Hawaii Warriors Football

The University of Hawai'i announced Tuesday it's joining the Mountain West as a full member starting on July 1, 2026.

While aligned with the Mountain West for football, the Rainbow Warriors were in the Big West for other sports.

"This is a momentous day for University of Hawai'i Athletics," athletic director Craig Angelos said. "We've had the privilege of being a football-only member in the Mountain West for the last dozen years. Now the majority of our sports will enjoy the same experience of competing in this exceptional conference. Joining the Mountain West allows us to renew some historic rivalries, creates opportunities for increased exposure and provides stability in the constantly-evolving world of collegiate athletics."

Action Network's Brett McMurphy reported the Mountain West will now shift its focus toward potentially poaching Northern Illinois and Toledo from the MAC.

The Huskies and Rockets would come aboard as football-only members in 2026 under the proposal being discussed, per McMurphy.

The Mid-American Conference, which has 12 schools, wouldn't be totally destabilized by their departures, but losing two of its more successful programs on the gridiron would raise long-term questions about its sustainability.

The Mountain West was left reeling after the Pac-12 raided the conference in its own bid for survival. Five schools (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State) mapped out an exit plan for 2026.

Adding Hawai'i as a full-fledged member not only gives the Mountain West more firm footing outside of football, but it also means the conference meets the eight-school minimum required by the NCAA.

The Delaware State football team, which is set to open the 2024 season against Hawai'i on Saturday, missed a Tuesday flight to Honolulu because of a "bus snafu" to John F. Kennedy International Airport, Stephen Tsai reported for the Star Advertiser.

A spokesperson for Delaware State said the team was "working on a plan," per Tsai.

The flight to Hawai'i is slated to take 10.5 hours, Tsai reported. The two teams are currently scheduled to open the 2024 season at 5:59 p.m. local time, or 11:59 p.m. ET, on Saturday.

Delaware State head coach Lee Hull said on Monday that the team was leaving at 4 a.m. on Tuesday to make the flight at JFK, per Steven J. Gaither of HBCU Gameday.

According to Gaither, Hull said on Monday that the team had faced some "issues" preparing for the almost 5,000-mile round trip between Dover and Honolulu.

"Today people coming in—'Oh we got an issue here, we got an issue there. What are we doing here?'" Hull said, per Gaither. "You know, so that last-minute stuff that that comes up because of the long flight. You know we got to drive to JFK, which is three hours away. And then we got a direct flight, which is another 10.5 hours. So yeah, but we're looking forward to it."

Delaware State was added to the Rainbow Warriors schedule after Hawai'i and Oregon agreed in December to reschedule their planned season opener following Oregon's move to the Big Ten.

The Hornets received a "lucrative payment" to cover travel costs in exchange for agreeing to the season-opening matchup, Kevin Tresolini reported for the Delaware News Journal.

Delaware State is looking to bounce back after a 1-10 campaign despite a difficult schedule to start the 2024 season.

The Hornets were already slated to have less than a week to recover from the six-hour time change in Hawai'i before taking on their second road game of the season, an Aug. 31 tilt against Sacred Heart. The team isn't set to play at home until Sept. 14 against visiting Wagner.

Now that schedule has been made more challenging, with Delaware State set to have fewer days to beat jet lag before opening the 2024 season.

Former Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan, who died in May 2021, was posthumously diagnosed with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, according to Brandon Sneed of Sports Illustrated.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by continuous blows to the head and is a major concern in the football community.  Sneed reported Brennan's family donated his brain to Boston University's CTE Center since the disease can only be diagnosed postmortem.

While multiple brain injuries, including one from a 2010 car crash, and lost tissue due to the nature of his death after a drug overdose made it more difficult to examine his brain, Dr. Ann McKee, the director of the CTE Center, was still able to diagnose CTE and shared the news with Brennan's family on Thursday, per Sneed. 

"It was enough to call CTE Stage I," McKee, who is a professor of neurology and pathology at Boston and the CTE Center director, said. "But it might've been greater had we been able to really assess other regions."

Sneed explained Brennan dealt with addiction following a 2010 car accident that eventually led to the end of his football career. While he found success at Tree House Recovery in Costa Mesa, Calif., he relapsed in May 2021 and was found unconscious and not breathing after a drug overdose.

He was in a coma and then died at the age of 37 from what the autopsy determined was the "combined toxic effects" of ethanol, methamphetamines, amphetamines and fentanyl.

Brennan was a prolific quarterback at Hawai'i and threw for an NCAA-record 58 touchdowns as a junior. He elected to return for his senior year and led the team to an undefeated regular season as a Heisman Trophy finalist—the school's first. He held 13 NCAA passing records at the end of his Rainbow Warriors career.

He was a sixth-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft but never appeared in a regular-season game at that level.

His family established the Colt Brennan Legacy Fund in Hawai'i after his death. The fund supports mental health causes and provides goods and services to people in Hawai'i.      

Former Hawai'i football star quarterback Timmy Chang is returning to the school to become its next head football coach:

Per Christian Shimabuku of KHON2, Chang got the job over a list of candidates that included former Hawai'i and Washington State offensive coordinator Brian Smith, Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, UCLA associate coach Brian Norwood and BYU associate head coach Ed Lamb.

