It’s official: UH hires OC, signs Ulu-Perry
Zak Hill, Eastern Washington’s passing-game coordinator, has been hired as the Warriors’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
The goal with the Eagles, Hill said, was “to play fast and throw it around a little bit.”
Hill said he will try mix concepts of the Eagles’ offense and Nevada’s schemes. In Reno, UH coach Nick Rolovich ran a spread offense out of the pistol formation. Rolovich played — and coached — in the four-wide offense at UH.
Hill said he arrives in town on Friday.
Meanwhile, offensive lineman Fred Ulu-Perry signed a scholarship agreement with the Warriors today. Ulu-Perry received a release from UCLA allowing him to transfer and enroll at UH in January. He will count as an initial signing as part of the Warriors’ 2016 recruiting class. Perry must redshirt in 2016, but will will have three years to play three seasons after that.
Young unproven with potential within budget.
keep on ROLLING, Rolo.
Great, exactly what we needed new blood.
You can see by this hire Rolo wants an exciting offense… When I was watching their games before it looked similar to the offense Rolo ran in 2010-11…
Sounds like an exciting brand of football…
https://www.facebook.com/KaLeoOHawaii/videos/1221103614573237/?theater
Sounds like a good hire by Coach Rolovich. EWU’s Zak Hill has an impressive resume for a young coach. Perhaps another recruiting connect with the Pac NW.
http://goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/coaches/Hill_Zak.html
My only concern is that Hill is coming over from the FCS level to the next step.
Bailey came from Idaho State to Hawaii and it was a rude wakening for him. He was too bold in saying UH’s goal was to score 75 TDs for the 2015 season. In reality, UH scored 29 TDs and McDonald’s gave UH $14,500. So, I just hope Hill is not in over his head. One thing for sure, our QB play was atrocious. Again, I hope Hill has much better luck and can develop the QBs we have to be better than in the recent past.
#7 I heard Zak Hill on the Josh Pacheco show today and he sounded excited about coming here and working with Rolo and the other coaches. He was not boastful but said that the offense will throw the ball around and implement the offense in coordination with Rolo and the other coaches. He was no where like Coach Bailey in declaring specific goals like scoring 75 touchdowns. He was smart enough to not put his foot in his mouth.
2013 EWU 48, #25 Oregon State 46
Granted, one game is a small sample size, but if UH even gets a tiny bit of this kind of offense it’ll be fun again:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yteSu4edehE
I say up front I wanted JJ.
This staff is looking so unimpressed.
OMG !!!! Rolo better hit a homerun
with DC hire.Somebody with experience!
Imua warriors!!!!
I think this will be a good hire to run our offense and work with the quarterbacks. He sounds like a fun guy to be around with for the student/athletes.
Shoulda hired Coac Vinny
He coached better QBs!!!!
Terrible hire!!!!
Well Rodney I wanted JJ too but unlike you I am impressed with Rolo’s decision to the hiring of Naoele, Eliminian, the special teams coach (sorry to lazy to look up his name), Smith and Hill. This is starting to feel like a fun, vibrant coaching staff. This is the kind of energy this team needs moving forward.
Zak hill worked with and coached Levi Mitchell (SMU transfer) and Vernon Adams (Oregon). They put up some impressive numbers. FBS schools hated playing and avoid scheduling EWU.
Still early, but things are looking good for Rolo and the Warriors.
I’m hoping for the best !!!!
It’s just that Rolo sooo young
so inexperienced. Wish he would
surround himself with experience.
Coaches all except Naeole seem like
yes men.!!!
Based on that video I posted, I think Rolo thinks some of the local boys who committed away from Hawaii are seriously considering staying home…
Great stuff…
#1
Agreed, that’s the name of the game for UH… within budget. And to do that, we gotta take chances on unproven with talent type guys. It’s definitely looking like a young energetic staff, here’s hoping all the youth and excitement that’s showing during this offseason translate to the field during the season. Live Aloha, Play Warrior.
#16 – “…seem like…”, which means you don’t really know.
Warrior NY thank you for posting the video, very nice and informative.
Just FYI its not my video… Kaleo did a great job…
In the video coach Rolo says he like how coach Smith will tell him like it is and not be a yes man. I like that. Congrats and welcome to the Warrior ohana Ulu-Perry. Time to update that recruiting check list. PLAY WARRIOR
From the Spokesman Review (Eastern Washington): Hill said Rolovich was “impressed by the success we’ve had at Eastern … he’s looking for an offense that’s going to throw the ball around.”
