Regents approve raises
for Frazier and Wallace

The athletic director's priority is
a $25 million capital-improvements
project for the university's lower campus

By the time Herman Frazier's contract again comes up for renewal, he expects to see a different view from his office window in the University of Hawaii athletic complex.

The UH athletic director had a new five-year contract approved by the school's Board of Regents yesterday, and among the top priorities for his second term will be a $25 million capital-improvements project on the lower campus.

"In five years, you will see a new look down here on this campus. No question," he said yesterday.

Frazier and UH basketball coach Riley Wallace both received raises as they had their new contracts formally approved by the board at its meeting yesterday on the Manoa campus.

Frazier's five-year deal pays him an annual salary of $250,000. Wallace's contract is a two-year deal at $250,000 the first year and $275,000 for the second.

Both made $210,000 under their previous contracts.

"I'm delighted that Herman Frazier and Riley Wallace will continue to serve UH's Manoa campus and the community in the years to come," UH interim president David McClain said in a release.

With the contract process behind them, both Frazier and Wallace are focused on the challenges ahead.

For Frazier, balancing the department's budget continues to be a primary issue, along with the capital-improvement plans, the full details of which he said will be revealed in the next three months. He said the department will look to raise the funds for the project through private donors.

"It's the first time we've really been organized in a lot of different areas," UH football coach June Jones said. "He's done a great job putting together things with the business community, with the ticketing, the TV contract, everything. He had vision and that's what you have to have."

Frazier, 50, spent much of his first term stabilizing the athletic department's financial footing. He implemented a five-year plan to address a deficit that has grown to nearly $5 million. The losses slowed significantly last year and Frazier has said the department may break even in the 2004-05 fiscal year.

Frazier pointed out that as the department worked its way toward financial stability, it also raised close to $5 million for the UH Foundation through donations, booster clubs and premium-seating revenues over the last few years.

"While we may be losing in the operational point of view, which we will have under control in '06, we've also been raising millions of dollars through the foundation," he said.

Frazier said reports that he was being considered for the athletic-director jobs at Colorado and Arizona State this spring helped speed the negotiations for his new deal. He said he had been contacted about the jobs, but didn't interview for them.

"I received a couple of calls from the president of the university and the chancellor. They said, 'We certainly hope you're not unhappy here at the University of Hawaii and we'd like for you to stay.' And I said the feeling is mutual and so we'll stay," Frazier said. "So it wasn't a long, drawn-out process and it wasn't about us positioning on numbers as well. They felt they liked the direction the program's going, so it was really easy for us to come to closure.

"I was never worried about a contract, because I knew in all the signals I had from the president and the board that I'm their athletic director."

Wallace had to wait a bit longer for his contract to be finalized, as his previous deal expired April 30. But he remained confident that he would be given the opportunity to reach the 20-year mark at UH.

"I wasn't concerned about it because Herman did a good job of presenting it. It's just a matter of it being late, but that's the way it works sometimes," Wallace said. "I think everything worked out the way we wanted it."

Wallace has been on the road for the last month and said he'll sign the contract when he returns to the office next week.

Wallace, 63, is preparing for his 19th year as UH head coach and the Rainbow Warriors' next win will give him 300 at the school. He owns an overall record of 314-268 (299-241 at Manoa) and has led the team to nine postseason appearances.

"I think part of it is a reward for having been there as head coach for 18 years and trusting that we're going to continue to do the good job that has been done by me and my staff," he said. "We've built a program that's respected across the country and I think our fans respect what we do and we're going to continue to work hard to improve on it."

The Rainbows open a challenging nonconference schedule Nov. 19 against Final Four participant Michigan State and face a new-look Western Athletic Conference slate with the additions of Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State.