Rolo is officially UH's QB coach!

About the end of his playing career, Rolo said:
"I guess I should announce my retirement (as a player). I'm announcing my retirement right now." (HA)

About how he finds coaching rewarding, Rolo said:
"As much as I love throwing touchdowns, and as much as I enjoy getting hit and coming up with something clever to say to the guy who hit me, working with young players and seeing the light go on, that's a greater feeling of satisfaction." (HA)

HA Note: "The past two years, Rolovich moonlighted as the quarterback coach at City College of San Francisco, which won a 2007 national championship. During one game, he was set to signal an audible."

About why he let the QB make the call instead of signaling an audible, Rolo said:
"Something caught me. I thought, 'Let me see if you can do it now. This is your chance.' And he got it, and we scored a touchdown, and we went on to have a great year.

Contrasting coaching vs. playing, Rolo said:
"It's a different satisfaction. You almost have 100 times the effect. Maybe what I teach them, they're going to teach to somebody some day. I like to call it 'good football morals.' Good football stuff is passed down. For one, it's the greatest game in the world. It should be played and taught with football morals. There's a right way to teach things, and a right way to approach players." (HA)

HA Note: "In 2001, Rolovich led the Warriors to one of the most successful stretches in program history. He was 8-1 as a starter that year, including a spectacular final three games in which he threw for 1,548 yards and 20 touchdowns. His 543-yard, eight-touchdown performance against Brigham Young in the season finale led to the creation of the Hawai'i Bowl. The 9-3 Warriors were not invited to a postseason bowl that year.

After that, Rolovich played in parts of five seasons in the Arena Football League. Because the AFL plays in the spring, he was able to serve as a Warrior student manager in 2004 (quarterback Tim Chang's senior year) and 2005 (Heisman finalist Colt Brennan's first UH season). Part of his role was to work with Chang and Brennan."

About what Colt asked him in Colt's first season at UH, Rolo said:
"Colt would ask me a lot of questions about the offense, living in Hawai'i, dealing with the media." (HA)

HA Note: "Last year, Rolovich earned his master's degree. He also played for Las Vegas in the AFL. In the offseason, Rolovich, who is married and has a 5-month-old son, worked for the Rabbitt Construction Company in the Bay Area, as well as coached at CCSF. As the Rams' quarterback coach, he earned $1,500 for the season. He said only a UH coaching job could lure him away from the Bay Area. His wife is from Maui."

About raising his son in Hawaii, Rolo said:
"There's no better place for my son to grow up. The ocean, the smiles of the people, it's a very positive environment for him to grow up in." (HA)

Looking forward to coaching UH's QBs, Rolo said:
"Your coach is really your father away from home. That's where I want to excel this year. I want to make sure they're all good with school, they're all good with their personal life." (HA)

About how he always planned to coach, Rolo said:
"Everyone told me (the playing career) is going to end some day. I said, 'Yeah, right. I'm going to play until my knees fall off.' But it does (end). You really need to have a plan. I was lucky enough to be able to play, and I'm fortunate this (coaching) opportunity came along." (HA)

About how his playing experience at UH and his young age (28) will help him relate to UH QBs, Rolo said:
"I can relate with some of the things they're going through. I feel like maybe I can be like an older brother rather than a dad thing." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Rolovich is now reunited with the first Hawaii coach he ever had contact with; new head man Greg McMackin recruited him in 2000."

About how he'll try to do a lot of what Dan Morrison (his position coach at UH and the only QB coach UH had under JJ) said:
"Coach Morrison's good at being a life coach kind of guy. When I was in here with him, not only did we watch a lot of film, but we had a lot of good discussions, and not just about game situations, but life situations. It was one of his strengths." (HSB)

About how he wants the players to know that he'll be there for them for their off the field problems too, Rolo said:
"I'm probably not as qualified with the psychology background (Morrison) has, but I do think you have to have a genuine concern for the overall person." (HSB)

About his first day on the job, Rolo said:
"Today was kind of a real organizational day. I probably didn't get through a tenth of them, there's so many. The day flew by." (HSB)

About wanting to pass the NCAA recruiting test so that he can help out there, Rolo said:
"I want to be able to do whatever Coach (Greg) McMackin wants me to do." (HSB)

About how GM recruited him, Rolo said:
"He was the first (Hawaii coach) I had contact with. It was fairly late in the process for me. I had tripped Minnesota, Cal and Marshall. I just liked how he approached me, and he told me what was happening in Hawaii. I felt like he was a genuine person." (HSB)

HSB Note: "McMackin left for Texas Tech after that season. Rolovich didn't meet up with him again until last season's game at San Jose State."

About seeing GM at the SJSU game, Rolo said:
"I thanked him for getting me started here (as a player)." (HSB)

HSB Note: "When it began to look like June Jones would leave Hawaii for SMU, Rolovich thought he might have a shot as the Mustangs quarterbacks coach. But when Morrison accepted Jones' invitation, Rolovich was left with what he considered a very good possibility."

Happy that Rolo has joined them, GM said:
"I'm really excited that he's joining us. I've watched his career and have always been proud of him and knew that he had an inner strength and would be a great coach. He's going to bring us a lot of power." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Rolovich's move here brings his wife, Ana, home. She is from Maui, and they have a baby son, Daniel."

About how his wife is excited to return to Hawaii, Rolo said:
"She's excited, just to be back in Hawaii. And this is a great place for our son. The sights, the feeling of warmth. I can't think of a better place." (HSB)