Nevada assistant has aloha spirit
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist
It promises to be an Aloha Friday of sorts this week around the University of Nevada's football offices.
Also, an aloha Thursday, aloha Wednesday, aloha Tuesday...
Just in case the Wolf Pack players had any doubts about who they are playing Saturday in Reno, assistant coach Kim McCloud will be there all week to remind them, in technicolor.
"I'll probably be wearing my aloha shirts every day this week," McCloud promises.
It is more than just an opportunity for the 35-year-old former UH cornerback (1986-90) to reach deep into his closet and pluck out the accumulated memories of nearly a decade spent in Hawai'i, where his adult life was shaped.
The shirts, more than just a fashion statement, are McCloud's way, even in 40- and 50-degree temperatures there, of reminding both his players, the Nevada defensive backs, and the whole team, of the challenge at hand.
"We know he played at Hawai'i and how he wants to win this one," said Paul Pratt, a freshman defensive back.
"It is going to be a tough game, and I want them to be focused and ready," said McCloud, who was a model of consistency on some of UH's best defensive teams.
"You never had to worry about whether he was in the right place or doing the right thing," recalls Bob Wagner, his coach at UH.
McCloud started 32 games at right cornerback, including 22 in a row at one point, in three years as UH went 25-11. Three times in his tenure UH led the WAC in total defense, twice Hawai'i's defense allowed the fewest points among conference teams.
Then, after a tryout with the San Diego Chargers and a season in the Canadian Football League, McCloud put his degree in economics to work in the banking and insurance businesses. But serving as an assistant at Kaiser High only served to launch McCloud on a coaching path that would take him to Missouri, Idaho and, three years ago, Nevada.
Still, McCloud and his wife, Renee, who met at UH, keep up with Hawai'i, following the Warriors and remain devoted fans. Except this week. "I still root for Hawai'i — 12 (out of the 13) weeks of the season," McCloud says.
After defeating UH in 2001, that pride took a beating last year, at Aloha Stadium no less, when UH tagged the Wolf Pack with 42-first quarter points on the way to a 59-34 victory.
Lest anyone around Reno forget who the Wolf Pack is playing this week, McCloud will be pulling shirts from the back of his closet and wearing them as a daily reminder.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
