While football has defined Greg McMackin's career path since he finished college, education has also long been an emphasis for the Hawaii head coach.

He owns a master's degree in education from Arizona and he's looking forward to the teaching aspect of the job when the Warriors open spring camp this afternoon.

“;I like the fit of our coaching staff, and I really like their work ethic,”; McMackin said. “;They've really worked hard to be able to teach these players, because we're all teachers.”;

The process of building on last year's 7-7 season—which included a second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference and closed with a loss in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl—hits a critical phase over the next 15 practices, culminating with the Warrior Bowl on April 25.

The spring will be particularly telling for a rebuilding Warriors defense that lost nine starters off last year's team. The offense is stocked with seven returning starters and should build off that experience.

Today's practice runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at the grass practice fields. The Warriors also have practices on Wednesday and Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m.