 Rusty Komori and this is Beyond the Lines. We are broadcasting live from the beautiful Think Tech Hawaii TV studio in the Pioneer Plaza in downtown Honolulu. This show is based on my book also titled Beyond the Lines and it's about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence and building winning teams. My special guest today was our star quarterback for our University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior football team in 2000 and 2001 and is entering his fourth season as our head coach. He has taken our Rainbow Warrior football team to two bowl games in the past three years and he definitely goes beyond the lines because of his great values, principles, and character. He is Coach Nick Rolovich and today we are going beyond football. Coach Nick, great having you here today. Thank you. I'm honored. You're in the first studio. Good. Glad to be here. Now I want to, we have a lot to talk about and I want to know first of all, how did you meet your wife Analea? It's a great story. Tell me. Yeah. Let's start it off, I think it was October, maybe November. They had much luck today. Fresno State football game, third down, fourth quarter. I look up in the stands for some reason and then I see this beautiful girl in a bikini cheering and I said, that's going to be my wife. That's not true, right? That's the story I tell though. We met in college. We were both students at UH and it was somewhere around the dorms and it kind of came from there. And then Coach Nick, you have four kids. Such a beautiful family. What are their names? I got Daniel, Alana, Patrick and William. I got Patrick and William were twins. How old are they? They're about to be six. Wow. Yeah. Wow. It goes fast like everyone tells you. Believe them. You know, if you have one more kid, you can have your own basketball team. Yeah, that's not going to happen. Now how did you end up coming to Hawaii? I went to junior college in San Francisco. I had no scholarships out of high school. I wanted to keep playing. I had a school in the area that was well known for not only getting guys opportunities but playing good football. And I didn't really have a set path other than athletics, you know, possibly fire department, police, you know, I was on that road. But I wanted to keep playing. And I went there and played a couple of seasons and then that was right when Coach Jones had turned it around in 99. So there was a lot of talk. There were some connections with that staff and my head coach at a city. And I just started watching them throughout the year and talking and I just felt unbelievable offense but they were better people. They were real. They were honest. They weren't trying to tell me something. And I took a lot from that because I felt most comfortable with them. I felt like those were the that's who they were. They weren't trying to put on a show. And I was looking for that. Now, Coach Nick, when you were playing and I remember watching that UTEP game and you got benched at halftime. What happened? I want to say it was like eight for 27 in the first half. They played a lot of man. I couldn't hit anything. My progressions were off. I remember being in the training room at halftime and Coach Jones coming in and saying, hey, we're going to give Tim his shot here. And that was the last of it for most of that season. But it started. It wasn't just that was the peak of playing bad. But the eight months, nine months before in preparation when I just arrived here, I didn't prepare the right way. I made bad decisions. And not only was I pulling myself or not allowing myself to be as good as I can be. I was able to not able to. But I pulled guys away from their mission or our overall team mission and probably enjoyed college in Hawaii a little too much. And it was it was a terrible thing because we we lost all the momentum that was gained in 99. You know, the island had come alive and united with the WAC championship and the turnaround. And and because of my eight months of I would say mediocre preparation, attention to detail, care, lack of a goal, you know, just happy to be there. That that led us to have a team that didn't play well in the field in 2000. Yeah. So that was a really good personal learning experience for you. Now, as a team, did you guys have a critical turning point? When you were on the team in terms of how the team could could have gotten either worst or really good? That year, we kind of just stayed steady and didn't really play very well, not definitely not to our capabilities. And I think UTEP for me was was personally that that final light bulb and wake up call. You've been an idiot. You haven't done things the right way. Yeah. But I think the following off season, you know, I had been benched. Timmy was a starter. He played well for a true freshman coming in. And, you know, and he was a guy in spring. He was the guy in fall camp. And I just I said, I don't care if I get another rep, I will not disrespect this game or the coaches that gave me a chance. Or if I do get another opportunity, I will not take for granted the aloha that this fan base in this island had given me when I arrived. I took it for granted when I got here and I was going to give back as much as I could. Yeah. Let's talk about that amazing, incredible BYU game in 2001. I mean, BYU was ranked number nine in the nation undefeated. You threw for eight touchdowns, 543 yards, winning the game 72 to 45. What do you what do you recall from that game? I think we the game was it was a surreal of an experience that I've had in my life. But I think you take a step back, you know, UTEP following year when I got an opportunity to play at SMU. And I think we were down 17 points and sitting there in half time and Chris Brown, I'll never forget, came up to me, face painted, you know, and told me that this team believes in me. And that was my final maybe repentance for what I had done. And I had I had resolved or whatever and got back into the good graces. But for me, not living here, growing up here, having a local boy who was the alpha male on that football team, grab me and say, Hey, we're with you. That that gave me the confidence. And then I think it started kind of everyone kind of getting on the same page and led to the BYU game. We knew we weren't going to bowl game. But we knew we were playing well. We were playing the best we played all year. There was no doubt it was it was like slow motion. But everybody contributed