Proposal could extend
Wallace’s tenure

As Riley Wallace settled into his new office back in 1987, he didn't think it would become a second home for close to two decades.

But in a profession not known for its job security, the Hawaii basketball coach has been a fixture in his corner of the UH athletic complex for the past 18 years.

Whether he gets a chance to spend at least two more years there will be up to the school's Board of Regents this week.

A proposal for a two-year contract extension for Wallace is on the agenda for the Board's meeting Tuesday at Leeward Community College.

Wallace, 63, has been working without a contract since his previous three-year deal expired on April 30. That contract paid him a base salary of $210,000 a year, plus performance bonuses.

He left negotiations to agent Jordan Bazant and declined to comment on the specifics of the proposal, which, if approved, would take the longest-tenured coach in the Western Athletic Conference to the 20-year mark at UH.

"That's unheard of today," Wallace said. "Not too many of them out there."

Wallace first worked at UH as an associate coach under Larry Little from 1978 to 1981, and returned to take over a floundering Rainbow Warrior basketball program in 1987.

The Rainbows posted winning records in just three of the 12 years prior to his hiring and went 4-25 in his first season. In the 17 years since, UH has been under .500 four times and won at least 21 games on five occasions.

The Rainbows have won three WAC championships and have reached either the NCAA Tournament or National Invitation Tournament nine times in Wallace's career, including four of the last five years.

UH missed out on the postseason this year with a 16-13 record.

He owns a career record of 314-268, and is 299-241 at UH.

"Unfortunately, people forget where the program was when Riley took it," associate coach Jackson Wheeler said.

"He's put his whole life into the program. He took it from a level that was almost unbelievably low to where it is now. He's given a large percentage of his life to the University of Hawaii and I think our program resembles that dedication."

As the coaching carousel rotated freely over the last 18 years, Wallace has maintained his position at UH through the highs and lows along with Wheeler and longtime associate coach Bob Nash.

Nash was Wallace's first hire at UH and Wheeler has been with the program for the last 15 years, giving the Rainbow staff a stability rarely found in college basketball.

"A lot of coaches move because they're chasing the dollars. I think Coach Wallace is here because he wants to be here," Nash said. "He's had some opportunities to look at other jobs, but I think he's here because he wanted to be here and he feels a part of this community."

Wallace has persevered through trials both on the court and off during his career. He has had an angioplasty performed twice since 1998 -- the latest coming last December -- and had brain surgery to remove two subdural hematomas in 2002.

The health issues have done little to slow down Wallace.

He leaves for the mainland tomorrow and won't be back until late July. Along the way he'll visit the families of the Rainbows' incoming recruits, check out various all-star tournaments, and attend a coaches convention while squeezing in some vacation time somewhere in between.

Wallace isn't saying whether a new deal might be his last at UH. But with three grandchildren to spoil, there's a sense that he may want to devote more attention to his family down the line.

But before talk of retirement, there's the matter of getting his contract approved, then preparing for a 19th season with the Rainbows that opens in November against Michigan State.

"I think Riley's run a good program, and wants to be in position to call his own retirement," Nash said. "That's a testimony to him and I hope that it happens for him, that he stays as long as he wants to stay."