HONOLULU — For reasons both small and large, a return felt right for Dan Morrison.

The position coach for two of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football history, Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan, is back with the Hawaii football team as its co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2024 season.

Along with a few other new faces on staff for Chang’s third year as head coach, Morrison will be on the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex field Monday morning for the first day of spring practices.

Morrison, 74, a Santa Monica, Calif., native, has strong ties with the Islands that go back a few decades. Besides UH, he’s coached at Punahou School, SMU, Washington State, and most recently, the now-defunct Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL.

In a recent interview – see the Q&A below – Morrison told Spectrum News he’s been “tempted to retire for the last 10 years,” but keeps finding reasons to stay involved in the sport. One of those was the alignment with Dennis Thurman, one of the first players he ever coached, as the Rainbow Warriors’ new defensive coordinator.

Last year, Morrison made several appearances with the Rainbow Warriors as an observer. He has previous experience working with UH's returning senior quarterback, Brayden Schager, but he'll also have a chance to mold a young prospect in freshman Micah Alejado. 

He said that since his official announcement on Jan. 19, he’s been working on getting up to speed with the team’s calls and terminology. He said he brought his notes from his first nine-year stint at UH with June Jones, plus another seven years with Jones at SMU.

Offensive line coach Roman Sapolu is the team's other co-offensive coordinator. Chang previously announced following the 5-8 campaign of 2023 that three staff members were not retained.

Besides Morrison, UH’s staff additions/changes heading into spring ball were:

• Former NFL and Colorado director of quality control Dennis Thurman as defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach
• Linebackers coach Chris Brown assumes title of associate head coach from Thomas Sheffield, who remains as special teams coordinator
• Former UH and Canadian Football League assistant Jeff Reinebold as defensive tackles coach
• Former Nevada receviers coach and Saint Louis School graduate Anthony Arceneaux as running backs coach

Note: The following interview was condensed for clarity.

Q: How does it feel to be back in an official capacity?

A: Great to be here. It's a very unique place. And Timmy is a very unique head coach. So it's always good to be in these kinds of settings where the players in the team and things are probably a little bit more of the focus, as opposed to some places where it's a little bit more difficult day-to-day working because of all the chaos around it. Timmy does a great job of keeping that to a minimum.

Q: I know you have some familiarity with Brayden Schager, but what’s your thought on the guys you’re going to be working with?

A: Just getting to know them, really. When I came out in the past, I was more of just an observer, visit with Tim a little bit about some of the things that we've done in the past. Now it’s just kind of getting to know (the QBs). I saw they were young as a receiving corps (last year). If people are patient with them, they're gonna be very good.

I think Braden is very conscious of doing things correctly. And I think the receivers are, and that's always the first step. Where we were successful, it was the young men that were out there, were very aware of being getting things exactly right. And they were very embracing of what you had to say. There wasn't any resistance. And that seems to be what … doesn't change.

Thus far, it’s very encouraging to watch them.

Q: You coached Timmy in his college career. How do you think it’ll be working with him on the same staff now?

A: When you're around somebody when they're in their early 20s and really get to know them again when they're in their 40s, there's been a lot of growth one way or the other. And for him, it was always it seems to be in a very positive way. He's matured and grown. And he's very, very tuned in to not just the players, but the team. And he's also very tuned in to the community, more so than I think if (UH) brought in a coach that didn't understand or wasn't raised here that may not quite understand it. You have to be here for a while to really sense that and see that he does, he understands the connections to the community and also understands the connections to the players who are born and raised here. To me, he was a perfect selection to be the head coach, through everything about him fits this place.

Q: After leaving UH to join June in Texas, and all the other stops you’ve been, where are you in your life that made it the right time to come back here?

A: Tim and I have talked for a couple of years about the possibility of this, and it was just something that made a little bit more sense at this point, just in a personal way. There are certain things that happen in everybody's life that starts to point you in a particular direction. Even little things, like my granddaughter, all of a sudden she’s 16, and she's driving, so there isn't that same necessity to feel like we need to be there in Dallas to make sure she gets to school.

It just seemed like this was a very good time to do this. But there's also the added element that Dennis Thurman and I started our careers together. I was a very young coach, and he was a quarterback at Santa Monica High School, and he was the first quarterback that I actually spent some time working with. And we're gonna probably end our careers together because we’re up there at the other end of (our careers).

Q: Have thought about what age you’d like to work to?

A: Not really. The reality of our world is, if you allow it to players keep you young. … So in as much as the age maybe there, it doesn't feel like that. And I’m very fortunate in that regard, because I know, that's not always the case with people. Very fortunate to be running around with these characters at this point in my life, and I have no idea where it's gonna go. And I think that's a good thing. You just kind of let things unfold and do it.

Q: What’s your view on the latest version of the run-and-shoot UH has run with some RPO elements?

A: I'm very fortunate to have been around two of the individuals who created two of the more popular offenses around in Hal Mumme (air raid) and Mouse Davis (run and shoot), and both of them really advocate that it evolves.

If Mouse was here, he would say, that's wonderful. That's great. You know, take it take it in your own direction. So these things evolve. June did it as well.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.