HISTORY OF HAWAI‘I FOOTBALL
2000
HAWAI‘I FOOTBALL THROUGH THE YEARS 2002 - 2004
2004
2006
2007
2008
UH is invited to the Hawai‘i Bowl in consecutive seasons. In the inaugural ConAgra Foods Hawai‘i Bowl, the Warriors fall to Tulane, 36-28, but rebound for a marathon 54-48 tripleovertime victory over Houston in 2003 and, in 2004, a 59-40 win over UAB in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl.
Quarterback Timmy Chang becomes the NCAA career passing leader, surpassing former Brigham Young signal caller Ty Detmer. Chang finishes his career with 17,072 yards and ranks second all-time behind Detmer with 122 career touchdown passes.
Quarterback Colt Brennan completes the best season in school history for a quarterback, completing an NCAA singleseason record 58 touchdowns and throwing for 5,549 yards. Brennan, winner of the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation’s top passer, finishes sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting after breaking or tying 19 NCAA records, 17 WAC records, and 41 school records.
A school-record five Warriors are picked in the NFL Draft and another six sign free-agent contracts in both the NFL and CFL.
June Jones departs during a tumultuous period after the Sugar Bowl appearance in which AD Herman Frazier is fired. Jones leaves as UH’s second winningest coach with 76 victories.
UH completes a perfect 12-0 regular season and earns the program’s first outright WAC title. The Warriors secure their first trip to a BCS game, the 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl and Brennan earns a trip to New York City as a Heisman finalist.
Head Coaches 2008 - Greg McMackin
field goals in the UH lost 10 lar season by handing Brigham Young a 72-45 B-Y-WHO? fourth quarter. games in vonAppen’s romp on national television. Despite a 9-3 UH ended a 10-game losing streak After just inaugural season and record, Hawai‘i was snubbed for a bowl game. to nationally ranked rival Brigham two seasons, in 1998, Hawai‘i sufThat snub became the impetus for the creation Young with an emphatic 56-14 Wagner was fered through a winof the Hawai‘i Bowl. victory on Oct. 28, 1989. The folnamed WAC less 0-12 campaign, a Later that year, wide receiver Ashley Lelie lowing year, the Rainbow Warriors Coach of the first in the program’s became the school’s first-ever NFL first-round routed the Cougars again, 59-28, Year and led rich history. Following draft pick, being selected as the 19th overall on Dec. 1, the day BYU quarterback Ty Detmer won the Heisman the Rainbow that season, he was selection by the Denver Broncos. Warriors to their Trophy. In the two games, UH replaced by alumnus Over the next three seasons, Jones led quarterback Garrett Gabriel (right) first major bowl June Jones, who the Warriors to bowl appearances. After a completed 63-percent of his passes for 799 yards and seven game – the Jeep brought with him the 10-win season, UH was invited to the inaugural touchdowns. Eagle Aloha explosive run-andConAgra Foods Hawai‘i Bowl, where they lost Bowl. UH fell to shoot offense. to Tulane of Conference USA, 36-28. The next Michigan State, 33-13, but following the season, Under Jones, UH dropped the “Rainbows” season, Jones and the Warriors met Houston Wagner became the first UH coach to head an from its nickname and were simply known as in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl, a game which all-star team in the Hula Bowl. the “Warriors” while introducing the new “H” UH pulled out, 54-48, in triple-overtime and In 1992, behind quarterback Michael logo that replaced the iconic rainbow logo. The followed that with a 59-40 rout of UAB in the Carter, Hawai‘i won a share of the WAC chamWarriors began using the new nickname and 2004 Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl. pionship and posted its first bowl game victory, featured the green “H” helmet at the start of the Also in 2004, quarterback Timmy Chang a 27-17 defeat of Illinois in the Thrifty Car 2000 season. became the NCAA’s all-time passing leader and Rental Holiday Bowl. UH finished the season finished his ranked No. 20 and months later, three-time RUNNIN’-N-SHOOTIN’ career with BYE, BYE TY All-American kicker Elam was drafted by the It only took one sea17,072 passWarrior quarterback Timmy Chang Denver Broncos in the third round. son under Jones’ tute- (right) broke the NCAA career passing ing yards. During Wagner’s nine seasons as head lage for the Hawai‘i In 2006, yards record on Nov. 6, 2004, against coach, Hawai‘i defeated nationally ranked rival football program to Chang’s sucLouisiana Tech at Aloha Stadium. Brigham Young three times, including a 1990 return to championcessor, Colt The Saint Louis School product ended his career with 17,072 yards, surpassvictory on the day quarterback Ty Detmer won ship form. Jones, Brennan, won ing the previous record of 15,031 the Heisman Trophy. In addition, Carter was whose run-and-shoot the Sammy yards set in 1991 by Ty Detmer of one of a handful of quarterbacks in NCAA offense he perfected Baugh Brigham Young. Division I history to rush and pass for 1,000 in the NFL, posted a Trophy as yards in the same season. 9-4 record in 1999, the nation’s the best by a first-year top quarterTHE LONGEST YARD head coach at UH. back. Brennan led the nation in seven statistical Wagner was fired following consecutive losing Jones and the Warriors made history by categories in one of the nation’s most prolific seasons and was replaced by Fred vonAppen in recording the NCAA’s best turnaround season passing seasons ever. Brennan and the Warriors 1996. A former assistant coach with the NFL’s (from 0-12 to 9-4). UH finished the season as garnered their first Top 25 ranking in 13 years San Francisco 49ers, vonAppen coached three WAC co-champions and defeated Oregon State, and a 41-24 Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl win over disappointing seasons in which the Rainbow 23-17, in the Jeep O‘ahu Bowl. Arizona State of the Pac-10. Warriors posted a 5-31 record. In 2001, the Warriors capped off a stel106
2013 UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I RAINBOW WARRIOR FOOTBALL