The news comes one day after Hawai'i announced that it could not come to terms on an agreement with former Rainbow Warriors head coach June Jones to return to the school:

Chang, who played high school ball at Honolulu's Saint Louis School, stayed in-state to star for the Rainbow Warriors. By the time he left after the 2004 season, Chang held numerous NCAA Division I FBS records, including 17,072 career passing yards.

After going undrafted by the NFL, Chang played professional football from 2005 to 2008. He participated in the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions' training camps and also played for NFL Europe's Rhein Fire and the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

His coaching career began at SMU in 2012, when he worked as a graduate assistant. Stops at Jackson State (2014-2015) and Emory & Henry (2016) as an offensive coordinator led to a five-year tenure at Nevada, where he worked with wide receivers and tight ends.

Chang most recently took a job as Colorado State's wide receivers coach, but he'll now be heading home to lead a program once helmed by Todd Graham.

The former Rainbow Warriors coach's two-year tenure ended with his resignation following a Hawai'i State Senate meeting that saw former players express concerns about Graham's leadership, including allegations of verbal abuse and mistreatment.

Now the Rainbow Warriors enter a new era under Chang, whose first game leading the program will be at home against Vanderbilt on Aug. 27.

University of Hawai'i head football coach Todd Graham announced his resignation Friday after two years leading the Rainbow Warriors program.

His decision comes just over a week after the Hawai'i State Senate held a meeting where former players raised concerns about the direction of the team under his leadership.

Graham released a statement about his departure, saying his family and health were the main reasons for the exit, not last week's Senate hearing:

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the Head Football Coach at the University of Hawai'i for the past two seasons. After much prayer and reflection with my family, I have come to the conclusion that I will step away as head coach of the Rainbow Warriors, with a very heavy heart. I want to give my thanks and appreciation to the players, staff and coaches who persevered through all the challenges of 2020 and 2021. It wasn't easy, but they all fought the good fight and we did things the right way.

Our staff poured our hearts and souls into our players and truly made a difference in their lives. I could not have asked more of their commitment, work ethic and love for our players and football program. But it is clear to me that I must step away and do what is best for me and my family and my health. I honor, value and love all of my players and coaches and I wish you the very best. The University has not asked me to step down. I am leaving solely for my family and my health. We have laid a strong foundation for future success, and I will always be cheering you on!

Graham was hired in January 2020 after previous stints as the head coach at Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State. He compiled an 11-11 record across two seasons, highlighted by a win over Houston in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl.

UH athletic director David Matlin released a statement about the coach's resignation and the announcement noted the search for a new head coach will begin "immediately":

Todd informed me of his decision to resign. We enjoyed many successes under his leadership even as he faced pandemic conditions, the withdrawal of Aloha Stadium, and the prohibition of any fans for nearly all his time with us. Todd's tireless efforts as a coach have made a positive impact on many student-athletes. We have talked at length, and it is clear he has taken this action so that the football program can thrive moving forward.

Graham's status began to come into question in December when several players spoke out about his coaching tactics to Marc Delucchi of SFGate.

"I would go as far to say it's verbal abuse the way he talks to guys," one player said. "It's personal. It's not like, 'Oh, you need to be faster.' He's calling guys useless, jackass and a sack of s--t."

Another added: "Me and a lot of others can truthfully say Graham has killed our love and passion for football."

Those comments were followed by the State Senate meeting, where players who are no longer with the program provided a similar view of Graham's tactics, per Kyle Chinen of Hawaii News Now.

"I just don't see anything changing with this guy here," former defensive back Leonard Lee said. "He has a rejection of the culture and a lack of respect for players. I try to see the good in everybody and try to give people chances, but he's hands down the worst person I ever met in my life."

Despite the players' concerns, both Matlin and school president David Lassner expressed support during the meeting for Graham to remain the coach heading toward the 2022 season, per Chinen.

Instead, the program will now begin the process of trying to find Graham's replacement.

The Rainbow Warriors are scheduled to kick off the 2022 campaign Aug. 27 when they host Vanderbilt.

Several former University of Hawai'i football players lamented the direction of the Warriors' program under head coach Todd Graham, who was hired in January 2020.

KHON's Christian Shimabuku reported RJ Hollis, Leonard Lee, Darryl McBride Jr., Derek Thomas, Justin Uahinui and Rod York were among the speakers at a Hawai'i State Senate hearing on the topic Friday:

Every single person who provided on-the-record testimony via Zoom on Friday all shared concerns about the direction of the program under Graham and how the culture of the program has been gradually lost during his tenure due to how players have been treated by the current regime. Common themes include a lack of respect towards players and not seeing eye-to-eye with Graham and his methods.

Hawai'i athletic director David Matlin defended the coach, saying not all of the comments made about him during the session were true, and Graham answered questions from state Senators about issues within the program, per Shimabuku.

Graham has guided the Warriors to an 11-11 record across his first two seasons. They won the New Mexico Bowl over Houston in 2020 and were scheduled to face Memphis in the Hawai'i Bowl last month before it was canceled amid COVID-19 concerns.

