University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

What People Are Saying About Norm Chow…
 
Neil Abercrombie
Governor, State of Hawai‘i
“I think you can measure the degree of my enthusiasm of the choice of Coach Norm Chow by the fact that I’ll be hosting a reception for him and introducing him at Washington Place. I believe that enthusiasm will echo throughout the state. It’s up to all of us in Hawai‘i, to back him and the team in fully supporting a Division I program.”
 
M.R.C. Greenwood
University of Hawai‘i President
“The University is delighted to welcome back a native son. We are pleased to have such a talented coach lead us forward. It is also a pleasure to make history with the first Asian-American head coach in major college football.”
  
Virginia Hinshaw
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Chancellor
“UH Manoa looks forward to Coach Norm Chow’s success in building on both the academic and athletic excellence of our football team, as well as ensuring strong connections between the university and the community. His experience, expertise and passion, along with his love of Hawai‘i, will serve him well in this position. I welcome him to our Manoa ‘ohana.”
 
Philip Rivers
San Diego Chargers Quarterback and former N.C. State Quarterback
“I had Coach Chow my freshman year at N.C. State and he was a lot of the reason why I got my career going as a true freshman. Without him, I don’t know if I would’ve had the success that I had as a freshman, which then I was able to continue through the rest of my college career. Although I only had him one year, we’ve kept in touch over the past 10 years and I think he’s a great coach. More importantly I think the University of Hawai‘i is getting a great man. As a quarterback, he had a way of really giving you the best chance to be successful. There wasn’t just one cookie-cutter way about it. Depending on the player that you were, the guys you have, the personalities you have, he was able to tailor the system and the plays and the whole deal to give you the best chance to be successful. As at true freshman, that was huge for me.”
 
Ty Detmer
Former BYU Quarterback, Heisman Trophy Winner 
“I’m just really excited for Norm. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. He’s been around a lot of football and he really helped me progress and was a great coach for me. It will be great for the University. He’s really good at putting together a system for what he has to work with. I think he will give people as much as they can handle. I know there have been times where they’ve run the ball a lot with him, and times where they’ve thrown the ball a lot with him. I think he’s really good with assessing what he has and calling plays and putting together a game plan with what talent he has to work with. He was always willing to allow me some freedom. If I didn’t like a play, he’d take it out of the playbook. He also gave me freedom at the line and allowed me to progress that way.”
 
Reggie Bush
Miami Dolphins Running Back, Former USC Running Back
“I really enjoyed playing under Coach Chow. I learned a great deal from him and grew both as a person and as a player under his direction. He has a great background and it’s no surprise that he has coached so many outstanding players. He is an excellent teacher who was instrumental in my development at the college level, and being exposed to his innovative offense was a great way to prepare me for the NFL. I enjoyed my time playing for him and I think he will bring an exciting and winning style of football to Hawai‘i.”
 
Carson Palmer
Oakland Raiders Quarterback, Heisman Trophy Winner and former USC Quarterback
“He’s a great man, great coach and great role model. They will be an extremely hard-working team that’s well prepared. He’ll focus on winning, education and just bettering the young kids that he’s tutoring.”
 
Matt Leinert
Houston Texas Quarterback, Heisman Trophy Winner and former USC Quarterback
“I’m excited for Coach Chow. He was an instrumental part of my career in college and helped me grow as a quarterback and as a person in college. I just always knew from talking with him that he always wanted to be a head coach and maybe people might have thought (the opportunity) would come earlier, but he’s just been a phenomenal coach for such a long time that it was inevitable that this was going to happen. I can imagine how excited he is to be able to coach at the University of Hawai‘i—it’s probably a dream job for him. I know he’s going to do a great job and I’m just really, really excited for his family. It’s a great opportunity for him, he’s been in a few places the last three years, but it all worked out perfectly for him in the end. He’s going to do a great job. Norm is an old school coach but he’s very, very good at what he does. His style is kind of a West Coast offense, moving the ball around and getting the ball out fast. Carson (Palmer) was the first to play for him and you look at all he accomplished. I just think he’s just really good at what he does. Knowing him, he’s going to put a great staff together and I think you’re probably going to see a little different style of football at Hawai‘i now. I know in the past it’s been the “run and shoot” with four or five wide and throw the ball all over the field. I know that Coach Chow likes to throw the ball, but I think you’ll see more of a balanced attack. He’s going to get the type of players he needs and I think it’s going to be awesome. It might take him a year or two to build but I think he’s a perfect fit for the job.”

