If you follow me on Twitter, you know I ain't a Matlin fan. Far from it. I'm a mark for the Run 'N Shoot. Best offense ever invented. EVER!
So on Wednesday after "Call the Coach" a few people were chatting and a remark was made about how Matlin had hired Shoemaker and that he wasn't Timmy's choice.
I was irate. Went home and banged on Twitter for confirmation. Got it. Boom! It fit the narrative. In his short flirtation with bringing June back after Todd Graham left, Matlin wanted JJ to serve as head coach for a year or two and pass the reigns off to a younger coach like Timmy Chang. With the caveat being that Matlin had full control over who was and wasn't going to be on June's staff.
June walked out of the meeting, Matlin never went back to him, and he moved on with his coaching search. Matlin had what he needed from June, an answer of "no". Only thing is June went to the media and explained his side of the discussion. Something he hadn't done the previous two times he had applied.
The Shoemaker hire never made sense to me. Timmy had never worked with him nor had he even met him. So to get to coach at your dream job, your Alma mater, and then hire some random dude that isn't versed in the Run 'N Shoot made absolutely no sense, at least not to me.
Those first six or so games were tough to watch on offense. The whole season period was tough to watch on offense. QB threw for 12 TDs, 10 INT's and roughly a 50% completion percentage. Hardly the pinball numbers we saw 20 years ago with Timmy, Rolo, and Colt in the heydey of the Run 'N Shoot under June Jones.
So if you brought in Timmy Chang to take the heat off of your terrible hire, after flat out ignoring the concerns of the student-athletes that lead up to a Senate hearing where you couldn't answer a damn question about your own department, that wasn't part of your prepared and scripted statement, that's a problem.
1% better everyday is the tag line. Are we 1% better then when Rolo left? How about the basketball team. They just lost to Texas A&M Commerce in front of a few thousand people the other night. Auwe. Transparent as mud. At least Jim Donovan did Q&As on a monthly basis.
After a season of watching the Bows struggle on offense, where things appeared to improve running RnS concepts. Hearing that Shoemaker wasn't Timmy's pick, made me snap.
Timmy faced so many challenges with all the players that left, coupled with the fact that he was making the quantum leap of position coach to head coach from Colorado State to Manoa. The least you can do is let him pick his own guy to run the offense, right?
I felt bad for Timmy. Going to "Call the Coach" you could hear the frustration in his voice and the want to get better. He says this is his dream job and that he wants to be here, forever. I believe him. I find him to be a straight shooter.
If Timmy needed to get bowl eligible in his first two years to get a contract extension, the very least you could do is let him pick his OC, right? That's not what I heard. Which was confirmed by a few reputable sources. But I ain't about to burn those people because I said something on Twitter.
I've grown up watching UH football. People made fun of me because I liked them. I didn't care. Been a fan for over 40 years. So to be called a "fake fan" is laughable to me. Our group shows up and shows out. We've been doing it since we were kids. I find them to be some of the most wonderful, dedicated, and supportive people I have ever come across.
We were all doing this well before social media existed. So to be mentioned as, "Super Fans" is an honor. And when Timmy Chang says he wants your help, we listen. The very least our outgoing AD can do, is let him pick his offensive coordinator, right?
Watching my friends argue with random people, sock puppets, and burner accounts made me sad. Our fanbase is too small, especially at this time and place of our programs history.
I wanted confirmation and context as to why we struggled so much on offense this year and why that guy is the OC. The narrative fits with what has happened in the way I have seen it unfold.
I just want Timmy Chang to succeed. I cheered him on at Aloha Stadium 20 years ago, and continue to support him as our head coach today. The very least we can do is let him pick his OC, right? Especially when the guy who picked his predecessor screwed the pooch with the hire that put our program in this predicament.
1% better my okole.
You kind of find out who your friends are in times like this. I'm thankful for them.
You can be mad at me. I get it. It's totally fine. I don't care how much access you have to the program. I don't care if you're a bigger fan than me. I don't care if you believe me or not. I'm good. I'm not making random stuff up and posting it for sh!ts and giggles. I have better things to do.
I said what I said.
Go Bows!