Chad Owens, the whole offense. But you look at the defense and I think they had like caused nine fumbles that game. We had turnovers, we had excitement, we had fan engagement, we had something that a lot of people even today still still say that was a really great memory at Aloha Stadium for us and our family. And that was such a better feeling for me than that night at UTEP when I knew I'd let so many people down. Yeah, I mean, that was such a perfect game in so many ways. And then you finished your college career, your last three games, throwing over 500 yards per game, scoring at least 52 points at each of the three games. I mean, how was it to feel like you just had such a great ending to your college career? Get, you know, a lot of people say you threw for, you know, this many yards. But it was really us. You know, it was all those linemen that would pull me off the ground or, you know, would pick me up when I was out of bounds. And it's all those receivers working together. It was it was, there was an unselfishness there that that was so powerful in. And that's what it takes in the running shoot, there has to be an element of unselfishness. It's got to be as important for you to be so good on your route that you know I'm going to score a touchdown it is for me to catch that for you to catch the same touchdown on a different play. Yeah. It's critical or else it's just, you know, just another offense. Yeah, when you get to that real high level of it when it's like, stop. I believe it's the unselfishness and understanding of the offense that really sets it apart. Now, Coach Nick, when you became head coach, just over four years ago now, why did you feel you were ready for your first head coaching position? I wasn't ready for my first head coaching position. I was ready for my first head coaching position at Hawaii. I wasn't going around searching head coaching jobs. One thing that I've been kind of happy with my, since I've been coaching is not being a self promoter as much as being understanding that if you do a great job where you're at, you know, kind of like bloom where you're planted. It was great a job you can do here. And then your opportunities will come. But I felt I still had something to give back to Hawaii. Fans, I had to say thank you for what it did for me, my wife and kids, my opportunities in NFL Europe or the Broncos or Arena League. That wasn't possible without Hawaii in general. And I also felt like I needed to say thank you for just the experience of living in a place where it truly didn't matter who you were as far as a physical being. But you know, we have a community that really thrives on a low hog. It's such an easy thing to do. And it's such a great way to live. You know, I travel a lot, especially these last couple of months. And I go to the city and I say, what I paid what we have for this, I still haven't said yes. You know, it's it's more, it's the beaches right here. Nice, you know, all that stuff is great. But I think it's the feeling you get when you wake up in the morning and you know, there is just a real I think it's the right way to live. Yeah. You know, Coach Nick, I always say that everything starts with the head coach or the CEO. Your first year coaching, you took us to a bowl game, you won that bowl game. And you took us to two bowl games in the past three years. And last season was our first winning season since 2010. What are your goals for your team this year? Kind of put talked about phase two. What is we have to keep improving? You know, the bowl win was was so awesome for those guys, those guys, especially the seniors, you know, Corey Rasmussen, Leo, I mean, Marcus Kemp, these guys are at their core great people that continue to work hard, continue to attack the process. I was honored. They gave belief in our and myself and the staff and they didn't hesitate. And they wanted to go out as winners and they deserve to, you know, then just to be able to say a couple years later. Alright, now we've won. We woke up, we were better in most of the games than then, you know, in 500 was great and getting a bowl win. But then now you're taking another step mentally. And I probably brought up the Mountain West Championship too soon for our program. I don't know if we were ready mentally. But we talked about phase two. And I think it encompasses everybody, not just myself, the coaching staff, the team, I think it's equipment training, administration, fundraising, everybody. Now let's see what we can really build this to. I mean, we've seen it get such great heights, whether it's a holiday bowl, whether it's sugar bowl. And just having some of the alumni come back and inject that pride back into our student athlete. There's a very high belief in not only what we're trying to do, but how we try to do it as far as engaging the community, especially the young kids and being role models. And I can't thank our team enough for just taking on that challenge to and realizing that, yes, I can, I can make a lot of things better by doing something good today. Yeah. And for me, it was with with Hawaii, it's always give first, you know, and then things will come after. I don't think it's come take, take, take, take, take, I don't just work. I feel like I've grown, I've, I've learned to pass off. I was talking to a coach the other day, and I was Craig Bull at Wyoming, said, are you still making the playlist for practice music? I said, no, I'm not doing that. You know, hey, somebody, you know, everyone's more than capable of handling their side of the job. And I think the trust in the staff and all the surrounding, we have a lot of people insulating this team. And they're all at the core, I believe good people. Yeah, I mean, no, you're doing so many great things. And you're right, everybody has pride in you and our football team. What do you do to keep things fun with your team? It could be anything. It could be anything. I mean, I really enjoyed the water balloon fight, coach's versus players. That was that was fun. I like, you know, bringing in the hypnotist and giving a kid a scholarship. I think those moments, along with holding up the trophy of the bowl game or, you know, John or Sue catching that touchdown at lots at the first UNLV. And it's really those moments that you can't take back. And the bond is so strong versus with this age group. And from my experience in this game, it's very hard. And you develop a bond that is it's just it's stronger