He was a known commodity before he went to Utah, and, IMO, nothing he did at Utah improved his ability to be a HC. I think it was primarily a circumstance of timing. Hawaii needed a HC, and they didn't have the money to shell out big bucks; Norm had connections to the islands, had a track record of being a pretty good OC, and the price was right for both him and Hawaii. It's a scenario that would have taken place regardless of Norm's current location.