Bolla adds Charity
as associate coach

Hawaii Rainbow Wahine head basketball coach Jim Bolla announced the hiring of Pat Charity as associate coach yesterday.

Charity will be involved in all aspects of the program, including scouting, scheduling and game-day coaching. She also will serve as the program's lead recruiter.

"I like to play up-tempo basketball. I can coach a slower game, but I prefer to run and gun and pressure people," said Charity. "We need players who can play hard the whole 94 feet."

Charity has been an assistant coach at Western Michigan, Arizona, Alabama, UNLV and Long Beach State. She also was head coach at Western Michigan (1990-97) and with the Birmingham Power of the Women's National Basketball League in 2001-02.

"I've known Pat for more than a decade," said Bolla. "She's been both a head coach and assistant at some of the top programs and has great recruiting connections across the country. With the direction we are going, she is definitely the best fit.

"It's always good to have another pair of eyes at practice and games. I want input from my coaches. I don't want people who just nod their head.

"Pat is a good communicator. We want this to be a family, to do things as a group outside of basketball."

During Charity's three years at Alabama, she had two recruiting classes that were rated in the top five nationally and helped the Crimson Tide to two NCAA Tournament berths.

Her last coaching position was in the 2002-03 season as an assistant at Long Beach State under then-head coach Dallas Boycheck, Bolla's wife. She last taught physical education and lifetime sports at a Las Vegas high school.

"It's really a privilege to be at the University of Hawaii and join Jim's staff," said Charity. "I've wanted to work with Jim for a long time now and it is a dream come true to work with someone I consider a legend. He'll be expecting a lot and I'm ready for the challenge."

Charity was an honorable mention All-American in 1978 and 1980 while at Western Michigan. She was a member of the 1977 United States silver-medal winning team at the World Games.

Charity earned her B.S. in education with a minor in recreation and coaching from Western Michigan in 1981 and her M.S. in administration in 1990.

Bolla said he expects to hire a second assistant and release the Rainbow Wahine 2004-05 schedule next week.