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/dec/10/ewu-qb-coach-zak-hill-takes-offensive-coordinator-/
Some guy named Paul Johnson came from a lower level school. I think he turned out ok.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HAWAII!
I don’t know if age has anything to do with ability to coach.
I don’t want to throw stones at Coach Chow or Coach von Appen but …
#12 Vinny is a hs quaterback coach. Get real!
Hind sight is easy but the biggest early mistake Chow made was letting go of good young assistant coaches that were on staff and hiring new ones (some of whom were in the “experienced” category) who could not do the job. Rolo’s staff so far is young and bright and energetic. Experience and age are good qualities too. But with the amount of money we can pay an assistant I think the only experienced assistants we can get will be those who have had a hard time climbing up the coaching ladder and are on the decline. We really don’t want any more of that. So let the young guns have their chance. If they succeed they will move on to more lucrative positions. But that will mean the team has succeeded and wouldn’t that be a change.
Couldn’t get Baldwin but happy we got the qb/OC. I think Rolo knows a thing or 2 about coaching qbs. That’s why grumpy hired him. I like what is going on with the offense but what about the “D”?
Hoping for some great news out of the North Shore visit. Perhaps a couple of verbals and a new hire.
29
Me too! Could you imagine Latu, Anae and Santiago? Not to mention Vae? OMG, I’m chomping at the bit!
Hope we know soon! Post if you get any news please, anyone?
LIVE ALOHA, PLAY WARRIOR!
I would pump the brakes about declaring Coach Hill a developer of quarterbacks. All the quarterbacks he has coached (Bo Levi Mitchell from SMU, Kyle Padron from SMU, and Vernon Adams going to Oregon) have either transferred from FBS schools or transferred to FBS schools…meaning he has been coaching studs. Lets see what he can do with Woolsey.
#31: True, but his latest “stud” walked on as a freshman at EW. This season he ranked second in the nation (FCS) at 300 yards passing per game.
Fd UP!! Cheehoo
Dino Babers successfully went from FCS Eastern Illinois to Mid Major Bowling Green
Interesting that Naeole, at around 40, is the elder statesman of this staff. I believe everyone else, including Rolo, are in their mid-30’s.
Karl#31. Hah, hah. I like your humor! Nice pick-me-upper on a Thursday afternoon.
Great hire, excited about how the offense will look. Now we just need Vavae Tata for D coordinator
So far, Rolo has made more astute moves in a month than Chow ever did in his four dismal years here.
OMG..are these the best staff we can get.?? Staff is starting to look like a Div 2 football staff. Zak Hill…Eastern Washington….they played no one of signifcance and barely eeked out a 50% record. I see another couple of losing years on the horizon…!!
Perry is a huge gift. You can throw it all you want but if your receivers don’t want to play catch, your offense is still goi g to suck. So far Timoteo is the only new wr. The dropsie wr’s are still around next year collecting scholarships
Thank you Ulu Perry for coming home to represent your family and Hawaii! Thank coach Naeole for coaching Ulu Perry in the past and being a factor in Ulu Perry coming to UH.
I like the hire of a coach that is familiar with Eastern Washington offense. We will see how it the Eastern Washington mix it up style of offense works at Hawaii.
From what I know about Eastern Washington offense it is a no huddle, multiple formation offense. One play can be a pistol formation, the next play can be I-Formation jumbo package and the next play can be 0 formation spread 5 WR. It really keeps the defense guessing and off balance when run correctly.
And the Hawaii QB has to be able to extend plays with his feet and throw accurate long passes in the Eastern Washington Offense.
But, I would expect with Rolo wanting to use more pistol formation the QB play will have to be more dual threat than gunslinger.
I remember Rolo saying that he wanted a dual threat type quarterback.
Good hire for the money. He got great mileage from June Jones exiles (Mitchell and Padron).
Mitchell lost his job to Padron and transferred to Eastern, then Padron lost his job, eventually to Vernon Adams, and trasferred to Eastern. Where he took the starting job after Mitchell graduated.
I assume Hill isn’t making much
Maa Tanuvasa and Vavae on staff would keep most local kids home..gotta believe
So many negatives, unimpressed comments about Rolo’s choices so far with staff hires. How can these people possibly know, the season starts next year in 2016, not a snap taken yet or a game played. Think you have to give Rolo and the staff he selects a chance. Chow had 4 years, each and every one of these years were utterly brutal, embarrassing and just crappy. All you upfront naysayers ask yourself this, do you think this young coaching staff could be any worst than the Chiow era? Give them a chance before casting that doomsayer stone.