Lee said he believes the program will trend in the wrong direction if Graham is retained, according to Kyle Chinen of Hawai'i News Now.

"I just don't see anything changing with this guy here," Lee said. "He has a rejection of the culture and a lack of respect for players. I try to see the good in everybody and try to give people chances, but he's hands down the worst person I ever met in my life."

Thomas called his former coach a "hypocrite."

Graham said the following about allegations of verbal abuse, per Chinen.

"I can't speak for the people that have talked today and the comments that have been made, but all I know is that in our program, no one has been verbally abused," he said. "Obviously, we are not perfect and don't claim to be."

Hawai'i marks the fifth head coaching stop of Graham's collegiate coaching career. He previously led the Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State programs. His career record stands at 106-72.

Both Matlin and school president David Lassner confirmed their support for Graham as the program turns its focus to the 2022 season, per Chinen.

The Warriors will kick off the new campaign Aug. 27 when they host Vanderbilt.

TMZ Sports has reported that former University of Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan died of an accidental drug overdose last May.

An autopsy and toxicology report revealed that Brennan had fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine and ethanol in his system, per TMZ Sports, which noted that it's unclear whether a doctor prescribed any of those drugs or if the 37-year-old took them on his own.

Brennan was in his fifth month of receiving treatment at a medical rehab facility in Southern California when he was rushed to a Newport Beach hospital for a medical emergency. He died the following day, on May 11.

Brennan's father, Terry Brennan, spoke with Stephen Tsai of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser following his son's passing.

"He was doing so well, the spark was back in his eyes, and he was healthy and doing great, and it happened," the elder Brennan said. 

The former collegiate superstar broke 31 NCAA records during his time at Hawai'i. He also led the 2007 team to a 12-1 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance. Thanks to his efforts, Brennan also finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. 

The Colt Brennan Legacy Fund has been established in his honor.

Per its website, its purpose is to support University of Hawai‘i Athletics and youth sports "in addition to organizations that advocate and provide resources toward making a difference in the lives of individuals struggling with mental health and addiction issues."

Former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, who set 31 NCAA records during his time at the school, died Monday.

He was 37.

Stephen Tsai of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser confirmed Brennan's death with his family. His father, Terry Brennan, said he was found unconscious at a rehabilitation center last week. He was in the fifth month of an in-patient rehabilitation program.

“He was doing so well, the spark was back in his eyes, and he was healthy and doing great, and it happened,” Terry Brennan said. "He had been doing really (well). These guys were no-nonsense guys. It just got away from him. I don’t know how else to explain it. Maybe one day I’ll be able to explain it better.”

Brennan, who served as Matt Leinart's backup at California's famed Mater Dei High School, attended the University of Colorado and Saddleback College before becoming one of the most iconic athletes in Hawaii history. Flourishing in June Jones' wide-open aerial attack, Brennan shattered nearly every Hawaii school record and set numerous NCAA marks for passing efficiency.

He threw for 5,549 yards and an NCAA-record 58 touchdowns in 2006, a record that stood for more than a decade before being broken by Joe Burrow in 2019. A year later, Brennan finished third behind Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden in the Heisman voting.

Brennan was also beloved at Hawaii for helping the school gain national attention and embracing the island culture. He dyed the islands into his hair and led the team to a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2007.

The now-Washington Football Team selected Brennan in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He lasted two seasons before being released in 2010 after suffering a season-ending hip injury the year prior. After a brief preseason stint with the Raiders, Brennan was released and didn't sign with an NFL team again. He never threw a pass in a regular-season game.

Following his football career, Brennan had several run-ins with the law that were alcohol-related. He was arrested twice for driving under the influence and was charged with trespassing while being "heavily intoxicated" after refusing to leave a hotel in Hawaii.

Terry Brennan said his son died surrounded by family and listening to Bob Marley.

Hawaii football head coach Todd Graham had 17 championship rings stolen in Tempe, Arizona, per comments his wife Penni made to TMZ Sports on Thursday.

Per Penni Graham, the couple is currently moving from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Hawaii. The ex-Arizona State coach gave the rings "to a close friend to help move the jewelry out to Honolulu."

However, someone stole the rings out of that friend's car early Tuesday afternoon a few blocks off the campus of Arizona State, where Graham coached from 2012-2017.

"So much went into earning those rings, especially his National Championship ring, as a coach in 1992," Penni Graham said. "Seventeen rings from years of blood, sweat and tears. He is devastated."

Graham was a defensive coordinator for East Central University from 1991-1993. ECU won the NAIA national championship during his final season.

The 55-year-old has been a head coach at Rice, Tulsa, Pitt, Arizona State and now Hawaii, amassing a 95-61 record along the way.

His teams have reached 10 bowl games, winning five.

Graham also piloted the 2010 Tulsa Golden Hurricane and 2013 and 2014 ASU teams to Top 25 Associated Press poll finishes with a high of No. 12 in 2014.

Graham and ASU parted ways in 2017, and he agreed to coach Hawaii in January of this year.