Quotes from the local papers

About being too busy to eat his Burger King leftovers, GM said that was:
"my only meal today." (HA)

About shedding his grandfather image, GM said:
"I don't know where I get that label. I am a grandfather, but I'm a young grandfather. I'm a defensive (coach) personality. I'm not a yeller or screamer. But when I get upset, they know it. If you yell and scream all of the time, they won't know when you're really upset. I have my defensive (coach) side." (HA)

About his first day as UH coach, GM said:
"It was an interesting day. It was a fun day. We met a lot of neat people, a lot of supportive people. Heather and I enjoyed ourselves." (HA)

About applying for the UH head coaching job instead of going to SMU to be the DC, GM said:
"I was going to Dallas with (Jones). Somebody called me and asked if I would be interested in the job. I said I would in three situations: one that it's quick, one that it's sincere, and one that I have June's blessing on it." (HA)

My (grand)kids are there (in Texas but now will move to Hawai'i). I thought if somebody were interested in me, they'd say something. All of a sudden there's such an outpouring. I can't count how many e-mails. Even on the blog, there was a great response. I was surprised when (Jones) came out and did (endorse). I think the world of June Jones. I have this job because of June Jones. He's the best. There will never be another June Jones. I'll never be able to replace him. I hope I might be able to cement it together to keep things going because he got us to such a level." (HA)

About UH hiring him 8 days just after JJ left, GM said:
"It really fit in for us to get to work, to get recruiting. We had the walk-on tryouts (yesterday), and some of those guys will be invited (to spring practice). And we'll have recruits in this weekend. It's not too late to save recruiting. We lost a few (prospects) just because of the time. But we're not going to panic or go fast because there are going to be guys out there. We have to look a little harder for them. I like to save a couple of scholarships in case somebody comes out of the blue." (HA)

Asked about their top recruiting needs, GM said:
"We need immediate help at receiver. We need another running back who's bigger, more physical, faster. We need another corner. We'd be smart if we ran into a couple of good offensive linemen. Oh, and we need a JC quarterback to come in and compete and go for it." (HA)

Asked about his approach to recruiting, GM said:
"Our first priority is the Islands, and then go get as many players as we can from (the South Pacific). And then go after the Polynesian-type kids on the Mainland, or anybody who's an athlete. I think you start here, and then if you have a connection. I had a guy who called me from (the Mainland), who's a friend of one of our players, who has three (years) to play three (three seasons). He's a 290-pound defensive tackle. That kind of guy, you have a connection with.

I'm going to give Rich and the Lee brothers a (bigger) role in (local) recruiting. Rich and the Lee brothers are legends on these Islands. They know the talent and they know the families. And people trust them. I think we can go back to getting the top guys from here. Per capita, this state has more football players than any other state in the country. You can go to Texas and Florida, and they might have more guys, but not per capita." (HA)

About his role in recruiting, GM said:
"I want to meet every parent. I want to know what the (player's) character is, how he's been raised. (Parents) want to know who'll be raising their son. I'm really big on home visits and really getting to know the family. I don't mind the travel. That's what you have to do." (HA)

Asked about UH's practice schedule, GM said:
"I think June's idea of practicing in the morning is genius. It gets the kids up, and you can get your practice done as a coach and then work all day long. When we go on the road, we're playing (in day games) about the time we practice (in Hawai'i). We stay on Hawaiian time. I'm not going to change a lot of things. Obviously, you have to coach your own style, but I'm going to carry on what June has done." (HA)

Asked about his coaching staff, GM said:
"The guys who are here are Ron (Lee), Cal (Lee), Rich (Miano) and George (Lumpkin). In my mind, George is a great coach. He knows this place. He's been a rock for me. I'm going to find where George wants to coach. George can do, with me, anything he wants. I have that much respect for him. That's four guys (on staff). I guess I'm looking for five (other) guys — a quarterback coach, offensive line coach. I don't know if I'm going to have a running back coach. In this offense, I may have a second offensive line coach that helps with both positions. For the others, there are all kinds of possibilities. There are a couple of guys I have in mind for the defensive line. I'll have two defensive line coaches. There's a lot of flexibility. Obviously Rich will coach the secondary. Cal will coach the linebackers." (HA)

About their offense, GM said:
"We're going to run the run-and-shoot. I've run the run-and-shoot before. June's a master of the run-and-shoot. We're going to be a little more fundamental. Maybe not as much as Mouse (Davis, the scheme's architect), but sort of in-between. I'll let Ron (Lee, the offensive coordinator) call the plays. Every once in a while, I'll call a couple." (HA)