Mike Holmgren
President, Cleveland Browns
 “I’m so excited about this. It’s a great thing for the University. I think it’s the most natural thing in the world. Norm and I first met and worked together at BYU. I learned so much about football from him and that was my first major job at the college level. We established not only a professional relationship, but a friendship at that time back in 1982. Since that time, we’ve kept in contact over the years. We’ve encouraged one another and watched our families grow up. The beautiful thing about this, is that he’s going home. He’s kind of come full circle and I think it’s a wonderful thing for the University, for Norm, and his family. There’s no question that he’ll be successful. He is as creative a football coach that I’ve ever worked with or know. His execution on offense—wherever he’s gone—it’s clear that he puts his imprint on the offense. He’s had Heisman Trophy winners at USC and BYU, Rivers at NC State, and all the great players that he had at BYU, so I think he’s the perfect hire.”  

LaVell Edwards
Former BYU Head Coach
“I think it’s a great hire. I think he’ll do an outstanding job like he has everywhere else he’s been. He did a tremendous job for us and Southern Cal and everywhere else he’s been. I think it’s just a great hire and I’m real happy for him and for the University of Hawai‘i. I think it’ll be a good fit. Norm and I had a great relationship. We brought him up as a graduate assistant when he was coaching high school over in Hawai‘i and he did a very good job for us and when an opening occurred on the staff we moved him up to a full-time assistant and he just went on from there and developed to be an outstanding coach, a very good offensive coach. I sure do think he’ll be successful over there.”

Chuck Amato
Former North Carolina State Head Football Coach
“I think it’s great that he’s been afforded this opportunity back in his home state. He’s an outstanding football coach and an outstanding person and it’s something in my opinion that he’s been deserving of for many, many years. We became friends a long, long time ago and I was fortunate to have him for only one year at NC State—wish he was here for longer than that. He brings a great offensive mind and he has been with some outstanding programs. I got to know him when we both did a clinic in Golden, Colo. years ago when I was at Arizona. We played against him when I was at Florida State and he was at BYU at a bowl game when Ty Detmer was their quarterback. And they had a couple of plays that we just couldn’t stop even though we worked like heck on them. He’s very sound fundamentally and he can speak the language to the young men of this day. He’s very organized and I hope he doesn’t stop calling plays because he’s a tremendous play caller.”
  
Kyle Whittingham
Utah Head Football Coach
“While we’re sorry to see Norm leave, the opportunity to become the head coach at Hawai‘i was too good to pass up. We appreciate his contribution to our program over the past year and wish him all the best in his new position.”
 
Lane Kiffin
USC Head Football Coach
“We’re very excited for Coach Chow. After an outstanding career as an assistant coach with many teams, it’s nice to see him fulfill his dream to be a head coach. That’s a great hire by Hawai‘i and should lead to many years of success for the Warrior football program. We look forward to facing Coach Chow and his team when Hawai‘i comes to the Coliseum this fall.”
 
Trevor Mattich
Former BYU Offensive Lineman/ESPN Analyst
“I think that’s a great fit. He was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at BYU and I know him from those days there. I knew then that our talent was always maximized and no matter what happened, our guys were in a position to win. Off the field though, he’s even a better fit because he’s from Honolulu and knowing the family values of the Polynesian culture are critical. He understands that.”
 
Kale Ane
Punahou School, Associate Athletics Director/Head Football Coach
“In any position, your character is vital. I think Norm has great values, he is a family man and he is a son of Hawai‘i. He understands the values that we have here of family and getting people together for a good cause. I think Norm is a good fit and that this is his dream job and it’s not a stepping stone for him. He wants to do well not just for himself, but for everyone in Hawai‘i—he wants to represent our community well. It’s great to see that his patience has paid off.”
 
Pal Eldredge
Punahou School, Class of 1964, Classmate/Teammate Football, Basketball, Baseball
“This is long overdue, but at last this native son is coming home. He’s not only a local boy, but he’s my teammate, and my classmate. I think he’s wanted this job for a long time. It’s a big deal to me. He’s the first Asian-American head coach and part-Hawaiian. In addition to that, Norm has credentials that no one can match. Look at the names that he’s coached—people talk about the Heisman Trophy winners, but there are a whole lot of other guys that he’s developed over the years from his days at BYU, USC, NC State, etc. Team-wise, I’m on record on saying that sometimes coaches that have been assistants for a long time don’t always make good head coaches. But when you look at Norm and where’s he’s been and the experiences he’s had I think he will do just fine. Offensively he’s outstanding and he will bring a different offense than what we’ve had in 13 years and that’s exciting. I think he’s going to assemble a good staff but recruiting will be his biggest job. If I’m a quarterback or offensive lineman I’m thinking, I have a better chance if I go to Hawai‘i. I think he will do just fine.”