Hawaii coach Norm Chow endures difficult first season as a head coach with Hawaii Warriors

Hawaii football coach Norm Chow’s first season running his own program couldn’t be going much worse.

The Warriors are 1-9 — they beat Lamar of the Football Championship Subdivision — and their losses have all been by 12 points or more.

He inherited a program that was slipping and has endured a rash of injuries, particularly on the defensive line.

“I’m not sure that head-coaching is all that it’s cracked up to be,” said Chow, who was an offensive assistant for nearly 40 years. “You deal with a lot of issues that as an assistant coach you didn’t have to deal with. Everyone needs an answer — and they need it now. But it’s been fun. … I admire head coaches like Chris (Petersen) that maintain that level-headedness and do a good job year in and year out. I admire and I envy those guys, because it’s not an easy job.”

Chow says his team is outmanned but he has appreciated the players’ effort. Only five players have started every game this season, 28 players have made the first start of their careers and five true freshmen have cracked the starting lineup.

“We fight till the end,” Chow said. “My whole story to them is I don’t want you to look up at the scoreboard. … We’re beat up. We obviously have a tough time matching up physically with Boise State. That’s obvious — just look at the tape. But the guys are very willing. … That’s all I’m looking for.

“… I’m not a guy who looks three, four or five years down the road. It’s a complete change (in the program). How long it takes, who knows. We’re just going to go week by week. We have a plan. We have a vision. Can we get there? We’ll see.”

via Hawaii coach Norm Chow endures difficult first season as a head coach | Voices.IdahoStatesman.com.