About their starting QB job, GM said:
"It's open. That's a positive about somebody new coming in. It's like when I came in on defense (last April). Everybody was in the same situation. That's the way it'll be. We'll have a starting point, but everybody will have the same amount of reps (in spring practice). We want to get the best players on the football field." (HA)

About his role, GM said:
"The thing I don't think is good is when coaches just stand around the whole practice. They got the (head) job because they coached, and then they quit coaching. I can't do that. I'm going to have a big hand in the defense and a little bit of a hand in the offense." (HA)

About his coaching style, GM said:
"I would say that I'm a player's coach, in that I care about the players. I'm a teacher. I want to teach them the game. I want to be fair. I want to treat the players like men. I don't have a lot of rules, but I have one big rule: don't embarrass the program. That covers about everything. And I want to graduate our players. I want to make sure when a student-athlete comes here, they get the whole experience." (HA)

About lobbying for higher pay for their assistant coaches, GM said:
"I wanted incentives for the whole staff, so that we're working together. If you win the WAC championship, you have an incentive, and the other coaches get a part of it, too. I think you have to take care of your coaches. They have to be happy. They just work harder when they know they're being taken care of." (HA)

About his contract negotiations, GM said:
"I had agents I could have used. But I didn't want an agent. I just wanted to deal person to person. All I wanted was an attorney to look it over, to make sure that it's guaranteed. We don't have an athletic director, so if a guy came in two years and didn't like me, I want to make sure the five years is guaranteed." (HA)

About this year's schedule, GM said:
"It's going to be tough. The schedule is really hard. We play four big-time (non-conference) teams. We play Fresno and Boise away. And we lose our whole offensive team. But I believe in the players. I believe in the coaches. I think people will like the coaches I bring in here, because I've known them for a long time, and most of them have some background here." (HA)

About creating relationships with local high schools, GM said:
"In the spring, I want to get to every school I can get to in Hawai'i, and really get to know these coaches. In spring ball, I want to have a clinic where we bring in all of these (local) coaches, and get to know them, and let them know we want to be with them. We'll have a summer camp, too." (HA)

About their uniforms, GM said:
"I like our (black) home uniforms. I don't like (the) all white (road uniforms). I like our (dark) helmets." (HA)

About his first coaching job, the Aloha High Warriors, GM said:
"Isn't that destiny?" (HA)

About being head coach of UH, GM said:
"I always wanted to be a head coach." (HSB)

Hoping that they are done going from place to place for coaching jobs (11 states!), GM's wife Heather said:
"Sometimes it's taken us to places, I wondered, do we really need to be here? Klamath Falls (Oregon) and Moscow (Idaho). Small, isolated, weather. I didn't dislike it, but it's easier in the sunshine than shoveling snow. We've always had a connection and we're thrilled to be able to stay here. We're happy to be part of a big ohana." (HSB)

About moving his daughter Shannon and grandchildren Kayla and Taylor to Hawaii, GM said:
"I just don't want to miss these years of their lives, and they feel the same way." (HSB)

About how he lets people know when he's mad, GM said:
"I've got two personalities. I have my normal personality. When I get mad, people know it. They react to it." (HSB)

About how GM gets people in line when needed, Adam Leonard said:
"Not only does he care for us, he understands when he needs to be stern and a disciplinarian. He quickly set a lot of people straight when they got too comfortable on the playing field. When things need to be addressed, potential problems, he takes care of them before they get to that point." (HSB)

About GM, Mouse Davis said:
"Old Gregory is a good old boy. He gets fired up and excited. But he won't look over shoulders -- he can delineate responsibility. Some coaches haven't learned that." (HSB)

About how he's learned how to teach players, GM said:
"I've been around all kinds of coaches, and my style is that I want to teach kids. If they're not doing what I tell them to do, I get a little stronger with them. If they're not listening, then I go to the next guy. I try to treat them professionally, like men. I don't have a lot of rules. But No. 1 is don't embarrass the program. That pretty much covers everything. I treat them as individuals and try to keep great communication. That's important to me." (HSB)

About how GM earned their respect, Michael Lafaele said:
"When he gets intense, he's very influential. A lot of character. Everyone has a lot of respect for him, because he respects us. He boosts our confidence. The Idaho game, he got us jacked up. He was getting irritated and frustrated about Craig James calling our defense garbage. He got us fired up. We probably played our best game." (HSB)

HSB Note: "McMackin first came to Hawaii in 1977, when he coached at Idaho and the Rainbows beat the Vandals 45-26 at Aloha Stadium. Nearly a decade later he met Ron Lee through Davis and Jones, and Lee joined him as offensive coordinator at Oregon Tech, McMackin's only other college head coaching stop. While at Oregon Tech, McMackin and Lee recruited Hawaii heavily -- including Erin Hall, one of a long line of prolific run-and-shoot quarterbacks developed by Lee and his brother Cal at Saint Louis School. They broke records and won championships at Oregon Tech. The Lees became friends of McMackin's. McMackin hasn't unveiled his UH staff yet, but the Lees, position coaches at UH under June Jones, are likely to become the offensive and defensive coordinators."

