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UH won’t tell coach
why he’s gone

THERE hadn't been any formal pronouncement from Hawaii regarding Mike Anderson's status, but in yesterday's edition of the NCAA News (and in workatuh.hawaii.edu since Wednesday), there was this:

"Head Swim Coach, University of Hawaii at Manoa, full-time. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited four year ... TO APPLY: Submit cover letter ... CLOSING DATE: Aug-03-2005. ..."

That wasn't the whole thing, of course. Just the highlights. Just to show that despite the fact that the only public words from UH on the matter were in the want-ads, those words were clear: Anderson is definitely not the UH swimming coach any more.

Well, not for much longer, anyway. He's officially on the job until later this month and he says he's going to see it through, has been in the office every working day, though he was officially told June 22 that a pink slip was coming.

"I think that says something," he said.

That would be the only thing saying something, in this matter.

Officially, Anderson's contract had expired and was "not renewed," which means he wasn't fired, which means UH has the prerogative to cut him loose if it feels like it. That's life in the big leagues.

The problem is, this is a big mystery. Anderson says he still hasn't been told why he's gone.

Anderson has earned multiple conference coach of the year awards in his four years at the head of UH's men's and women's programs, and both teams have become steady national Top 20 performers. There have been All-Americans and school records and a national champion (yes, QiongJie Huang is a diver, and his expertise is with swimmers, but he gets credit for the recruit; she's his kids' former baby sitter).

So if you let a guy like that go, you have to think either he must have done something terrible ... or UH just did.

But as I said before, short of the want-ad, nobody's saying a thing.

A statement from the office of his immediate boss, Hawaii associate athletics director/senior woman administrator Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, said, "due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, she is unable to comment on the reasons for the non-renewal on Mike Anderson's contract."

That's probably the right thing to do. Good. Thank you. UH shouldn't air its laundry. It shouldn't let me in on those kind of details.

It shouldn't let WAC champion swimmer Melanie Schlanger, who is apparently banging on every door on Lower Campus Road looking for answers, in on those details, either.

But here's the funny thing -- remember how I said nobody's saying anything? -- Anderson says he's getting that same answer. For some reason -- maybe for privacy and confidentiality concerns -- Anderson says he's never been told why he's not the coach anymore.

In fact he hasn't just not been told why -- "I was told that I would not be told why," he said.

Am I wrong in thinking that's odd?

OK, so let's say it's possible maybe he did do something (literally, it would turn out) unspeakable, and we'll never know. Or, maybe, in spite of his success, there was too much friction, it just wasn't working. Who knows?

He does allow that there were probably numerous complaints to the administration by holdovers who didn't like the new coach's style (some he inherited might think being a swimmer at Hawaii should be a little less intense than at elite programs like USC or Auburn, he said; Schlanger -- one of "his" recruits -- had a similar take). And like anyone who has ever told a "non-renewal" story, it sounds like he and his bosses didn't always agree.

But UH's problem is still in not saying anything. If not now, then.

Anderson says (and his is the only word we have) he was supposed to have an evaluation. He says he never got one. He says he followed up. He says an answer never came.

His contract lapsed April 30 and he never even thought of looking for another job.

"Hardly anybody here (at UH) is on a current contract," he said. "That's standard operating procedure in this department."

There is more to this story (in fact, that's pretty much the point of this story), but even we outsiders know that is standard operating procedure at UH. Why would he panic?

"No one has said a word to me about anything that was lacking," Anderson said.

Then, June 22 he was given a letter and asked if he had any questions.

Yes, a few.

He's still got them.

So what now? "There are attorneys involved," Anderson said. He wants to finish out this upcoming season, at least. "We've started this season," he said. "School starts in a month."

Until then, there is no comment, none but that ad fishing for the next coach. Maybe Anderson does deserve his fate. It appears we may never know.

Schlanger said she's been told the reason for Anderson's dismissal "won't be given to him or anyone else." And she's done her best to ask anyone who might know.