December 7 2011

Page 1

A K LEO T H E

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7 to SUNDAY, DEC. 11, 2011 VOLUME 106 ISSUE 54

Serving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

V O I C E

www.kaleo.org

McMackin says aloha

Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941

BRIAN TSENG / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

Before serving as Warrior football head coach, Greg McMackin was the team’s defensive coordinator in 1999 and 2007. M ARC A R AK AKI Sports Editor

Warrior football head coach Greg McMackin announced his retirement on Monday in front of the media, fellow coaches, players and friends. “Hawai‘i has meant a lot to me,” McMackin said. “I appreciate Chancellor [Virginia] Hinshaw giving me the opportunity to be the head football coach at the University of Hawai‘i. I have decided to retire from my position at this time.” McMackin also put in a fi nancial sacrifi ce as he departs. “In their [players’] honor, I am forgoing $500,000 in the fi nal year of my contract, which I hope will help strengthen the UH foot-

ball program,” McMackin said. “I want to thank my players, my coaches, the staff and the good people of Hawai‘i.” During McMackin’s four seasons as head coach, he racked up a 29-25 record, including a share of the program’s fourth Western Athletic Conference championship in 2010. He also guided the Warriors to the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl in 2008 and 2010. But Athletics Director Jim Donovan looked back at McMackin’s off-fi eld accomplishments. “The Bridge program that he created for the incoming student athletes so they could be here on campus and know where everything was at before double days had started has been very, very

effective for our new student athletes on the football program,” Donovan said. “He started bringing in most of our student athletes to go to summer school. We’ve seen great improvements in our grade point averages for football and in our student athletes graduating and graduating earlier – and that’s really something that was never done before. “We’ve made inroads into Japan. He went out and met with the Japanese coaches there. We’ve had more than 50 of our broadcasts shown on cable TV in Tokyo, and those were the efforts of Coach McMackin.” Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw also shared her thoughts about McMackin.

3 5 83 Waialae Ave. , Honolulu , HI 9 6 81 6 • 70 0 Keeaumoku St . , Honolulu , HI 9 6 81 4

“He came in to this position during a time of turmoil for this university. ... I know then and I know now that he cares deeply for his team, his coaches and staff, this university and the people of Hawai‘i.” Senior safety Richard Torres played all four years under McMackin’s direction. “Coach McMackin was a great part of my life,” Torres said. “Him and his coaching staff is one of the reasons why I am the person I am today. Coach McMackin gave me a scholarship. I’m so grateful for that, and there’s nothing more I could ask for. The boys are feeling it – the morale is down.” For video footage of the press conference, go to kaleo.org.

Report

70 years

WEDNESDAY N: W: S: E:

8 -12++ f t. 5-10 f t. 1- 3+ f t. 1- 3+ f t.

SHINICHI TOYAMA / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

THURSDAY N: W: S: E:

15 -20++ f t. 10-18+ f t. 1- 3+ f t. 1- 3+ f t.


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December 7 2011 by Ka Leo O Hawai‘i - Issuu