Extension kicks in for Arnold’s contract

With a contract extension apparently on hold pending the results of an NCAA inquiry into the University of Hawaii men’s basketball program, coach Gib Arnold will enter the final year of an agreement Tuesday.

Arnold’s most recent multi-year agreement expired Monday when a clause that "automatically" granted him a one-year extension for winning 20 games in the 2013-14 season apparently kicked in. UH was 20-11.

For several months Arnold has been expected to receive a multi-year extension and "slight bump" in pay. But athletic director Ben Jay said the deal was "still in negotiation" before leaving on a 21⁄2 -week vacation last month.

Arnold receives an annual salary of $344,000 plus bonuses, $50,000 of which is contracted to be paid by boosters.

He is 72-55 overall — including 33-31 in conference regular-season games and 1-4 in conference tournament games — in four seasons at UH.

While Arnold’s long-term contract situation remains up in the air, at least two positions on his staff remain to to be filled, depending on assistant coach Brandyn Akana’s status.

Akana, who has been an assistant on the staff since Arnold arrived in 2010, was suspended for 30 days and missed 12 of the final 14 games last season. His status with the team could be contingent upon the results of the more than three-month-long NCAA investigation.

Assistant basketball coaches have one-year contracts that expire June 30 of each year. They are normally renewed at the head coach’s discretion.

Before leaving on vacation, Jay said, "I don’t comment on personnel matters."

Only Akana and Benjy Taylor remain from the 2013-14 staff. Former assistant Scott Fisher became head coach at Ohlone College in Fremont, Calif., while director of operations Chris McMillian became an assistant at the College of Southern Idaho.

Senque Carey, a former assistant coach at Fresno State who spent the 2013-14 season at Loyola Marymount, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Fisher. Carey did not return calls to the Star-Advertiser.

UH has not advertised for either an assistant coaching position or an operations manager in the past 30 days.