5 to aid search

An advisory committee is named to assist Frazier in selecting a UH hoops coach

Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier will have some help in narrowing the school's search for a new basketball coach.

A five-member advisory committee, with representatives from the UH faculty, the private sector and the UH student-athlete population, was announced yesterday to assist Frazier with "screening and interviewing of candidates" to succeed Riley Wallace as head coach.

"I appreciate these five individuals agreeing to serve on this important advisory committee," Frazier said in a statement released by the school. "We'll move expeditiously through the process and identify a quality leader for our men's basketball program."

Members of the committee, appointed by UH chancellor Denise Konan, are:

» Robert Ichikawa, an attorney with the firm of Kobayashi, Sugita and Goda.

» Janet Yoshida, president of the UH Alumni Association and senior director of marketing and sales for Hawaiian Airlines.

» Gay Satsuma, associate director for the UH's Center for Japanese Studies.

» Tony Guerrero, vice chairman of Ahahui Koa Anuenue -- the UH athletic department's fundraising organization -- and vice chairman of the Retail Banking Group at First Hawaiian Bank.

» Chantelle Laan, co-chair of UH's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a member of the Rainbow Wahine track and field team.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Tony Guerrero, Ahahui Koa Anuenue vice chairman, is one of five on a committee that will assist in finding a new UH basketball coach.

Frazier said he'll conduct some interviews with candidates at the Final Four in Atlanta this weekend and hopes to have a selection made the following week for a successor to Wallace, who closed his 20-year tenure this season.

According to the statement, Frazier's recommendation will be presented to Konan and UH president David McClain for final approval.

A UH spokeswoman said the recommendation does not need to be presented to the university's Board of Regents since the board approved the new coach's salary range (between $184,836 and $400,000) at its meeting earlier this month. It will only have to go before the board if the coach's proposed pay is outside that range.

UH associate coach Bob Nash was among the 71 applicants for the head coaching job, and leaves tonight to attend the Final Four along with Wallace. Nash said he hasn't been contacted yet by UH officials regarding the position.

Former UH assistant Scott Rigot has also been mentioned as a candidate and will attend the Final Four as well. Rigot, who spent the last five seasons at Kentucky, reserved comment on the situation.