University of Hawai’i football coach Timmy Chang has been named the American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Region 5 Coach of the Year. This recognition comes after Chang led the Rainbow Warriors to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.
Chang is one of five regional winners in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), alongside Brent Key from Georgia Tech, Clark Lea from Vanderbilt, Curt Cignetti from Indiana, and Joey McGuire from Texas Tech. These coaches are now finalists for the AFCA National Coach of the Year award, which will be announced on December 15.
In his fourth season as head coach at his alma mater, Chang guided Hawai’i to its best start through eight games (6-2) since 2018. The team currently holds a 7-4 record ahead of their regular season finale and remained in contention for a Mountain West championship until the penultimate week of play.
Notable achievements during the 2025 season include a season-opening win over Stanford—Chang’s first victory against an Autonomous Four conference opponent. The Rainbow Warriors also delivered Mountain West leader San Diego State its only conference loss this year and secured road wins against Air Force and Colorado State.
As offensive playcaller, Chang helped position Hawai’i among the nation’s top passing offenses. Quarterback Micah Alejado leads the Mountain West in passing yards per game with an average of 282.6 yards. The team scored more than 30 points in five consecutive games, marking their longest such streak since 2011.
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