Boston College's Kevin Lempa hired as Hawaii defensive coordinator
Boston College secondary coach Kevin Lempa is the new defensive coordinator for Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich, according to a source.
It marks the return of Lempa as the Rainbow Warriors’ defensive coordinator, a position he held from 2000–02. Rolovich played quarterback for Hawaii for the first two of those years.
This year was Lempa’s third in his position with the Eagles and 42nd overall in coaching. He helped with a Boston College defense that surrendered the fewest yards in the FBS this season (254.3 yards per game) and ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense (15.3 points allowed per game).
Prior to Lempa’s latest stint at Boston College, he was defensive coordinator at Columbia in 2012 and Central Connecticut State in ’11. He was an assistant at Maryland from ’07–10, first as secondary coach for two seasons before moving to safeties coach for the final two years.
The 63-year-old Lempa also coached defensive backs at Boston College from ’03–06 and before that did his stint as Hawaii’s defensive coordinator. He was a defensive assistant for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers from 1997–99.
Prior to that, Lempa was Dartmouth’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for six seasons, coached Boston College’s outside linebackers and special teams from 1981–90 and was Maine’s defensive backs coach from ’77–80. He coached wide receivers at Wesleyan in 1976 after two seasons overseeing the same position at his alma mater, Southern Connecticut State. A Hartford, Conn. native, he was a wide receiver for the Owls from 1970–73.
Lempa now reunites with the highly regarded Rolovich, who is considered one of college football’s top young offensive minds. The 36-year-old was hired last month after spending the last four seasons as Nevada’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
When Rolovich was a Hawaii assistant from 2008–11, he spent the first two years as quarterbacks coach before adding offensive coordinator duties as well.
While quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors from 2000–01, he passed for 4,176 yards with 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games. He was also a student assistant at Hawaii from ’03–04 and played in NFL Europe and the Arena Football League.
Rolovich replaces Norm Chow, who was fired in early last month after a 2–7 start. The Rainbow Warriors finished 3–10 this season, including an 0–8 mark in the Mountain West.
