UH Chow completes football coaching staff

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – University of Hawai‘i head football coach Norm Chow completed his inaugural coaching staff with the addition of Chris Demarest as special teams and defensive assistant.

Demarest comes to UH from East Stroudsburg University, where he coached the special teams and defensive backs. He has 17 years of Division I coaching experience including stops at Florida State, North Carolina State, and Rutgers.

"I've known Chris since our days at North Carolina State and I saw what an outstanding recruiter he is," Chow said. "I've followed his career and we've both kept in touch throughout the years. He'll be a great asset to our staff."

Demarest joins Thom Kaumeyer, Tommy Lee, Daronte Jones, Lewis Powell, Philip Rauscher, Tony Tuioti, Keith Uperesa, and Chris Wiesehan on Chow's staff.

"I believe we've put together a staff that will make Hawai‘i proud. These guys are not only tremendous recruiters but are great coaches and teachers. They all have different strengths and qualities that will be instrumental to our success as a football program."

Demarest spent the 2011 season at East Stroudsburg after one season at Tiffin University in Ohio, where he was the defensive coordinator and associate coach in 2010. Prior to that, he was head football coach and athletics director at Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City, N.J.

From 2004-08, Demarest coached the defensive backs at Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano. In 2006, the Scarlet Knights was the nation's sixth-best pass defense and improved to second in 2007.

Prior to Rutgers, Demarest coached the secondary at North Carolina State from 2000-03, where he was on staff with Chow during the 2000 season and helped the Wolfpack to a Top 20 pass defense in 2002.

Demarest was also part of Florida State's national championship team in 1999 during his two-year stint as cornerbacks coach. In his first season with the Seminoles in 1998, the team ranked No. 1 nationally in pass defense. In his two seasons, the FSU competed in the Fiesta and Sugar bowls.

The 1998 graduate of Northeastern, also coached at Lehigh (1995-97), Millersville (1994), East Stroudsburg (1993), Northeastern (1991-92) and East Carolina (1990). He was a graduate assistant at Rutgers in 1989.