DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Gavin Petersen, second from right, went from Wahine team manager to assistant coach.
Gavin Petersen does not remember when he wasn't watching a basketball game, or playing in one, or serving as a team manager. Petersen gets his shot
Game Day Info / Team stats
By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comThe newest addition to Hawaii Rainbow Wahine coach Vince Goo's staff would tag along with his father, Craig, who has officiated college games for a couple of decades.
"Even if he were late, he would come and drag me along. I remember walking around Blaisdell Arena after the games collecting the plastic cups, especially at the Rainbow Classic when all the teams' names were on them," Petersen said.
He played point guard and off guard for University High and was a running back/defensive back for Pac-Five. Matriculating to Hawaii Pacific, Petersen served as the basketball team's manager for four seasons under Sea Warriors coach Tony Sellitto while earning his degree in justice administration.
"I aspired to go into some federal law enforcement gig and applied to the DEA, but they wanted someone with experience, not someone right out of college," Petersen said.
Instead, Petersen headed to the Hawaii campus to begin work on a master's degree in athletic performance and kept basketball in his life as Wahine team manager. His experiences with the program led the 25-year-old to consider a new career track.
"I talked with Vince during the summer before the 2001-02 season and told him I wanted to coach college women's basketball," Petersen said. "I asked for his help in what I needed to do. I knew the opportunities here were limited and I figured I'd have to go to the mainland and pay my dues."
What Goo could offer at the time was a window for Petersen to begin experiencing the coaching world. Goo included Petersen in the coaches' meetings where he could get more insight into the profession and start learning the X's and O's.
Not long after 2001-02 UH season concluded, his dad called one day to say Wahine assistant Jon Newlee had resigned to take the head position at Idaho State. Petersen wondered if he had a chance for Newlee's position because he still had a year of school left. He waited for about two weeks as applications began to roll in from the mainland.
"I didn't want to get my hopes up, but finally I approached Vince and asked him how I would go about applying for the job. He to told me to give him my resume. I kind of laughed and told him he was one of my references," Petersen said.
"Then one day Vince took his assistants (Da Houl and Serenda Valdez) and me to lunch. We started talking about recruiting, the summer camp and what we were going to do. When we were done eating, Vince showed me a piece of paper that was his recommendation to Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano (senior women's administrator) for the job. Then he slid the key to my office across the table. I had no clue that was going to happen."
Goo said he received 17 applications for the position, but about half did not have the proper qualifications. He selected Petersen for several reasons.
"First, Gavin is familiar with our program. Second, he has a great ambition to coach basketball. That's the feeling I got in his three years with us. He has worked really hard here and has a lot of loyalty to the program," Goo said.
Petersen will work with the post players, but Goo added that all his assistants have specific drills that involve every player on the roster.
A point guard during his playing days, he doesn't see any problem working with post players. As a point guard he was on the other end of the pass and knows what it takes for post players to get open and where they should be on the floor.
"I'm going to be here every day, working hard, not only to prepare the post players and the team, but to do whatever it may be to make this team successful. I don't want there to be a drop off now that I'm aboard," he said.
He told his seniors to be patient, that he is learning every day, a work in progress. He concedes he doesn't know everything, but says he knows more about post play than someone off the street.
"I give Vince credit for hiring me. He sees something in me he thinks will work and I thank him for that," Petersen said. "Never in my wildest dream did I think I would be coaching at the University of Hawaii to start off. Now that I have a taste, I don't want to drop the ball. And, I don't look upon that as pressure. Even before I got the job, I wanted to win."
Petersen is working on his thesis after gathering data at Oregon State and Portland State last summer. He will graduate either in the spring or at the end of the summer.
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GAMEDAY
When: Today, 1 p.m. WAIKIKI BEACH MARRIOTT RESORT CLASSIC
Hawaii vs. UCLA
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: None.
Radio: Live, KKEA, 1420-AM
Tickets: All seats general admission. $7 adults, $6 seniors, $4 for children (age 4-17) and UH students.
Parking: $3
Notes: The Wahine tri-captains are seniors Christen Roper and Michelle Gabriel and junior April Atuaia. ... The Bruins lead the series 4-0. UCLA won the last meeting in 1984 at Pauley Pavilion 70-48. ... The Bruins are 20-8 in season openers. ... Vince Goo begins his 16th campaign as Rainbow Wahine coach with a 310-132 career record and .701 winning percentage. ... The Wahine are 110-36 in the Stan Sheriff Center. Probable starters
2001-02 statistics
Hawaii (0-0)
Ht. Pts. Reb. Ast. G Michelle Gabriel (Sr.) 5-6 0.9 1.0 0.8 G April Atuaia (Jr.) 5-10 7.3 6.4 3.4 F Natasja Allen (Sr.) 6-2 10.4 5.6 1.0 F Jade Abele (So.) 6-0 7.7 2.1 0.8 C Christen Roper (Sr.) 6-5 3.4 7.3 0.6
UCLA (0-0)
Ht. Pts. Reb. Ast. G Nikki Blue (Fr.) 5-8 High school player G Michelle Greco (Sr.) 5-9 23.6 5.0 2.6 G Natalie Nakase (Sr.) 5-2 7.9 3.1 5.1 F Jamila Veasley (Jr.) 6-1 1.4 3.1 0.5 F Julia Pitts (Fr.) 6-2 High school player
UH Athletics
