Gouveia won’t Kurt Gouveia -- probably the most overqualified college football student assistant in the country -- won't be back at that post for Hawaii this fall.
return to UH
The former NFL player
will not be the Warriors'
student assistant in the fallBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comGouveia played for championship teams at Waianae High School, Brigham Young University and with the Washington Redskins. He even played in the XFL. The 13-year NFL linebacker joined UH last summer after Warriors coach June Jones offered him a position on the football support staff, and Gouveia enrolled in classes at Manoa.
Gouveia recently returned to San Diego, where he finished his NFL career and has a home.
"He wasn't allowed to coach, but he was a good guy to have around," UH's outgoing defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "He's going to be an excellent coach once he gets his degree."
Gouveia was the Star-Bulletin's offensive and defensive high school state player of the year in 1981 when he played quarterback and safety for Prep Bowl champion Waianae. He went to BYU after he wasn't offered a scholarship by Hawaii.
Gouveia played on Super Bowl winners for the Redskins in 1988 and 1992, intercepting a pass in the 1992 victory over Buffalo. He is a member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.
In other UH football news:
>> The 2003 season opener Aug. 30 against Akron at Aloha Stadium appears to be a go at this point, although the Zips had been trying to get out of the game or move it to another date.
Akron was attempting to move its game against rival Kent State to Aug. 28, which would have made a game two days later at Hawaii impossible. But the Akron Beacon Journal reported Sunday that Akron and Kent State have agreed to play Sept. 13.
Still at issue, however, is Akron's game at Wisconsin on Sept. 6. The Zips would prefer to not travel to Hawaii the week before an encounter with the Big Ten power. But Akron could face a $250,000 buyout if it drops out of the UH game.
"As of today, we're still playing Akron," Hawaii spokeswoman Lois Manin said yesterday.
UH athletic director Herman Frazier has been working on a replacement game if needed.
>> Lempa's last day at UH is Friday, and he starts Monday as defensive backs coach at Boston College -- assuming he can get there in time.
"I talked to my sister and they just got 2 feet of snow," Lempa said.
Speculation continues as to Lempa's replacement. Former UH and Arizona head coach Dick Tomey declined comment yesterday when asked if he is interested. Tomey, who did TV work for KFVE (Channel 5) and ESPN the past two seasons, said he is looking into several coaching and broadcasting opportunities.
UH defensive backs coach Rich Miano and Hawaiian Islanders head coach and Saint Louis School athletic director Cal Lee are considered prime candidates to replace Lempa.
>> College Football News ranked Hawaii 53rd among 117 Division I teams -- and second in the Western Athletic Conference -- in its spring practice ratings. CFN also chose Hawaii quarterback Tim Chang as the WAC Player of the Year.
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