With the University of Hawaii football team's fall camp opening next week, second-year defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa admits his unit needs to get much better if the Warriors are to improve on their 3-9 record of last season. Lempa vows to improve
UH’s defensive
fundamentalsBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comIt comes down to basics, he said.
"We didn't tackle (last year). We missed more tackles than you can imagine," Lempa said. "We have to do a better job of coaching tackling. It goes back to the old school idea that if you can't block and tackle you can't win."
Lempa said personnel additions and some position shifts on the front seven should help UH improve on its yield of 405.2 yards-per-game of last season.
"The first thing we had to do was get some better players. I think we did that with the addition of Wayne Hunter, Travis Laboy and Donny Faaliliu," Lempa said.
Hunter and Laboy are expected to help the defensive line and Faaliliu goes into camp as the back-up to Chris Brown at inside linebacker.
Brown, Joe Correa and Kevin Jackson were moved from the line to linebacker in the spring. Jackson has since been moved back, Lempa said, and Brown could follow.
Pumping iron:
Strength coach Mel deLaura said he saw a marked improvement in the Warriors' commitment to the weight room this summer."This year we had 50 to 60 guys in here a day. Last year the guys did their own thing, trained at different places," deLaura said. "This year it's more like a team. Guys want it more. Last year they didn't put in as much work."
At least 15 Warriors have bench-pressed more than 400 pounds, deLaura said.
Here and there:
ESPN's Steve Cyphers is tentatively scheduled to come to Hawaii next week to do a feature on UH head coach June Jones. ... Senior guard Manly Kanoa and his wife, Sarah, became parents on July 5 with the birth of Emma. ... Brooks Baehr is KCCN-1420's new sideline reporter for UH football, joining play-by-play man Bobby Curran and color analyst Robert Kekaula. ... Former UH defensive and offensive coordinator Don Lindsey is now the defensive coordinator at Mississippi. Another former UH defensive coordinator, Rich Ellerson, is a first-year head coach at Cal Poly. The Mustangs open by hosting Montana a week before the Warriors start their season against the Grizzlies on Sept. 8 at War Memorial Stadium on Maui. ... The saga of basketball and/or volleyball continues for Joshua Stanhiser. The 6-foot-10 transfer said his plan is to redshirt this coming season in basketball, which might allow him to play volleyball. "Basketball's my main sport, but I also enjoy volleyball," he said. ... The basketball game between San Diego State and UH at the Stan Sheriff Center has been moved from Dec. 15 to Dec. 14.