Posted on: Friday, June 24, 2005

Warriors' Suan in line of fire

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

As the season approaches, it is a tossup who walks into the toughest job on the University of Hawai'i football team, the starting quarterback or Wes Suan?

While it remains to be seen who will be anointed as the successor to record-setting quarterback Tim Chang, we already know who will be immediately placed under the microscope as offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh's replacement.

Whoever follows Chang — and there is a line of candidates already working out for the opportunity — he will get the benefit of some time to grow into the job. Fans will be understanding. The media will be patient. For the first few quarters, anyway.

But how much slack will be cut Suan, who takes over the most experienced unit on a team being overhauled? What is the over-under on patience for someone walking into the the longest shadow cast by any UH assistant since Paul Johnson?

Never mind that Suan coached the O-line at NAIA power Linfield College. Or, that he's been at UH the last six seasons, overseeing the running backs and contributing to the product. Suan is being asked to do more than just fill any old vacancy. He will be expected to pick up where Cavanaugh, who helped launch five players to the NFL draft and five more to free agency, left off before taking off for Oregon State.

What Suan, a genial man of many talents, did to deserve this isn't known. Hopefully, he got a pay raise into six-figure Cavanaugh territory for this will be no easy task, even with four returning starters and 10 veteran players.

Cavanaugh coached June Jones' blocking scheme but in a way where he still managed to leave his own mark. It is a testament to the job Cavanaugh did and the persona he carved out that a considerable number of people beyond the hard core even knew who the line coach was.

I mean, off the top of your head can you even name two of Cavanaugh's more immediate predecessors as UH offensive line coach? Do the names Greg Olejak or Walt Klinker ring a bell?

UH has had, with varying success, 13 different offensive line coaches in the 20 years preceding Cavanaugh's 1999 arrival but none quite like this Uncle Fester look-alike. "Coach Cav" earned more than a cult following, no easy task when the offensive coordinator also happens to be the head coach.

But in a finesse offense, Cav and his unit have embodied the blue-collar grit that helped make the run-and-shoot work. In a roll-the-dice offensive game plan, his unit strived for and usually succeeded in performing with remarkable consistency. That Chang walks and breaths today after launching nearly 2,500 passes in his UH career is proof of that.

Cav's tell-it-like-it-is bluntness and "trust-your-technique" mantra, along with the way he stood by his players, won him a place in people's hearts.

At UH, that's a tough act to ask anybody to follow.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.