Asked to pick a few words to describe GM, Ron Lee said:
"Smart. Sincere. Loyal." (HSB)

Adding another word, Ron said:
"Demanding. With him, there's a time and place (for fun). He's very demanding of the players and coaches." (HSB)

Aboiut how she has known GM since they were at Springfield High in Oregon, Heather said:
"We were two halves of one person and found each other when we were young and we both are people of faith." (HSB)

HSB Note: "She said McMackin got good grades in high school, and "didn't have to crack a book," while also excelling in football, basketball and track. But when he had to in college at Southern Oregon, he became studious. She said he had a 4.0 when he earned his master's degree at Arizona. Heather McMackin said her husband has empathy for every player on the roster because of his varied experiences as a coach, and a serious knee injury in high school."

About how GM's experiences as a player makes him a better coach, Heather said:
"What makes him really good is that he came up through the ranks. High school, small college, big college, NFL. And he understands the guy trying to make it, the walk-on, because of his injury that kept him out his sophomore and junior years." (HSB)

HSB Note: "McMackin came back from the injury to start four years as a defensive back at Southern Oregon."

About how GM was destined to be a coach, Heather said:
"He's a teacher at heart, that's where he's effective. He can make the tough calls, he won't hesitate. But he has that soft spot, too." (HSB)

About his grandson Taylor, GM said:
"He thinks he writes half my plays. On my board he's got all these little plays down and he has since he's been 3." (HSB)

About how Hawaii will be their home, GM said:
"Oregon people are like Hawaii people. They're hard-working, they're honest. They try to get along. They have great passion ... We love Hawaii. We're going to bring our whole family over." (HSB)

Praising the selection of GM, Gov. Lingle said:
"I think it was a great selection. I think what we needed to do was move on quickly. You know, things happen in life, and you can sit around and dwell on it -- stretch it out and live with the agony -- or you can move on. We've had such a good choice right before our eyes, so I'm glad that the university made the right decision. I think it was a great call." (HSB)

Happy that they were able to get GM, Adam Leonard said:
"To lose Coach Jones, he's one of a kind. But to know we secured our future with coach McMackin, it means a lot. He's not Coach Jones; he's Greg McMackin. I think he's going to blaze his own trail, and we're going to see a lot of success. ... He's bringing his whole family out here, he's totally committed and that's what we need right now." (HSB)

Not thinking about their season opener at Florida, GM said:
"Gainesville? I haven't thought about that yet." (HSB)

About how they can move forward now that the coaching situation is settled, Desmond Thomas said:
"Everything can now go forward. We have some assurance and some direction." (HSB)

Asked if GM was worth the $1.1 mil salary, Lingle said:
"That's not my job to make that determination, but I really think he was a great choice and the right choice." (HSB)

Appreciating the person that GM is, Desmond Thomas said:
"He's a people person, and he takes his time to get to know you. He'll take the time to get to know Colt Brennan, and he'll take the time to know somebody that's on the third-string scout team. ... Players respond to him well." (HSB)

About how their offense will remain similar to before with GM in charge, Mike Washington said:
"The worry was for our offense that we might get somebody new who might change up the offense. You kept hearing rumors that we're going to change and who's going to stay or who's going to leave. But with Coach McMackin there I'm pretty sure everything will be the same so we can keep the ball rolling. I feel pretty confident. Coach McMackin is real cool, he came from the (NFL), he knows the ropes already, so it's all good." (HSB)

About GM being elevated from DC to head coach, Bob Nash said:
"You get into, 'Who's the right guy for the program?' I think they found the right guy for the program, and I think he'll do well. I've known Coach Mack since '99, and he's a very outgoing guy, real easy to talk to. So I think he'll do a great job." (HSB)

About how it was hard to answer recruit's questions over the past few weeks, Rich Miano said:
"It's been tough the last week or two saying, 'We think this guy's going to be the head coach,' or 'We think we're going to be here.' There's some uncertainty out there and that's being used against us." (HSB)

About how they can now move forward with recruiting, Miano said:
"Now is the time to really get out there and say, 'Hey we have a head coach, here's the direction we're going in.' We can turn that around and we need to start getting on the phones ASAP." (HSB)

