University of Hawai‘i head football coach Timmy Chang has agreed to a long-term contract extension to remain the head coach of the Rainbow Warriors.
In a Q&A with Aloha State Daily, UH athletics director Matt Elliott confirmed that the two sides have a deal in place that includes an increased salary pool for the football team's assistant coaches, as well as two-year deals for multiple assistant coaches. Many coaches on the UH football staff operate on one-year contracts. (Click here for our Q&A with Elliott.)
The deal is pending university approval and will be announced by the school upon completion, Elliott says.
"We have a deal," Elliott said. "It's just a matter of going through those signature processes. We'll announce it very soon. But yes, we have a long-term extension.
"He and I reached a deal in the in the winter. His focus was, 'I want to get deals done for all my staff,' so that's where we spent some time. In a lot of cases, we're doing two-year deals for a lot of the assistant coaches, so kind of getting all those in place first, and now we've been just going through it, and it takes regent approval. It takes different levels of our university to approve the contract. So, it's done. It's just a matter of getting it all signed."
Chang, who was hired in January 2022, has gone 22-29 in his four seasons at the helm. The Rainbow Warriors went 9-4 in a breakthrough 2025 campaign, ending their season with a dramatic comeback victory over California in the Hawai‘i Bowl.
Prior to the extension, Chang's contract was set to expire following the 2026 season. His initial four-year deal with the school was extended by one year in December 2024.
Hawai‘i opens its 2026 season at Stanford on Aug 29.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
