Friday, November 9, 2001
The man responsible for the Hawaii football team's defense looks more like he'd be in charge of the chemistry department.
Assistant coach Kevin Lempa
has made believers out of Hawaii's
defensive players, and he has
converted a few nay-saying fans, tooBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com"He looks like a professor, especially when he puts on his glasses," sophomore defensive back Kelvin Millhouse said.
And in a way, chemistry is Kevin Lempa's department.
Part of the reason for the Warriors' success this season is Lempa's willingness to accept input from any source, and his building of camaraderie among the UH defense.
"We have that trust bond where we know he's going to make the right calls and he knows we're going to trust in the defense and play what we're supposed to play," senior safety Nate Jackson said.
"Last year was last year and this is totally new, something special. In team chemistry we're a lot closer and a lot tighter and we know what we want. He understands players. He likes input. He'll take suggestions. He's laid-back but tough when he has to be."
It was probably a good thing for Lempa last year that he can pass for other than a football coach. He didn't have to hide at home for fear of being recognized.
His unit didn't make a great first impression on many UH fans, as the defense absorbed much of the blame for the Warriors' 3-9 record in 2000.
Impatient fair-weather followers wanted him gone as opponents piled up yards and points. What they didn't realize is that Hawaii's defensive schemes weren't really much different than the year before under Greg McMackin, who left for Texas Tech after the 9-4 season of 1999.
Lempa said his detractors' displeasure never reached his ears. Part of it is because he doesn't pay attention to media coverage of the team. Also, those willing to give him a chance outnumbered the lynch mob -- and the former group included those whose opinions are among those that count most: the Warrior players.
"It was disappointing last year, especially after coming off the success of the previous year. I come here and we frickin' stink," Lempa said. "Under the circumstances you might think they would stop playing hard for you, but I never felt that way."
Try as they did, the Warrior defenders just couldn't stop the run last year ... or the pass. But they didn't give up on the newcomer with the New England accent.
"A lot of people last year were saying 'What's up with the coach? What's up with the defense?,' " linebacker Chris Brown said. "But it wasn't him. It was us. We weren't executing.
"We're executing now. I knew from the beginning that this guy is so smart in the head that I trusted him. What he was teaching us made sense. It was just we weren't making the plays."
Now they are, and the Warrior defense has evolved from sieve to stone. UH leads the Western Athletic Conference and is 27th in the nation in scoring defense.
All of a sudden the scapegoat is a genius.
Hawaii coach June Jones shrugs. He also never gave up on Lempa.
"He's very smart and the players have rallied around him," said Jones, who summoned Lempa from the San Diego Chargers, where they worked together. "He's a good man. He never changed. We're just doing things better as a defense."
HAWAII PLAYED its first Aloha Stadium game this season against Rice on Sept. 29. The Warriors fell to 1-2 after the 27-24 loss, the effects of which are still being felt by UH in the WAC standings. But it was a turning point for the defense, as Hawaii finally showed some ability to stop an opponent's running game -- and against a strong option offense.
"Going back to last year, we did a lot of things not very well. So we kind of condensed it," Lempa said. "And then, I think after the Nevada loss, because we had some busts, we made a very simple package (for the Rice game). It worked. And then it snowballed."
Since then, the Warriors have won five consecutive games. The defense has given up 19.4 points per outing and forced an average of 3.4 turnovers. UH has allowed only three rushing touchdowns since the Rice game.
Lempa passes credit to the players.
"These are the toughest guys I've been around as a coach," said Lempa, who has been in the business 27 years. "Physically and mentally, to practice -- not just play games -- through pain the way they do, it's incredible."
He said there's no secret formula to successful coaching.
"A big part of it is you gotta have the players .... and put the players in the right positions and teach them the proper technique and motivate them to do their best. It's all about teaching."
Interesting, since that's what Lempa thought he would end up doing with his life when he enrolled at Southern Connecticut State in 1970. He intended to become a history teacher but changed his major to physical education.
"I was a 169-pound possession receiver," the Hartford, Conn., native said. "Slow, but I caught the ball."
His college teammates included quarterback Chris Palmer, who was later the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. He also played college ball with tight end Kevin Gilbride, the first chain in the connection that got Lempa to Hawaii 30 years later.
Gilbride hired Lempa to work for the Chargers as a defensive assistant in 1997 after previous stints for Lempa at Dartmouth (defensive coordinator), Boston College (linebackers, special teams), Maine (secondary), Wesleyan (wide receivers) and SCSU (wide receivers).
"Coaching defense just kind of happened that way," Lempa said. "I still think of myself as an offensive guy coaching on defense. I think that helps you when you study your opponent from their point of view and then plan or react accordingly."
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW about somebody, ask his next-door neighbor.
For Lempa, that would be Vantz Singletary, who coaches the Warriors' defensive line.
Singletary has only good things to say about his boss.
"He's like family to me. Our wives are good friends. We have lunch and dinner a lot and have a chance to talk a lot, about things other than football," Singletary said. "He's a strong family man. He's been around a long time."
Singletary said Lempa doesn't care who gets credit, as long as the team succeeds.
"Most guys in this business have an ego, he certainly doesn't," Singletary said. "He doesn't push who should play. He allows his assistants to decide that. But he has the final say if he feels a kid is being treated unfairly."
Although Lempa understands how competitive college football is, he tries to find ways to get as many players into games as possible.
"It not only keeps players fresh because we're on the field for so long, but it develops depth so we always have someone who isn't too far behind the guy in front if we need him," Lempa said. "And it's good for morale."
Some will point to switching Brown to middle linebacker as a key to UH's success. Another is Lempa's switch to the sideline. He spent most of last year working from the press box.
"When you're up in the booth, you're not around the players. I think it's changed me a little bit being on the sidelines. I've been missing this all these years. One year in Maine I was on the sideline, but I hated it. I felt like I couldn't see anything," Lempa said. "But I find I enjoy it more down with the players. You get caught up with the emotion, good or bad. You have instant contact with them. You can communicate, you can see who's tired, who's disappointed, who's lost their confidence. There's a lot of things you can't see from up in the booth."
Lempa said he is reserved by nature, but his competitive side comes out at times. Not like any chemistry professor.
"He kind of surprises me. He gets wild before games, gets into it," senior defensive tackle Mike Iosua said. "He might not look like it, but he's intense."
The coach said he is even more committed this year because he saw how hard his players worked to prepare for the season.
"They've learned every year's a new year, you have to start over and build your own identity and build a team," he said. "When they invest so much time and effort and you see that as a coach you want to do all you can to help them because they've given so much."
Lempa, 49, has never been a head coach. He said the idea intrigues him more as he gets older. But for now he enjoys what he's doing.
"I just like being around the kids and seeing them grow," he said. "When they listen to you and do the things right, seeing them have success and seeing them deal with the bad times as well. Seeing them grow as people."
Lempa said he doesn't have many other interests.
"If I'm not here (at his office) I'm at home with my family," said Lempa, whose two grown children live in Hawaii. "I try to play golf in the offseason. My wife (Gabriele) says I'm boring. I never thought about it, but I don't really do much."
This season, Hawaii football fans disagree.
Who: Boise State (5-4, 4-2 WAC) vs. Hawaii (6-2, 5-2) Boise State vs. Hawaii
Where: Aloha Stadium
When: 6:05 p.m. tomorrow
TV: KFVE, delayed, starting at 10 p.m.
Radio: KCCN 1420-AM live.
Of note: Hawaii defensive standouts LB Pisa Tinoisamoa and DE Travis Laboy may be out with injuries.
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