About looking at RB, WR, and CB for immediate recruiting targets, GM said:
"Our younger classes, our freshman and sophomore classes, are really light, so we really have to get on recruiting for the future." (HSB)

HSB Note: "While McMackin declined to officially name his staff while the hiring process is ongoing, Miano, Cal Lee, Ron Lee and George Lumpkin are expected to be retained as assistants and have kept recruits in the loop on the situation. Former Warrior players Nick Rolovich and Brian Smith are poised to join the staff as quarterback and offensive line coaches. Defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold, a top-notch recruiter, is joining offensive coaches Dennis McKnight, Dan Morrison and Wes Suan as assistants leaving UH to join Jones at SMU."

About leaving UH for SMU, Reinbold said:
"It comes down to you have to take care of your family. I know for three years I lived my dream. How many people get to say that?" (HSB)

HSB Note: "McMackin noted that the Warriors already had a quarterback prospect (Jacob Bower) commit to Tulsa, while other recruits who were interested in UH might instead follow Jones to SMU. But he indicated the coaches won't rush in their evaluations of recruits."

About how they aren't going to rush their recruiting, GM said:
"We want to bring in good kids, so we're not just going to scramble and get anybody that's out there. We're going to get to know their families, we're going to home-visit them, get to know their character." (HSB)

About how they will focus on Hawaii, GM said:
"When we're done getting this recruiting class, in the spring I need to get into every high school in the state of Hawaii. I want to get to know the coaches. We are going to keep the good players in Hawaii, that's going to be our main focus." (HSB)

About how they need to get to the mainland to recruit (hope they get more money in the recruiting budget!), GM said:
"We haven't been off the island recruiting in three years. They've done it by telephone. We've got to get to know the parents and let them know who's going to be coaching their kids and who will take care of them." (HSB)

About how their upcoming schedule, facility improvements, and state support put them in a MUCH better position than they were when JJ came to UH, Miano said:
"We have a phenomenal, tough schedule next year, but kids get excited about playing great football teams. We have facilities improvements, we've got the state behind us. Nine years ago we didn't have any of that. We have all the momentum; now we need to build upon the momentum." (HSB)

About how he realized in early 1975 that his Kaiser team needed a way to compete against the Farringtons and Kahukus, so he created a one-back offense (most used 2- or 3-back formations then) to spread out defenses, Ron Lee said:
"We didn't have a lot of guys. We couldn't run the ball. We tried to put basketball players out there just to get the numbers." (HA)

About calling his brother Tommy for advice, Ron Lee said:
"He told me there was a coach in Oregon who was driving everybody nuts with his offense. His name was Mouse Davis. I asked if he could set it up so I could come up and watch (Davis' practices)." (HA)

HA Note: "Davis agreed, and Lee attended Portland State's spring practice in 1975. Lee took notes of the drills and watched reels of film. That fall at Kaiser, Lee implemented the run-and-shoot, which featured two wide receivers, two slot receivers and a running back. It was football's version of the 3-point shot, a spread-'em-out attack allowing a smaller team to compete."

About how people thought he was crazy using the run-and-shoot back then, Ron said:
"Everybody thought I was crazy when I did it. Back then, everybody ran the ball. Nobody passed." (HA)

HA Note; "Kaiser struggled in the scheme's infancy. But by 1977, few defenses could stop it. In 1979, Kaiser won the O'ahu Prep Bowl. Ron and his brother Cal then brought the offense to Saint Louis, setting the way for the most dominant run in Isle prep football history. The quarterbacks were John Hao, Jason Gesser, Darnell Arceneaux and Timmy Chang. One season, the Crusaders' offense included three future NFL stars — Dominic Raiola, Olin Kreutz and Chris Fu'amatu-Ma'afala.

Lee's offense will differ slightly from the scheme Jones ran successfully at UH. Jones is so brilliant he can correctly call set routes. For instance, Jones might call "H-corner," in which the slotback will run a route to the corner. Lee, on the other hand, prefers "H-option," in which the slotback, depending on the coverage, has the option of running a corner or post route. Lee's offense will be simpler, but have more plays. Lee said his schemes are based on plays Jones introduced in recent years."

About how he likes to use a bruising FB in his offense, Ron said:
"I like to have a back who might not be as fast as in the past, but can pound it inside." (HA)

About how his St. Louis teams featured bruising RBs, Ron said:
"That's what I like. They're not necessarily going to run, but (defenses) better respect the big fullback. They're going to have to hit him to tackle him. Whatever they give us, they have to respect the fullback." (HA)