Interim Head Coach Chris Naeole Speaks with the Media
Athletic Director David A. K. Matlin Speaks with the Media
Players React to the Change in Leadership (Ben Clarke, Julian Gener)

Updated Monday, Nov. 2

HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i Athletics Director David Matlin announced today that head football coach Norm Chow has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. Chris Naeole will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2015 season.
 
"I'd like to thank Coach Chow for his dedication to our football program for the past four years," Matlin said. "Ultimately, we feel this decision is in the best interest of the University and Athletics Department and we need to move in a different direction. Coach Chow should be commended for helping our football program achieve all-time highs in APR scores and graduation rates."

Coach Naeole spoke for a few moments with local media about his new role in the program and looking ahead to the next four games, beginning at UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 7.

"I'm looking to transition and help this university to the best it can be," Naeole said. "I have a new-found respect for the university coaching here for the past three years and I just want to leave it in a better place than I found it.

"I'm going to coach, I'm going to work hard. I expect the most out of the coaches that are here. The players, I'm going to ask and demand a lot from them in the next four weeks and let's see where the chips lie at the end," Naeole added.

On Monday (Nov. 2) morning, Coach Naeole held a team meeting with the student-athletes and started off his first official week as interim head coach. Following the meeting, representative players from the offense and defense--seniors Ben Clarke and Julian Gener--met with the media, in addition to Matlin.

"We still have four games and Coach Naeole and the rest of the coaches are going to do everything they can to make sure it's a good last four," Clarke said.

Clarke's defensive counterpart echoed that sentiment, with the team's focus now on how they will finish the 2015 campaign.

"I'm going to take a little quick step back and look from the outside in to make sure everyone is focused on these last four. I am, for sure, because these are my last guaranteed, official four," Gener said.

The Rainbow Warriors make their final road trip of the season to UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 7, meeting the Rebels at 1:00 p.m. HT at Sam Boyd Stadium. The final three games of the season will be on Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

Chow was 10-36 in his four seasons with the Rainbow Warriors, including a 2-7 record this year after Saturday's loss to Air Force. He took over the program in 2012.