nevada and previously guided Saint Louis School to a state championship.
Offensive Line Coach, Derek Faavi
Another new addition to the Hawaii coaching staff for the 2024 college football campaign is Derek Faavi. However, he has close connections to the Rainbow Warriors, having played center for 37 games during his Hawaii playing career. He returns to the program after spending time at the high school level and in Japan, but was most recently an offensive analyst at USC.
Defensive Ends Coach, Jordan Pu’u-Robinson
Jordan Pu’u-Robinson is in his second spell on the Hawaii coaching staff, rejoining his alma mater in 2023 as the defensive ends coach. A two-way player for the Rainbow Warriors in the early 2010s, Pu’u-Robinson previously served as a graduate assistant (2021) and quality control coach (2022) before taking a brief sabbatical to the Citadel in the spring of 2023.
Defensive Tackles Coach, Jeff Reinbold
A standout coach in the Canadian Football League and one of the faces of NFL coverage in the UK, Jeff Reinbold returns to the Hawaii coaching staff in 2024 to help mold the Rainbow Warriors’ defensive tackle position.
Reinbold has over 40 years of coaching experience across numerous positions and was previously a graduate assistant (2005) and Director of Player Development (2022) for the Rainbow Warriors.
Wide Receivers Coach, Jared Ursua
The surname should be familiar to Rainbow Warriors fans, as Jared Ursua is the older brother of former Hawaii wide receiver John Ursua.
The elder Ursua began his coaching career at Southern Utah in 2014 before serving as the WR coach and recruiting coordinator at Weber State. After mentoring four-time All-American Rashid Shaheed, he moved to Hawaii in 2022.
Safeties Coach, Nick Locher
After working as a graduate assistant on the Hawaii coaching staff in 2023, Nick Locher was promoted to the position of safeties coach for the 2024 campaign. He arrived at the Rainbow Warriors from Valdosta High School, where his work with the secondary paid dividends with 17 interceptions in 11 games. Locher also has FBS experience from his time at Western Kentucky.
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