[ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ]
University of Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier told the Star-Bulletin at his office last week that he expects the department to be operating in the black in five years.
Frazier optimistic
Hawaii's AD reveals what
was behind talks of joining
the Mountain WestPART 1 OF 2
Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier answered questions on a variety of topics in an exclusive interview with the Star-Bulletin's Dave Reardon last week. Today, Frazier's responses to questions about UH at the end of his second year at the university.
* * *Star-Bulletin: What do you consider the on-field highlights of the just-completed year?
Herman Frazier: Obviously the winning football season and the participation of the team in the Hawaii Bowl. It was a wonderful and tremendous success for us.
The men's basketball team being in postseason is another. A lot of people talk about the difference between the NCAA and NIT tournaments. But for the student-athletes and the staff, it's postseason competition no matter how you look at it. For them to have the opportunity to come home again and play against the University of Nebraska of the Big 12 and get a victory, that was great.
I think the women's soccer team and their finish as co-champs of the Western Athletic Conference. Even though we didn't go far in the tournament.
Baseball having a second consecutive season going over .500.
Women's volleyball, second at the final four, is something to hang your hat on.
And a national championship in sailing last week.
This has been a decent year for us.
SB: Speaking of the Hawaii Bowl, do you ever worry about the program growing out of that game? What if the team does well enough to attract an offer from a more lucrative, high-profile bowl game?
HF: Let's understand that two years ago we qualified for a bowl and had nowhere to go. We've got to do two things in that regard.
Number one, as an institution here in Hawaii, we have to see the Hawaii Bowl grow. Two, we also have to see our football program grow.
There might come a time when we don't play in the game. For everybody's viability, the game still has to be successful. I see an analogy with the Fiesta Bowl. In 1971 it was created for Arizona State. Arizona and Arizona State were both in the WAC. Arizona gave an ultimatum to the Sun Bowl. Arizona State beat Arizona, but the Sun Bowl still took Arizona. So some wise people created the Fiesta Bowl. It was created because Arizona State was snubbed. The rest is history. Arizona State has not played in that game since 1983.
There will come a time when we might go somewhere else. At the same time we have to protect the relationship we have with the Hawaii Bowl.
SB: You announced a new non-alcohol, family-friendly seating area at Aloha Stadium last week. This forced a few season-ticket holders to move. Did it come out OK for everyone involved?
HF: There was some negotiation. We're just trying to create new niches for our fans. One of the other things we are trying to do is create a young alumni group. Recent graduates just getting out into the work force can't afford to pay some of the premiums. We want to get them their own section and get them interested. We have some elder people who have been there a long time. And we appreciate everything they've done for us and all their support. But we also need to generate some other people coming into that stadium.
SB: The recent alumni, a group that can get lost in the shuffle.
HF: No question that happens. They go to school, they finish school. They don't sit with the students anymore, they don't quite fit in with the old establishment.
SB: Season ticket sales start (tomorrow). Renewals were completed several weeks ago. Do you have a number for renewals?
HF: We don't have a final number yet. Probably not until next week. From what I can tell renewals have gone well.
SB: You've been in contact with UCLA, Alabama, Arizona State, Brigham Young, UNLV and Kansas for possible football games in the later years of this decade. Do you see them as mostly home or road games?
HF: What I'm trying to do is put us in a position where we don't play too many nonconference road games. June (Jones, football coach) and I both believe in that. For example, in 2005 we play at Michigan State. That's our only road game out of conference that year. We're looking into at Alabama, and I think BYU will want home and home.
SB: What about the new WAC? For better or worse, it got out that the university president (Evan Dobelle) was interested in the Mountain West, and UH was one of the schools that did not want to sign an agreement to remain in the WAC. Did that affect what happened? Or were the Texas schools on the way out anyway?
HF: I can't speculate on what they were going to do. This was an interesting process for me. I'd never witnessed anything like it. The thing is, everybody talks about our president and his discussions about us going to the Mountain West. Now that the paint is dry, I'll tell you that the Mountain West contacted him first. He was reacting to the contact he had. Like any university president, he wants what's best for this institution and the state. He was very aggressive in the way he did it, in his discussions. As an athletic director, you want a president like that, someone who wants the best for his student-athletes and his programs.
That's not to say that he was trying to be critical and negative of the WAC. He was just trying to say at that particular time, because of the difference in television contracts and some other things involved, that might have been a better conference for us.
SB: Speaking of TV contracts, your deal with KFVE comes up for bid next year. What do you foresee happening?
HF: We've not had any serious discussions yet, and it's too early to say. In Hawaii we're very fortunate. We have unique opportunities because of our time zone. The contract signed by KFVE two years ago, that contract called for reduced fees up front with the opportunity to make it up with Pay Per View. From a business standpoint it has been a blockbuster for the university.
At the close of business next year, our radio contract coincides, both run out. If there's someone innovative and wants to bid on the whole package, that could happen.
SB: TV and radio rights is an important component of your funding. Can you discuss the overall status of your budget?
HF: We've received tremendous support from the chancellor and the president for the type of program we're trying to build. The university is making the decisions on the sports we're going to sponsor. The thing is, there are different aspects of looking at the budget. There are things that show as negative numbers that you have to carry.
We will produce a five-year plan that shows you how this program will be in the black and we will be one of 30 or 40 schools that will be in the black. It's a plan we've been working with Koa Anuenue on from Day 1. We took the Band-Aid approach to get us started as we work on the complete plan.
At the end of the day, yes, there was a deficit last year. At the end of the day, yes, there will be a deficit this year. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
SB: Some are saying it's taking too long to hire a new women's basketball coach. There is some public perception that a good candidate was lost because it's taking too long. Are you satisfied with the pace of this hiring?
HF: I could also say aggressive media chased candidates away, but I won't say that (laughs).
In the event of a search, and a candidate having an opportunity to do something else, I'm not going to change my search for that candidate. Read into that.
Not even the search committee knows who the top two candidates are.
When we first talked about this search, I said we weren't going to push it. There's only one (women's basketball) scholarship to give out, which we probably won't give out. Also, one of the reasons we're in a deficit is we've carried some double staffs. We took all that into consideration.
SB: Your high-level, high-profile hires so far have been from out of state. How important is it to you to have a mix of people who have been here a long time with newcomers with fresh perspectives?
HF: It becomes a balancing act. You have to understand I look for the best candidate, best person to do the job. I don't look at gender, I don't look at ethnicity. I look at who can do the job.
* * *Tomorrow: Frazier talks about topics including student-athlete discipline at UH and his role as Chef de Mission of the U.S. Olympic team this summer in Athens.
