Paul Regrutto and his wife moved to Volcano on April 17.
Then. All. Hell. Broke. Loose.
“I like to say we’re close enough to be scared, and far enough away to feel safe,” Regrutto said.
That mantra almost sounds like the edgy and confident balance a coach would want his team to find on the soccer field, but in actually Regrutto wants UH-Hilo to be fearless.
Don’t be afraid of mistakes
Definitely don’t be afraid of failure.
“We’ll dream big and we’ll chase it,” he said. “You don’t get anywhere if you don’t think you’re going to get there. You just don’t end up in places. There has to be a plan and you have to be committed to get there.”
His on-the-field philosophy features a possession-based system with the intentions of going forward and can best be described as “soccer on steroids.”
Regrutto’s second tour of duty with the Vulcans’ men’s program officially began July 1, but the interim coach will get down to the knitty gritty Monday as fall practice begins with a week of two-a-days.
Asked last week if his position atop a perennially losing program requires a coach to ground one’s expectations, the forthright Regrutto paused for a moment.
“If being grounded says you can’t be PacWest champions, than I’m not grounded,” he said. “I’m really ambitious. I do believe if you can control the controllable here, the skies the limit.”
And at long last, the ground underneath UHH soccer has found a bit of fortification.
Gone is the five-year experiment known as the director of soccer position, which required one coach to lead two teams. Gene Okamura held down the fort the past two seasons on an interim basis, but he has the women’s team all to himself as Regrutto aims to right the men’s ship.
“It unbelievably tough” to lead two teams, Regrutto said. “My first coaching job I was an assistant coach for two teams, so I’ve had that experience. It’s physically and mentally exhausting. I’m amazed what Gene was able to do, with his club duties and Waiakea High, to keep it afloat.”
Regrutto is assisted by Terry Yamane and Chad Hanashiro. Yamane is one of four assistants listed on the women’s roster.
Just through sheer manpower, Regrutto said, the nagging administrative issues that face any coach should become easier to solve.
“Ninety percent of your job is administrative,” Regrutto said. “The more athletes you pile on, the more (time-consuming) it becomes.
“Being able to meet with your players and give them feedback about where they are, that will improve. Everything; take film breakdown. Breaking down film for one team is a daunting task, especially with games back to back. Doing it for one team is tough, trying for two teams – good luck, man.”
His most recent coaching job was a four-year stint at CSU-Pueblo that saw the Thunderwolves go 36-21-6 and ended in 2016 with Regrutto being named Rocky Mountain Athletic coach of the year.
It may have surprised some that UHH athletic director Pat Guillen’s national coaching search resulted in the hiring of a candidate who sat out the 2017 college season, but Regrutto called the year off invaluable.
“I compare it do dating,” he said. “Some times you don’t know if you’re in a good relationship until you’re out of it.
“I think it was healthy for me to step away and get some reflections on things.”
He’s had time to bring two junior college transfers to UHH, but he mostly inherits a roster of 21, which includes nine returning players. Of those nine, only Jack Stonehouse and Xahil McDonald scored a goal in a Vuls uniform last season.
Regrutto has three clear priorities as the Vuls prepare for their opener Sept. 11 at Western Washington.
• Get the team fit;
• Bring the team together;
• Develop tactics going forward
As for the latter goal, Regrutto thinks the game has become antiquated in that teams are too intent on playing possession and simply linking together passes.
“I want to make the tempo of the game really fast to take people by surprise,” he said. “I want players who are brave and really taking risks to create opportunities.”
His task may seem daunting. UHH was outscored 38-14 in going 2-14 last season and has just three wins combined the past two season.
But Regrutto has been in tough spots with the Vuls before. He was the very first men’s coach in the 2006, helping start the program with Gordon Inouye.
“You’re ambitious, but I think I was blind at the same time,” Regrutto said. “Zero head coaching experience, you don’t know completely what you have, thinking you’re going to be all right, not knowing what you’re up against.
“This time around, I have a better idea. Coaching college soccer for 16 years, I think I have a better grasp.”
It’d be nice if all hell didn’t break loose on him again.