Sorry “Chow era”
Agree…give um chance to prove themselves
At least this staff thus far makes more sense than the inaugural staff Norm Chow had. We could have had Cal or Ron Lee or both …but no… Norm goes with “retired” oldest bro Tommy who lasted 1 year. Norm never had any continuity with the assistants and that was one huge problem. I also think Norm with his old school ways and doing things his way, lost “touch” with the players. Hopefully that RB @ Mililani headed for Oregon takes a look on YouTube at some EWU highlights. Sure was an exciting offense to watch on that eye sore red turf.
Lest I forget…welcome back home Fred Ulu-Perry…Hopefully in ’17 when you’re eligible to play we’ll have a recruit who’s first name is Tua
what day/date is the first spring practice….Tuesday at 4pm March 8 2016
808 that would be nice Ulu Perry and Tua and then some
I like what Hill said, play fast and throw it around a little bit..
Throw it to the left…to the right…down the seam…deep down the middle…to the corner pie line in the end zone..then go for two
Looking forward to more coaching and player news in the coming hours/days/weeks/month
16… Yes men? Watch the video of Rolo. He specifically mentioned that he likes that Smith will tell him the truth and tell him when he’s screwing up. He said he doesn’t like Yes Men. I think with the budget he has to work with, the experienced guys he would find would have a low potential ceiling. The promising young guys are higher risk/reward.
Saw a video of Rolo awhile back. He said that he liked to listen to what the other coaches said at meetings. You can always learn something.
Nice call, Old School Dave.
You were advocating the hiring of the Eastern Washington head coach.
Six degrees of separation.
Colin Cowherd U.
Dave Holmes coached at Eastern Washington.
He almost won the NAIA Championship, prior to his first season at UH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkUZfQAyy3Q
On YouTube … the 2014 FCS Playoffs with Montana
vs EWU … interesting EWU offense / entertaining.
Total time is 2:45 …but… if you’re a real UH fan you’ll
watch it … it’s the future of our offense … Coach Hill
and Coach “Rolo” input … I do feel it’ll work best for
a “dual threat” QB vs the Norm Chow prototype
Taylor Graham / Max Wittek … 6-5 / 240 types who
can’t run and don’t have an OL to block for them … not
to mention WR’s / TE’s who can’t catch the ball let alone a
cold …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0HlUwalks
I’m really liking this hire…. I a hash tag… Anyone got anything?
#That’s how we Rolo!
Sorry that’s supposed to say…
I need a hashtag…
i like this hire that rolo did !! up and coming coaches !! zak hill hope we cn keep him here for a while !!like how we have 3 OC on staff rolo,smith and zak
hope he goes old school defensive coordinator and think about rich ellerson and Vavae Tata as lb coach
Coach Rolovich’s staff is coming together with a lot of “young guns” feel and attitude. No one with AAP cards :-). Looking forward to Spring Ball, as it should be interesting to see what develops.
Looks like Kenny N. is flying to Provo for a meeting after Navy’s game this Saturday. Cougars gong to the triple option?
It’s okay!! We have young guns but we also have coaches who played in the NFL, CFL, Europe NFL, and AFL before! We have coaches from FBS and FCS… None has head coaching experience but everyone got to start somewhere!! With the recruits we’ve seen so far, I am getting excited and hopeful again!!!
Sorry, that should be “AARP cards.” Old guys no can type.
No guarantee how a new coach will pan out, just like recruits. I remember when Bob Wagner was hired and brought along a little known OC from Georgia Southern named Paul Johnson. Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly started out at Assumption College. He then moved on to Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and finally ND.
43 actually Padron lost his Job to JJ Mcdermott at SMU. Hill and the Eastern Washington helped these guys become terrific QBs. Eastern Washington.
Im am a big JJ fan and followed SMU. But Im very happy with Rolo as our HC.
Now with ZAK Hill .. it’s gonna be fun.
Now if only we could change our name back to the Warriors. …
Does Ulu-Perry officially signing with UH mean he passed those two classes per his scholarship release agreement with UCLA?
^ yup!
I like the OC hire. This guys seems to have the ability to develop QB’s, unlike our previous coach. Young, Energetic, affordable and brings a passing attack to UH.
#62 OSD: Imagine the twist of fate if Kenny N. brought the option to BYU and beat a Norm Chow-led UH team with it? Talk about a mind bending turning of the tables…
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