University of Hawaii acting Athletic Director Lois Manin wasted little time in making her first big move.

On her first day in the top post on UH Lower Campus, Manin and UH announced a one-year contract extension for football coach Timmy Chang through 2026. It essentially gave a rollover to the leader of the school’s most important program and prevented him from entering the upcoming recruiting period in a lame-duck position.

What You Need To Know

  • Hawaii football coach Timmy Chang has been given a one-year contract extension that will take him through the 2026 season, UH's acting Athletic Director Lois Manin announced on Monday

  • Manin assumed the top job in the athletic department on Monday after Craig Angelos completed the final day of his tenure Sunday following his firing "based on performance" by UH President David Lassner

  • Without the extension, Chang would've entered the upcoming signing day and transfer portal window with 2025 as the final year of his original four-year contract he signed in January 2022 

  • Chang is 13-25 in three years, including 8-15 in the Mountain West Conference, and UH has not made a bowl game in his tenure, but he has had to grapple with factors like a lack of permanent home venue and low NIL support 

“Coach Chang has established a foundation of Warrior culture that our football program needed when he came home three years ago,” Manin said in a UH release. “Offering him the opportunity to continue to build and recruit to the Braddahhood is paramount for the program. We are excited for the future of Warrior football, especially after what we witnessed Saturday night.”

Chang, whose Rainbow Warriors beat New Mexico 38-30 in the 2024 season finale on Saturday to finish 5-7, would otherwise have entered the 2025 season in the final year of the four-year contract he signed in January 2022.

“I want to thank the University of Hawaii, President (David) Lassner, the Board of Regents, and acting Athletics Director Lois Manin for the opportunity to continue coaching my beloved alma mater,” Chang said in the release. “The time is now for Hawaii Football! We believe we have the staff, players, and the support from this community to get this team to where we all want it to be, back on top, winning football games, and continuing to make this state proud.”

Manin, UH’s associate athletic director and Senior Woman Administrator, succeeded AD Craig Angelos, whose final day was Sunday after he was fired “based on performance” by Lassner on Nov. 20. Manin has said she will not pursue the permanent position when incoming UH President Wendy Hensel takes over in the new year and conducts a full AD job search.

When Chang was hired by then-AD David Matlin as a first-time head coach January 2022, he had a provision in his contract that would’ve kicked in a fifth year if UH made a bowl game in either 2022 or 2023. UH has yet to make a bowl game in the three-year Chang era, however.

Chang has a 13-25 record, including 8-15 in Mountain West games. He is 9-25 against FBS programs and 2-15 in road games.

However, the nature of the season finale — freshman quarterback Micah Alejado led UH to a win in his first start and set several records in the process — might’ve made an extension an easier proposition.

Chang is due to make $750,000 in 2025 after making $700,000 in 2024, per his original contract. He made $500,000 and $600,000 his first two years, compared to $800,000 for his predecessor Todd Graham in Graham’s final season of 2021.

According to a UH spokesperson, Chang’s extension year of 2026 will be “essentially the same” as 2025 in terms of contract language.

When he arrived, Chang was charged with changing what had been widely viewed as a toxic team culture under Graham. Meanwhile, UH has been without a permanent home venue since Aloha Stadium was shuttered following the 2020 season.

After the senior night win, Chang was asked by Spectrum News whether he felt he needed more time to turn the program around. In his reply, he alluded to a need for more Name, Image and Likeness funding for his players.

“I just control what I can,” the former Rainbow Warrior quarterback said. “I’m very grateful, I got the opportunity from President Lassner and Athletic Director Dave Matlin to take over a program that needed help. Here’s the thing, it’s a program I bled for. I was a top recruit coming out of high school and I made a commitment to stay here. And that commitment, coming back 20 years later and seeing where the program was at and where we can take the program, we just need help. That’s the honest truth. We need help to take the program where we need (to go).”

Chang’s extension could give him some more pull with recruits, who can sign offers of athletic aid for the 2025 season starting Wednesday. (The NCAA has ceased referring to them as National Letters of Intent.)

In addition, the winter window for the transfer portal begins next Monday and runs through Dec. 28.

Meanwhile on Monday, Alejado was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week for his performance Saturday of 37-for-57 passing for 469 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

Full Mountain West postseason awards will be announced at 9 a.m. Hawaii time Tuesday.

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