Coker rushed for 1,384 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. He was suspended last month for the Insight Bowl after violating the student-athlete code of conduct for unspecified behavior. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ADVERTISING HONOLULU — New Hawaii
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HONOLULU — New Hawaii coach Norm Chow has added four more assistants to his staff.
They include offensive assistants Tommy Lee, Keith Uperesa and Chris Wiesehan. Daronte Jones will be a defensive assistant.
Lee most recently served as head coach at Montana-Western from 2001-07. Uperesa comes from Nicholls State, where he served as offensive line coach for the past two seasons. Wiesehan was receivers coach with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Jones recently completed his first season as defensive backs coach with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes.
Chow has now hired seven coaches. The remaining two vacancies, including the defensive coordinator position, are expected to be filled soon.
He earlier announced the addition of offensive assistant Philip Rauscher and defensive assistants Lewis Powell and Tony Tuioti.
TV RATINGS FOR BCS TITLE GAME DOWN FROM LAST YEAR
NEW ORLEANS — A field goal-filled shutout couldn’t compete with a thrilling finish for television viewers.
TV ratings dipped for this year’s BCS title game, Alabama’s 21-0 win in a rematch against Southeastern Conference rival LSU. The Crimson Tide went up 15-0 late in the third quarter on five field goals while the Tigers’ offense struggled to even cross midfield.
A year ago, Auburn drove for a winning field goal on the final play to beat Oregon 22-19.
Monday’s game on ESPN earned a 14.0 rating, down 8 percent from last year. It’s the third-lowest rating of the 14 BCS title games, beating only a 13.9 for Miami-Nebraska in 2002 and a 13.7 for Southern California-Oklahoma in 2005.
The average of 24.2 million viewers is the second-largest audience in cable history behind the 2011 title game. The BCS championship moved to cable last year.
Ratings measure the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. The game earned a 16.2 fast national rating among households that get ESPN. Eight BCS title games have drawn a rating of more than that for all homes.
COLORADO STATE COACH JIM MCELWAIN ARRIVES IN TOWN
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State coach Jim McElwain is settling into his new office less than 24 hours after helping Alabama win a national championship.
Fresh off beating LSU 21-0 on Monday night, McElwain, who served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, began plotting a course to restore the luster to the Rams. McElwain said his priorities include recruiting, selecting his staff and getting to know his players.
“The main focus, plain and simple, is on recruiting,” McElwain said. “Without good players, you are going to get beat.”
COMMISSIONERS OPEN TO MAKING BIG BCS CHANGES
NEW ORLEANS — College football leaders, including Big Ten commissioner and staunch playoff opponent Jim Delany, are open to considering the idea of turning the Bowl Championship Series into a four-team playoff.
The commissioners from the 11 FBS conferences met Tuesday at a hotel in New Orleans to exchange ideas about what the system for crowning a national champion will be starting in the 2014 season. BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said 50 to 60 possibilities for various changes were presented. He said the process will be deliberate, and he expects it will take between five and seven meetings before July 4 to come to a decision.
“They have a lot of cans to kick down the road,” Hancock said. “This will not play well on Twitter.”
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said ideas were neither ranked nor ruled out.
“I think people realize there are flaws in the current system, and people are ready to think creatively about ways to improve it,” he said.
NEW PSU STAFF TAKES SHAPE WITHOUT JAY PATERNO
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The final tie between Penn State football and the Paterno family has been severed.
Quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno announced he was leaving the program after spending 17 years as an assistant under his father, Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. His departure was expected after the school last week named New England Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien to succeed JoePa as Nittany Lions head coach.
Joe Paterno was fired Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
IOWA RB MARCUS COKER LEAVES PROGRAM
DES MOINES, Iowa — Marcus Coker is leaving Iowa, the fifth talented running back lost by the Hawkeyes since 2010.
The school said Tuesday that Coker has asked for and been granted a release from his scholarship. It didn’t disclose any details or reasons.
Coker rushed for 1,384 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. He was suspended last month for the Insight Bowl after violating the student-athlete code of conduct for unspecified behavior.
