11-02-2025
Hawaii defensive coordinator Thurman brings Hall of Fame mindset to Manoa
As the 'City of Brotherly Love' celebrates the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LIX victory, the home of the 'Braddahhood' — the University of Hawai'i football team — is hard at work crafting championship aspirations of its own during spring training camp. Among the Rainbow Warriors' coaching staff, one man stands out as the only member with Super Bowl experience: defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. Thurman, a former Dallas Cowboys defensive back, played in Super Bowl XIII as a rookie in 1979, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the legendary matchup. More than four decades later, he enters his second season as UH's defensive coordinator, aiming to build on a debut campaign that saw significant statistical improvements across the board. As expectations rise, so does the optimism surrounding Thurman's aggressive defensive philosophy. For the former USC All-American, what brought him to the islands is the same thing that keeps him here. 'I came here to coach football,' Thurman said. 'To work with a really, really good program, with some really, really good young athletes that are aspiring to do some great things. And we're going to see if we can be a little bit better than we were a year ago.' This past offseason, Thurman was honored with induction into the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class.
