McMackin is new UH Warriors football coach

Greg McMackin has been named the new head coach of the University of Hawai’i football program. The announcement was made this morning, although McMackin was considered far and away the favored candidate to succeed June Jones, who left UH to coach at SMU after a nine-year record-breaking run. “I am honored and very humbled to accept the head coaching position at the University of Hawai’i,” McMackin said in a statement. “June Jones can never be replaced. He has done so many great things for the program, the university and the state of Hawai’i and his legacy will never be forgotten. My destiny is to keep the program headed in that same direction and to maintain the continuity with our current players and recruiting base.”

McMackin previously served as the Warriors’ defensive coordinator, and he helped the team improve from a ranking of 93rd nationally in total defense to 33rd. The Warriors captured the WAC Championship both years, including this past year’s perfect 12-0 regular season, and earned a trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, McMackin’s 12th bowl appearance. With McMackin at the helm, the UH defense ranked fifth nationally in tackles for loss, ninth in sacks, and 11th in interceptions while recording five defensive touchdowns.