The start of the University of Hawai'i football training camp is less than two weeks away, but defensive coordinator Greg McMackin remains at ease.

Since succeeding Jerry Glanville, who accepted the head coaching job at Portland State, McMackin implemented his 4-3 defense (UH attacked out of a 3-4 last year), rewrote the assignments and depth charts, and completed a move from Lubbock, Texas, where he and his wife, Heather, own a home.

"It's great to be back," said McMackin, who was the Warriors' defensive coordinator in 1999, Jones' first season as UH coach. "I'm really enjoying Hawai'i."

In 1999, McMackin envisioned a long stay. But then Texas Tech, in search of a defensive coordinator, made an offer that even McMackin could not refuse. At Tech, McMackin would earn an annual base salary of $350,000 — nearly quadruple his $90,000 UH pay.

"I told him he needed to take that job," Jones has said.

McMackin coached at Tech, then with the San Francisco 49ers. He spent last year recovering from reconstructive surgery on his right knee.

And then Jones called again.

"June is the best coach in the country," McMackin said. "It's so important, to me, to coach with guys I like, guys who are good people. June is definitely that. And he's hired a staff of guys who are great people. It was a no-brainer to come back."

Between playing in a charity golf tournament on Kaua'i and coaching in this week's Hawai'i Football Camp, McMackin took time to speak with The Advertiser.

On the family decision to return to UH:

"My wife was there when June called. She was excited about (the offer). Heather is the best as a football wife. She's been through it. It's tough on wives. You're gone a lot, and you work long hours. She understands that.

"We've been married a long time. We were childhood sweethearts. I used to watch her when I was an eighth grader dive into the pool. She never made a splash. That made a big impression on me. We finally got together (in high school), and went out. Springfield (Ore.) is a small town. You know everybody. She's been my best friend for many years. She's very understanding, and she's into the game. She knows what's going on in the game. She's helped a lot of young coaches' wives along the way. It's a tough business. She's been the best at it."

On his managing style:

"Just like June, I believe you have to get your work done. But I believe there's no reason to meet just to meet. If you have your work done, you should be able to be with your family. I try to get (the assistant coaches) out of the office as soon as possible, and just let them be with their families. That's what it's all about, anyway.

"I've worked with both kinds — guys who worked 24 hours a day, and guys who get their work done and get out of there. (The latter is) how June is. Your head coach has to believe in that, in wanting for you to get with your family."

On distributing coaching assignments:

"I believe if you have good coaches, you should let them coach. I put a lot of responsibility on the coaches. We have good coaches. They're top guys. They really relate to the players. Rich Miano, Cal Lee, George Lumpkin and Jeff Reinebold are just outstanding coaches. Everybody is on the same page, teaching the same package. You get a lot more done when you break it up and let the coaches coach. They picked it up right off the bat. We talked about what we were going to put in, and we went out and did it. I thought we had an outstanding spring."

On implementing a new defensive scheme:

"Package wise, the big decision was between playing 3-4, which we had (the past two years), and 4-3. After talking to the defensive staff and looking at it, the 4-3 fit our personnel so much better. I've always been a 4-3 guy, with a touch of 3-4 in it. So that's the direction we went. I basically got the package in playbooks and PowerPoint. The secretaries and our staff did a good job of getting that together. We had all of that for spring (practice)."

On returning to college football:

"I love college football. You can have an influence on these young men. In the pros, it's a business. They have their accountant and agent. Here, you can touch a person's life and help the young man. Here, it's still a game. They have other things going on, such as academics. In the pros, it's about money. I really enjoyed the pros. It was great coaching guys at the level. But it's purely Xs and Os. It's different. I like the college atmosphere. I like the idea of having a chance to help somebody.

"I met with each (defensive player) after spring practice. It's important to get to know them. It's important to let them know you care about them as a person instead of only as a player on the field. The players are the most important aspect of the program. If they need to talk to you, you need to drop what you're doing and talk to them. If you're in a meeting or you're in your office, they should feel they can come in and talk to you."

On how the Warriors compare to BCS teams:

"I don't think this is a smaller program. June has made this into a big program. I can't believe what he and his staff have done. Really, the budget is the same (as it was in 1999). The coaches have had one raise in eight years. The defensive room is exactly the same when I was here. The recruiting budget is the same. And they're beating people like Alabama and BYU and Arizona State and Purdue and Michigan State. I'd like to put the SC coach or the Florida State coach in that situation. June has done it without a lot of things. Putting 11 guys in the pros (this year), that's remarkable. I don't look at it as a small program. I look at it as June building a tradition. He cares about his coaches and players. I think he's a genius and the best coach in the game."

On the difference between this year's team and the 1999 team:

"I think the depth and the quality are better in the front seven, but that '99 team had the greatest heart of anybody I've seen. This group is just fun to coach. They really want to get better. They have a great attitude."

On how his defense has changed:

"It hasn't changed a lot. Football has been going on for a long time. There aren't a lot of original ideas. We will change if the offense makes a change. Football evolves. We've added several things, mainly (pass) coverages. Now the zone is a big part of it. We have a package for that. If teams try to take advantage of something, at this point, we have an answer for it. I'm sure somebody will come up with something that we'll have to adjust to."

On the linebackers:

"We're going to play Adam (Leonard) on the outside and inside. He's going to be our joker (pass rusher) in our Okie package (3-3-5 alignment). We're putting a lot of things on Adam. He's a talent. He's a good player.

"Solomon (Elimimian) is our starting middle linebacker. We're going to roll four guys (in the three positions), so Adam will play inside, too. We're going to roll Blaze (Soares), Solomon, Adam and Brad (Kalilimoku). Cal (Lee, the linebacker coach) feels those guys are all starters, so they're all going to play. They're first-string guys.

"I think Blaze is a big-time player. If he continues to grow with Cal, he has a chance to be one of the best to ever come out of here. He has the speed. He has the instinct. He's a great hitter. He has that look in his eyes. Some of those great 'backers have that look in their eyes — (Jeff) Ulbrich, Ray Lewis — and he has that look."

On recruiting:

"I'll be involved in defensive recruiting. Texas has a lot of players. Mississippi has JC players. The way I look at it, if we need immediate help at a position, we'll recruit a JC guy. Other than that, we'll go for high school guys. The local recruiting will always be the biggest part of this program."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.