Demarest Heads Football Camps
Coach D-Mo. Photo courtesy UH Athletics
People in the football business call him “D-Mo,” but his real name is Chris Demarest. He’s one of the assistants hired on by new University of Hawaii head football coach Norm Chow to help rejuvenate the Warrior program.
A New Jersey native with a football coaching past that includes Rutgers, North Carolina State and Florida State on his impressive 23-year resume, Demarest has been so busy with recruiting and other duties that he’s literally living out of the UH football office these days.
“We’ve been grinding,” he says. “I just got back from the road again, and I’m still in the office. I’m in the process of finding a place, but there’s no time right now. My family will move out here eventually.”
Demarest says he loves the Islands for the weather and “beauty, culture and friendliness,” but right now he’s thinking more about football. Among his many duties, he’s the special teams coordinator and safeties coach, and he also will head up the 2012 University of Hawaii Football Summer Camps.
“It’s an opportunity to build relationships in the community,” he says. And in a roundabout way, it may help the UH staff identify players for the future.
The Hawaii Football Camps get under way Saturday, June 9, with the Big Man Camp, followed by the Skills Camp on Sunday, June 10. Both those camps are open to players between the ages of 13 and 17. The Big Man Camp specializes in offensive and defensive line play, and the Skills Camp is for the other positions of wide receiver, linebacker, defensive back, running back and quarterback.
“Our emphasis will be on fundamentals and technique,” Demarest says.
The program continues with a pair of three-day camps. The first is the Youth Camp for boys and girls ages 5 to 12, June 11 to 13. Second is the Team Camp for local teams, June 18 to 20. Cost for attending the one-day camps is $20. Cost for the three-day camp is $60.
“Our intention was to keep the costs down and make it affordable,” says Chow. “We’re not in it as a money-maker. We just want to give back to the community and help these young kids get better.”
Demarest knows the importance of going to camp. “My father was a high school football coach and he ran lots of camps. I went to camps all my life,” he recalls. “I remember one particular camp where we got to meet Philadelphia Eagles’ Ron Jaworski, Bill Bergey and Harold Carmichael. I remember looking at those players in awe.”
Email Coach D-Mo for more information at jayd3@hawaii.edu or call 956-6508.
