July deadline University of Hawaii president Evan Dobelle said he wants a new athletic director in place by July to replace Hugh Yoshida, who announced yesterday he will retire at the end of the calendar year.
for AD search
Hugh Yoshida is remembered
fondly at a press conference
announcing his retirementBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com"Any good person who is available probably can't come in December," Dobelle said. "We'd like the new person to be mentored by Hugh for a couple months."
Dobelle also said he wants to increase the pay for the job to $180,000 a year, which would be around the national average. He said he wants the increase to go into effect before Yoshida retires. Yoshida's pay is around $130,000.
"Everyone should be at least around the midlevel (nationally)," Dobelle said. "That's what we want to do with all our contracts."
Dobelle said interim chancellor Deane Neubauer will be in charge of a national search. But Dobelle added that he would like to hire someone who lives in Hawaii.
"I think that's how it should be. But if a candidate from Hawaii can't hold up to a national search that would tell us something," Dobelle said. "I'm biased toward someone in Hawaii, but no one in particular."
Dobelle, who has been UH president since July, said he doesn't have a candidate waiting in the wings, nor one he has worked with before.
"There are some people I've worked with in the past I will ask to help in some situations, but no one I would encourage to apply for the job of athletic director at the University of Hawaii," he said.
Yoshida turned down a post as a special assistant to Dobelle. His duties would have included helping develop interscholastic sports at the community-college level and working on television contracts.
Yesterday's news conference announcing Yoshida's retirement was like the man himself -- mostly low key. Dobelle described him as a team player.
"Hugh Yoshida is a man who believes the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back," Dobelle said. He thanked Yoshida on behalf of the entire university and state for nearly 10 years as UH athletic director.
Yoshida, who turns 62 on March 4, spoke in front of media, athletic department personnel, and his wife, Patti, and daughter, Lesli. He said he has no set plans for his retirement, other than spending more time with his family, which includes two young grandsons.
Although his eyes glistened toward the end, he smiled often and kept it light.
"The other night I was looking at a picture of myself in 1997 and I think at that time I was pretty good looking. Somewhere along the way I lost my hair," Yoshida said.
"From the timing standpoint it was the right time to go."
Football coach June Jones, basketball coach Riley Wallace and baseball coach Mike Trapasso also spoke about Yoshida. All thanked him and described him as a friend more than a boss.
Wallace, beaming after Thursday's big victory over Tulsa, provided some levity. After complimenting him for many achievements, he thanked Yoshida for not firing him when Wallace exploded at Yoshida in support of former football coach Bob Wagner at a similar news conference when Yoshida announced the firing of Wagner after the 1995 season.
"The No. 1 thing you did was not fire me, this big-mouth haole at that press conference when I opened it up. I want to apologize publicly to you for not ... thank you for not firing me," Wallace said.
Jones said he appreciated Yoshida's even manner.
"It didn't matter if we were 3-9, 9-3 or 9-4," Jones said. "Hugh is one of the most consistent people I've ever met. He most of all has a good heart and is a good person."
Coaching changes were the highlights and lowlights of Yoshida's nine-year-plus tenure. He hired Jones, bringing in an NFL coach who fit Hawaii's unique culture. But he also hired Fred vonAppen, Yoshida's college teammate and Jones' predecessor who went 5-31 in three seasons.
Yoshida announced his retirement when most UH teams are on an upswing on the field; it's hard to find a team with a losing record on the Manoa campus.
Behind the scenes, Yoshida expanded the athletic budget from $8.5 million to $17 million and the number of teams grew from 16 to 19. He also dealt with ongoing Title IX gender equity issues and television contracts.
It wasn't always smooth. The Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium was constructed under Yoshida's watch, but there was a $1 million construction snafu. And while Yoshida's unassuming manner helped him in some ways, he was criticized by some for not possessing a more dynamic personality.
Whatever his faults, Yoshida put academics at a priority. UH athletes have excelled in the classroom and graduated at outstanding rates compared to universities nationwide.
Leon Schumacher, who works in academic services, said Yoshida's support of the Rainbow Fever program helped many athletes graduate. (The program raises money to pay for an additional year of schooling for athletes.)
"You always put the student-athlete first, above everything else," Wallace said, addressing Yoshida. "You have given them a tremendous opportunity which wasn't here before."
"I hope I'm leaving it a better place," Yoshida said.
UH Athletics
