By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com
Following a 1-2 start after failing to reach a bowl game last year, there was growing discontent with Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin.
Fast forward to December, and the question now becomes: How does the cash-strapped athletic department reward a coach who guided a team to a 10-3 record, a share of the Western Athletic Conference title, a No. 24 national ranking and a berth in the Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl against Tulsa?
Honolulu Star-Advertiser columnist Dave Reardon, an admitted former critic, is now leading a campaign to extend McMackin's contract based on his 14-4 record since UH ended a six-game skid last season.
Granted, Hawaii acted in desperation and overpaid an untested Division-I head coach when it signed McMackin to a $1.1 million annual deal following June Jones's abrupt departure following UH's Sugar Bowl season. McMackin's original five-year deal extends through next season.
In addition to the football teams recent on-field success, it should also be noted that all 28 of Hawaii's seniors or on track to graduate.
As Reardon notes, the question now becomes: "How do you reward McMackin when simple economics dictate you can't even afford to pay him what he's already getting? That's a tough one. Maybe a couple more years of job security."
I second that emotion.
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