HONOLULU – Rick Blangiardi, the longtime television executive and general manager of Hawaii Now, will serve as honorary captain for Saturday's season-opener against Washington. Blangiardi was the linebackers coach during UH's upset of Washington in 1973.
 
Blangiardi will accompany the team captains during the pre-game coin toss at midfield.
 
The then-Division II Rainbows opened the '73 season in Seattle, Wash., against the 50-point favorite Huskies of the Pac-8 Conference. UH won 10-7 in a game considered by many as the biggest upset in school history. Harold Stringert intercepted three passes and lineman Levi Stanley had 11 tackles in the victory. The Rainbows went on to win their first eight games that season and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the Division II poll.
 
Blangiardi played two seasons at UH in 1965 and '66 and coached five seasons under then-head coaches Dave Holmes and Larry Price from 1972-76. Under Price, Blangiardi served as associate head coach and defensive coordinator for three seasons.
 
The Massachusetts native finished his playing career at Springfield College before beginning his coaching career on both the high school and college levels. He returned to Hawai'i in 1972 as a graduate assistant on Holmes staff and was promoted to full-time coach the following season.
 
Blangiardi has worked as an executive in the television industry for nearly 40 years. Previously he was the general manager at both KHON2 and KGMB9 and in 2009, became the general manager of the newly created Hawaii News Now – KGMB (CBS) and KHNL (NBC).