than you can build without, you know, competition or sport, I think. And with social media and now, like, like, like your show, like you're saying, it's always going to be there for them to go back. And it's like a photo album that they can just access anytime. Completely agree. Yeah. Coach, we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we're going to continue going beyond football. All right, let's do it. It is fantastic having coach Nick Rolovich here today. He's such a great role model. And you are watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. We will be back in one minute. Aloha. My name is Mark Shklav. I am the host of Think Tech Hawaii's Law Across the Sea. Law Across the Sea is on Think Tech Hawaii every other Monday at 11am. Please join me where my guests talk about law topics, and ideas, and music, and Hawaii, Anna, all across the sea from Hawaii and back again. Aloha. I'm Yukari Kunisue, the host of Konnichiwa Hawaii, Japanese talk show on Think Tech Hawaii. Konnichiwa Hawaii is all Japanese broadcast show and is streamed live on Think Tech at 2pm every other Monday. Thank you so much for watching our show. We look forward to seeing you then. I'm Yukari Kunisue. Mahalo. Welcome back to Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. My special guest today is our former star quarterback and current head coach of our University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior football team. He is Coach Nick Rolovich. And today we are going beyond football. Coach Nick, tell me about June Jones. What did you learn from him? Well, I loved his mindset as a coach, the confidence that he instilled in us. I think that goes side by side with the offensive philosophy. It was it was the other thing I learned from him was he really had a genuine love for this place. Yeah. And when you first get here, you know, you have so much to learn. So I was always curious, what were those things that really caught his attention? You know, he loves the golf. Yes, he does golf. I think it was deeper than that. I think it was a lot of the stuff we talked about earlier. How just the quality of living when you open your eyes in the morning in Hawaii because of the feeling of the people. The food's great. The music's great. But I think just he fell in love with what I then fell in love with was just the mindset and the heart of the people here. Yeah, makes sense. Coach Nick, who's your football idol? Joe Montana. Why? Because he won Super Bowl and hit my hometown growing up. And I just I thought he he inspired me to be a quarterback. Yeah, I love Joe Montana. I mean, he's a class act. Yeah. Now, let's talk about my book Beyond the Lines. In literal terms, a tennis court has lines and boundaries. A football field has lines and boundaries. A business has parameters. I'm always trying to have people do things beyond the lines, beyond the parameters to affect what happens inside the lines, inside the parameters. And you're doing the same. What kind of things are you doing that's going beyond the lines to really help affect your team? Um you know, Dick told me said this, you know, football is not complicated. People are it's about gaining trust, having the players truly believe that you have the best intentions of the football team, even though it may not be exactly aligning with your your individual goals. Yeah. Um and that they have the the confidence that you are making the best decision in in the entire organizations for the organization's future. Yeah. Um you know, but I think they believe that myself and the guys on staff truly care about making them into better men. However we get them, they could be angels, they could have had a really tough life and and not a lot of great role models, but um hopefully when they leave after three or four or five years, they leave with a degree, they leave knowing that they've improved as as a person and and with an understanding of how they can um help the world around them and and hopefully a few championships and bowl games and those kind of experiences. So, we say it all the time, we are in, I don't want to coach in the NFL, not this time, not right now in my life. I don't know if I ever will, but we can still have a real impact on improving the the community here, the world that has a big picture because we raise better men, husbands, fathers, community leaders, you know, and say that to them so they understand they're going through that process right now and pretty soon they are going to have an impact on people um not just the little kids watching them in the stands right now, they're going to their jobs, their families, all those things are going to matter. No, I like hearing that. That's why you're a great coach. You know, for me, I always, my first priority as a coach was to develop champion athletes of character first and then great tennis players second. You're the same way. You you feel so strongly about developing their well-being and you have empathy for them. I mean, how important is character for you? Well, I think everyone needs to understand that that young people, whether it's from 14 to 22, um, it is it is a very difficult world to live in right now, um, with all the information, social media, um, pressures for how they look or how they're supposed to act or how people think about them. How many likes did I get it? There's stresses on this generation that um many of us haven't had to go through and I think we need to be conscious of that and be there for them more than than just just football. There's so much information about football out there and guys that love it, they watch all that stuff. How can I be, you know, run this play better, quarterback play, but um the navigation of of late high school and college right now I think is going to be difficult for males and females and we got to be conscious of of mental illness. I think we're seeing so the numbers are so high in that arena, um, you have to be conscious of the complete person or you're not going to get the best which in turn is not going to make you the best on the field. Completely agree. Let's talk about discipline. Okay. You know I always say before you can win a game you have to not lose it and I know discipline is real important to you. How what are you doing to help your team with discipline? I believe it's true most games are lost than I won. Panel these turnovers, lack effort, things like that, those are the things you got to continually