Dung succeeds
Sellitto

The sidekick for many years will
take over as HPU's basketball coach
and interim athletic director

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By Brandon Lee
blee@starbulletin.com

After 30 years of primarily being legendary basketball coach Tony Sellitto's wingman, Russell Dung will be the full-time pilot of his own plane.

Hawaii Pacific selected Dung as its new men's basketball coach and interim athletic director late last week. Dung signed separate one-year contracts for the respective positions, with monetary terms undisclosed.

Dung replaces Sellitto, who retired from coaching after last season and will step down as athletic director this summer. An assistant coach and athletic director for all 14 years that Sellitto served as HPU's head basketball coach and athletic director, Dung officially steps into his new jobs on July 1.

"It never really dawned on me -- the aspirations to be a head coach," Dung said. "It was just fun to work with (Sellitto). This past year I spent a lot of time reflecting on what it's been like to be on the bench with him.

"(Being a head coach) is really hitting me now and I really want to be a successful coach. To me, it's not about filling big shoes. I had the best mentor, the best teacher and a great friend -- I'm looking at it that way. I figure I'm well prepared to be a head coach."

Dung's relationship with Sellitto, who was Maryknoll's basketball coach and athletic director for 23 years before moving on to HPU, began as a player for the Spartans over three decades ago. Then in 1972, after playing two years at Chaminade, Dung rejoined Sellitto as an assistant coach for the Spartans' boys team and head coach for the girls. Dung led the Spartan girls to two state championships and helped Sellitto guide Maryknoll's boys to a state title as well.

After they moved to the collegiate ranks, Dung aided Sellitto in becoming the only Hawaii coach to win a national hoops title, when the Sea Warriors captured the 1993 NAIA championship. The winningest collegiate men's coach in Hawaii history, Sellitto (295-136) announced before the start of this past season that it would be his last coaching. Sellitto had said since his retirement announcement that Dung was his choice as successor.

"(The administration) considered a nationwide search for a replacement," HPU president Chatt Wright said. "But based on Coach Sellitto's support of and confidence in Russell to continue the success of the Sea Warrior basketball program, we decided to appoint Russell as our next coach. Russell does bring a wealth of experience to the position and under him we expect HPU to remain a top contender."

Wright said that the administration received some unsolicited applications for the opening. The submissions were reviewed, but a formal search was never initiated.

Dung does not plan to add to his basketball staff. Current assistants Darrell Matsui, Francis Fletcher, Ben Valle and Marco Johnson are expected to take on bigger roles, with Matsui a likely candidate to assume the head assistant position.

"They're all going to stay and that really helps out a lot," Dung said. "We're all on the same page. (Schemewise) pretty much everything will stay the same. I won't deviate too much. We need the structure to remain consistent ... and then later I'll add a few new wrinkles."

Dung's most pressing responsibility at this time is recruiting, with the late signing period set to start Wednesday. The Sea Warriors lose eight seniors from last season's 18-9 squad, including their top four scorers.

Sellitto has been helping Dung in pursuing recruits for next year. Dung said the two have "been tag-teaming in terms of recruiting to give prospective players assurances that the program is still solid."

But once next season starts, Dung believes he will not consult Sellitto much, and that the incredibly intense coaching legend will amaze many by being a supportive, yet passive spectator.

"I don't think Tony will be on the sidelines looking over my shoulder," said Dung of the man who also happens to be his godfather. "But I'm sure he'll be my biggest supporter and still my best friend."

Sellitto has been appointed as a consultant for the next school year, after which he'll retire completely. He said that he will maintain his recruiting contacts and help with the HPU Thanksgiving Classic tournament, though he is unsure exactly what other responsibilities he will have.

"Russ really cares about being good and I think he will be a successful coach," Sellitto said. "I'm going to be as much help as he needs me to be. If he doesn't need my help, then I won't do anything."

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