‘Hawaii is home’: Jeff Reinebold to leave Ticats for University of Hawaii
Days after saying he hadn’t yet left the CFL squad, special teams co-ordinator Jeff Reinebold says he has accepted a coaching job with the Rainbow Warriors
Just a few days after saying he hadn’t left the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to coach at the University of Hawaii, Jeff Reinebold has now made the jump.
The 66-year-old who was special teams co-ordinator and assistant defensive backs coach for the Ticats last season says he received a contract offer from Rainbow Warriors’ head coach — and former Hamilton quarterback — Timmy Chang on Thursday.
He says he talked with his wife and Ticats’ general manager Ed Hervey and then accepted the position as defensive line coach.
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“Hawaii is home,” he wrote to the Spectator. “The only job I would have left the CFL for. Timmy is a friend and a great young coach. This state loves this team and I love this state.”
His departure leaves a hole for Hervey and president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer to fill. Earlier this week, the team said it would not comment on coaches until the entire staff was finalized. That hasn’t happened yet.
Reinebold’s departure is the second loss the Ticats have absorbed on special teams this week after returner Tyreik McAllister signed with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday. His 25.3 yards per kickoff return was first in the CFL among players with at least 10 attempts.
This will be Reinebold’s second stint with Hawaii. He’d previously been defensive line coach from 2006-07.
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It also wraps up his third stint with the Ticats. He was special teams co-ordinator from 2013-16 and then from 2019-21. He left for a year before returning last season.
He has coached with nine U.S. college teams including Hawaii, six CFL teams (Hamilton, B.C., Las Vegas, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Montreal) and two teams in NFL Europe in a 43-year coaching career.
“It was tough to leave Hamilton and the players and people in the Hammer,” he wrote. “We had some wonderful times there, I will miss it.”
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