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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, July 14, 2005

Dream job for new grad assistant

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

JEFF REINEBOLD
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Salary for the National Football League's senior manager of international player development: $100,000 annually.

Compensation as the University of Hawai'i football team's graduate assistant: Tuition, plus room and board.

The cost of leaving the NFL job to work at UH?

"People think I'm nuts," said Jeff Reinebold, 47, who will assist with the Warriors' special teams and defense this season. "I know I'm going to be the oldest g.a. (graduate assistant) in college football, but I don't mind."

He certainly is the most over-qualified. Reinebold has served as head coach in the Canadian Football League and assistant coach at New Mexico, Louisiana Tech and in NFL Europe.

Reinebold said it was a longtime dream to coach in Hawai'i.

When he was a New Mexico assistant, he recalled, "we played at Aloha Stadium, and when I looked around and saw the ti leaves and I heard the theme from Hawai'i Five-O, I just got chicken skin."

At the start of a vacation here, "when I got off the plane, I swear I felt I was at home," he said.

Reinebold called UH coach June Jones several times during the past few years.

"I always had him in mind," Jones said. "He called me about last November or December, and he said his wife had a chance to take a job in Hawai'i. He said he would love to help, if he could. I thought being a g.a. would be the best way."

Reinebold said: "I knew I wanted to coach at UH, and I felt it was time to make it happen. I wanted to be a part of it. I knew I would have to give up a lot, but you have to be where you want to be. It might be hokey to say this, but I know I'm going to be proud when I put that 'H' on my chest."

He also said he wanted to work with Jones, defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville and the defensive assistant coaches. "It's like I'm going to the college of football. This is a dream come true for me."

Reinebold said he has coached several Hawai'i players. "What I like is Hawai'i represents a culture," he said. "Hawai'i isn't just a state. It's a state of mind."