Challenges mount for athletic directors

In the first years of the 21st century, the position of University of Hawaii athletic director was considered one of relative stability. But as Ben Jay’s resignation from the post underscored on Tuesday, the AD position in recent years has come under fire and has been a revolving door of administrators.

Sometime in 2015, UH will have its fourth athletic director in eight years.

Recent challenges of helming the wayward department include rapidly increasing debt and decreasing attendance; political pressure from both the Capitol and upper campus; a shifting balance of power across the national landscape; travel subsidies to the Mountain West and Big West conferences; and new financial burden for student-athlete meals as well as the possibility of future stipends.

Bottom line: It’s not an easy job.

Here’s a look at UH’s five most recent athletic directors:

Stan Sheriff

Started: 1983

Ended: Jan. 16, 1993

Notable accomplishments: Years after his reign, Sheriff is lauded for his vision and firm grasp of the job, which began when he took over for Ray Nagel, the man who took UH into the Western Athletic Conference. Sheriff built on that, pioneering local TV deals, and eventually hired Riley Wallace and Vince Goo, the winningest coaches in UH’s men’s and women’s hoops history. His namesake arena at the Manoa lower campus bears testament to his lasting impact.

Reason for departure: The Hawaii-born Sheriff, 60, suffered a heart attack at Honolulu Airport upon his return from an*NCAA*convention. He died at Kuakini Medical Center shortly thereafter. He was beloved not only in the islands, but at Cal Poly, where he played football, and at Northern Iowa, where he coached football for 23 years before taking the UH job. In 1998, the Special Events Arena was renamed the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hugh Yoshida

Started: Jan. 17, 1993

Ended: Aug. 1, 2002

Notable accomplishments: Yoshida became UH athletic director when his predecessor, Sheriff, died. He was associate athletic director in 1992, and prior to that was AD at Leilehua High. The Nagatani Academic Center was completed under his reign, as was Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. He oversaw the transition from Fred vonAppen to June Jones and the football program’s turnaround from 0-12 to 9-4 from 1998 to 1999.

Reason for departure: Retired at age 61 after 10 years on the job. In the most tranquil transition between UH ADs since the turn of the century, Yoshida welcomed and helped brief his successor, Herman Frazier, upon Frazier’s arrival.

Herman Frazier

Started: Aug. 1, 2002

Ended:*Jan. 8, 2008

Notable accomplishments: A former Olympic gold medalist in track who came in as athletic director from Alabama-Birmingham, Frazier oversaw capital improvements to then-Cooke Field as well as the UH*tennis complex, Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center and Les Murakami Stadium. He hired Bob Nash and Jim Bolla as head men’s and women’s basketball coaches.

Reason for departure: Frazier’s embattled tenure came to an abrupt end when football coach June Jones, dissatisfied by a lack of commitment from UH, left for Southern Methodist. Frazier was fired almost immediately, bought out for $312,510. Other aspects of his reign included giving back some 4,000 of UH’s ticket allotment to the Sugar Bowl and delaying the hiring of Riley Wallace’s successor. Since 2011, he’s been deputy athletic director at Syracuse.

Jim Donovan

Started: March 24, 2008

Ended: July 11, 2012

Notable accomplishments: Donovan, a former UH lineman and former executive director of the Hawaii Bowl, apologized for turmoil surrounding the department upon taking the job. He lowered ticket prices soon after his arrival, hired four coaches in his first two years, then reached an agreement with ESPN*Regional Television to create the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic annual basketball tournament. He was in charge when the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation donated $5 million to UH.

Reason for departure: The AD post was vacated in the fallout from the Stevie Wonder concert debacle. Donovan was placed on administrative leave after it was revealed the department had been scammed in promoting the concert. He was cleared of wrongdoing by an internal investigation but was reassigned to the chancellor’s office. Donovan has since left UH and is athletic director at Cal State Fullerton.

Ben Jay

Started: Jan. 14, 2013

Ended: Dec. 9, 2014 (on the job until June 30 at latest)

Notable accomplishments: Jay, a former associate athletic director at Ohio State, quickly unified UH*men’s sports under the nickname "Rainbow Warriors" — although his first choice was just "Warriors." Previously, various men’s sports were known as "Rainbows," "Rainbow Warriors" or "Warriors." He introduced "mini-pack"*ticket purchase option for games.

Reason for departure: Though Jay maintains he’s leaving Manoa for family reasons, some are skeptical, pointing to his attempted extension of Gib Arnold’s contract during an NCAA investigation, comments about UH potentially dropping football, a worsening departmental debt and floundering attendance as signs he would be forced out if he didn’t show himself the door.