On every University of Hawaii-sponsored recruiting trip, a must stop for football prospects is the Ching Complex on the school’s lower campus.
Each recruit, in a specially altered Rainbow Warrior uniform, poses for pictures alone and with family members.
For UH coaches, it is important for future Warriors to see where they will practice and play their home games. It also is key for recruits to see the positives and shortcomings of an interim 15, 300-seat facility that is a holding spot until whenever a replacement for Aloha Stadium is built. No bait-and-switch tactics.
“I think the most important thing between a coach and player is honesty,” said UH coach Timmy Chang, who received the same warts-and-all pitch when he was being recruited by the Warriors as a highly sought quarterback in 1999.
Back then, the Ching Complex was known as Cooke Field, and the artificial turf eroded to the under padding. But June Jones, who was head coach at the time, was instrumental in hiring famed landscaper George “Sodfather” Toma to resod the grass practice field.
Chang is hopeful for improvements to UH’s facilities. In the meantime, the UH coaches show the recruits the renovated locker rooms and weight room. During the recruiting visit, prospects stay at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort, the same hotel where the Warriors stay on the night before home games. They also are told that because the Warriors travel on commercial airplanes, they get to keep the frequent-flier miles (a perk not available to those traveling on charters).
“The most important thing is we believe in what we have and what we can do, and eventually we’ll get nice stuff,” Chang said.
Recruits also meet the UH players, and are encouraged to wade into the public. “They do a hell of a job helping us recruit,” Chang said, “and it all matters.”
Four prospects made UH-sponsored visits two weeks ago, and another four came last week. Offensive tackle Christian Perry’s acceptance of a UH scholarship on Sunday made the Warriors 8-for-8 on commitments from those visiting prospects. They will put their commitments in writing on Wednesday, the first day of the early-signing period for football prospects.
Three of last week’s visitors — Perry, a 6-7, 290-pound sophomore from Riverside City College ; defensive tackle Dion Washington, a transfer from Nevada, and running back Christian Vaughn of Butte College — will enroll at UH in January and participate in the offseason conditioning program and spring training.
Earlier this month, Chang and linebackers coach Chris Brown went on a recruiting trip to Las Vegas. On the morning they were set to leave for Los Angeles, they were greeted in the hotel lobby by Vaughn. Impressed by UH’s reputation as a family-styled program, Vaughn paid for a flight from Sacramento to Las Vegas to meet Chang in person.
The usual recruiting strategy is to host prospects on the weekend ahead of the Wednesday signing period. But UH brought in Perry, Washington, Vaughn and West High lineman Alvin Puefua last Tuesday for a 48-hour visit. On Thursday evening, Chang and Brown departed for Las Vegas for home visits. One of the nation’s top quarterbacks — Micah Alejado of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas — reaffirmed his UH commitment. Alejado took nine classes this recently completed semester to earn enough credits to graduate early and enroll at UH next month.
On recruiting with limited amenities, Chang said, “we’re very open and honest in what we’re doing here and what our school is. We focus on a lot of things the eye can’t see.”
