HONOLULU – New University of Hawai'i head football coach Norm Chow was the featured speaker at the Downtown Athletic Club's inaugural event, Wednesday. The event was Chow's first public speaking appearance since being named head coach December 21.
 
An overflow crowd attended by members of the business community, boosters, friends and other UH coaches, including Chow's seven recently named assistant coaches, were treated to speeches by Governor Neil Abercrombie and Chow. Following Chow's speech, he answered questions from the audience.
 
ESPN 1420AM aired the 60-minute event live throughout the state and its afternoon talk show team of Chris Hart and Gary Dickman of the “Sports Animals,” served as masters of ceremony. Members of the UH band entertained the crowd before Chow's arrival.
 
“I have to tell you, we are not in awe by the task ahead of us,” Chow told the crowd. “We realize the responsibility we have as coaches of the University of Hawai'i. We have been given a tremendous responsibility to make sure our young men perform the way you want, the way we want, the way all of us want them to perform. We understand that.”
 
Following the event, Chow and his assistants answered questions from the media before returning to the Manoa campus, where they are preparing for the first of three big recruiting weekends.