Chang goes back to familiar place, with familiar friends
Nov. 4—A certified butcher helps the University of Nevada's agriculture program produce a popular line of beef jerky.
RENO, NEV.—A certified butcher helps the University of Nevada's agriculture program produce a popular line of beef jerky.
A group of Nevada alumni concocted Dorinda's Chocolates, hand-crafted crunch bars that are sold in Reno and neighboring Sparks.
But one of the most intriguing Nevada projects is the reconstruction of the football program under Ken Wilson. After Jay Norvell left to become Colorado State's head coach following the 2021 season, Nevada turned to Wilson, who spent 20 of his 29 years coaching with the Wolf Pack.
In the aftermath of the coaching switch, Wilson's staff was left with 53 scholarship players for the 2022 season. But the Pack have added key players, including Colorado transfer quarterback Brendon Lewis, and refined an offense that is a mixture of the pistol and spread.
After losing this season's first six games to extend a streak to 16 consecutive setbacks, the Wolf Pack have won two in a row. They shut down San Diego State 6-0, holding the Aztecs to 0-for-10 on third down. Last week, the Pack held off New Mexico 34-24. The Pack play host to Hawaii today.
The Rainbow Warriors, who are 2-7 overall and 0-4 in the Mountain West, have yet to win in 11 road games since Timmy Chang was hired as head coach in January 2022. The Warriors, who are assured a losing regular season, have a prayer-to-none shot of qualifying for a postseason bowl if they win their final four games. Twice in the past eight years they qualified with a sub-.500 record.
"We still have family members and fans who support us, " cornerback Virdel Edwards said. "We have to finish strong for them. We have to finish for ourselves. We want to finish the best way we can. Sometimes you can put in the work and not get the results you want. But you still have to go to work every day. We put too much time and energy—blood, sweat and tears—into this sport to just, 'Oh, we're having a bad season, let's just let up.' We can't do that. We have to stay focused and do the best we can and try to win every game we can."
This will serve as a reunion for Chang, special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield, chief of staff Matt Chon and quarterback Jonah Chong. Chang coached the Pack's receivers and tight ends for four seasons through 2021. Sheffield was a Nevada assistant for two seasons. Chon worked as a Pack recruiting assistant in 2021. Chong, an Iolani School graduate, was with the Pack for three years but opted to leave when his scholarship expired. Chong said there still is a room reserved for him in an off-campus apartment.
For Chang, it was a difficult decision to join Norvell at CSU. "Nevada has a special place in my heart because of the people and the community and all the relationships I built there, " Chang said. "It's hard to leave a place you've grown to."
Soon after relocating to Fort Collins, Colo., where he and his wife, Sherry, reached an agreement to buy a house, Chang received the offer from UH. Of his return to the Reno area, Chang said, "I call it a 'hidden gem, '" he said. "It's a great place."