coach. My process of of discipline I tend to give guys chances. I want to believe that we are going to we're going to get through this together and you're going to come out a better person. There's times where it goes too far and it's just not not the best fit anymore but you know hearing you got so many different situations. This is this kid's life and you have and I didn't like when I first heard the term you know everyone will be treated fair but not equally right. It's for your situation Rusty I don't know but you might need more of us as coaches to help you get you through that. You know a guy who who's had great role models of parents and schooling you know what I mean when he starts making bad decisions it's different than maybe a kid who's only known bad decisions because he had to survive. I mean the the range of student athletes and their first 18 years of life is very it's a wide range and I think you got to be conscious of that but also know in the end that you care about them but you know we can make mistakes but multiple mistakes become a habit and that's when you got to really say is this this going to be our path or are we going to have to part ways. Yeah let's continue on that that topic about mistakes right there. I mean the most elite organizations the best championship teams I mean you can make a mistake but I always say you can never make the same mistake twice if you want to be a championship team right. Tell me about your thoughts about mistakes. You would like them to retain right. Yeah. The lessons but now you got to be how am I teaching how does this kid learn. Does he need to be on the board does he need to go on the field and take the reps. That's all in the field you know then I think you got to if multiple mistakes are made you got to look at your coaching attempt at this young man. Yeah. Does he need more one-on-one time. Does he need more film. Does he need more reps. How can we get a more reps. Off the field I think you're you're at a place where you know you can't you really can't make the same mistake twice because then you obviously haven't learned the lesson. Yeah. And that's just being a person. You know I kind of separate the football lessons I would love for Cole McDonald hey you know throw that hits throw that hits then you know that the corner sinks back when he comes up throw the corner out you know but that takes some time that takes some we throw a lot at these kids on the field and then there's there's a progression they need to go through and everyone's is kind of different you know Chevin had a good base coming in now he's working on some different things where Cole's doing you know and Justin's doing this it's it's they're all on there different but we just want them to meet as being the best quarterback they can be within the offense later on but the mistakes off the field are the ones where you're like you know either we're gonna you understand and you're talking about you know everything I mean it's hard there everybody's paparazzi with the camera you have to be always on your toes about being a good person and they all know the difference between right or wrong you know we and I'm as guilty as anybody I tested the limits at some point you got to realize you know what let's get back on track and what's my real goal here yeah minimizing unforced errors is so important mm-hmm from my team I would always have them welcoming adversity looking forward to challenges are you what are you doing to have your team look forward to challenges as well I tell them to always be on be ready for their hero moment yeah we talk about it and and they laugh at me sometimes but you know you never know when Devon stubblefield gets in the game and army and has that big catch in the early part of that game you never know in that you can't script you can only prepare and be ready for it mentally by visualizing it you know and and when that moment comes it could plenty of them are coming off the field you know but I really stay on our guys and some of them some of the things are pretty funny what they say as far as their hero moments as a joke but at least they are thinking about it you know whether it's in the community you know calling the police doing some that they're always looking or not always but I try to hit them with hey always be ready to be that great person when when the time is now it comes to you on and off the field yeah coach nick you know in terms of success everyone every successful person define success in different ways how do you define success if I can close my eyes at night and said I tried my best for this football team this university my family and you know if I can close my eyes and say that and there's plenty nights I don't but I can do this better I can we always we're getting into that phase to we have to think about it more gotta be greater than we were yesterday and and you know which never never settle part of it is you know just sprinkling this world with with great manners after they come through the university who I football program yeah I have a I have what I call my one percent principle try to improve one percent in every part of your life every single day every part of your life every part of a good edition we use that in the athletic department Dave Matlin has brought that up but I like you know now you're talking about four or five yeah different one percent and and yes you you wake up thinking that way may not always accomplish it but you'll get better yeah coach nick it's been great having you on the show today russie thank you I want to thank you in beautiful studio want to thank you for being on the show and sharing your insights with everybody well I'm excited about the book it looks like a good read and I think there's a lot of information that comes pretty quickly in it so I'm excited and I'll get back to you on the report awesome thank you coach thank trusty we definitely need more coach nicks in the world and as you can see he's such an amazing extraordinary leader and we're lucky to have him as our head coach so let's support him and our rainbow warrior football team and I want to thank you for watching beyond the lines on think tech hawaii and a special thank you to my clothing sponsor eolani incorporated for more information please visit rusty comory dot com and my book is available on amazon and barns and noble I hope that coach nick and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs aloha