Chow, Shoji, Beeman opt out of AD search committee

Three coaches who had been members of the University of Hawaii athletic director search advisory committee will no longer serve as voting members, the school said Thursday.

Football coach Norm Chow, Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji and Wahine basketball coach Laura Beeman, who had recently told Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple of plans to resign, will now serve "of counsel" in the process to select a successor for Jim Donovan, UH said.

They will not be replaced on what now becomes a 12-member voting committee.

According to a statement issued in the name of committee chairman Howard Karr, the three "cited conflicts between the committee’s meeting times and their respective programs’ practices."

"It is taking a lot more time than I have," Chow told the Star-Advertiser. "By 7 a.m. (the starting time of the previous meetings), I’m already at work for a couple of hours."

Chow had been vice chairman of the committee.

Shoji, who had missed both meetings due to his team’s morning practices, texted, "(we’re) trying to win some volleyball games!"

The move comes a week after the committee chose to continue with the search process instead of adopting a recommendation signed by 44 coaches, including Chow, Shoji and Beeman, urging that acting athletic director Rockne Freitas be immediately appointed to the position full-time.

UH said the three coaches "will provide counsel to the committee regarding questions involving operations of the athletics department" and will "have no vote on the name(s) of the final candidate(s) submitted to Chancellor Tom Apple for consideration and selection as new A.D."

Although Apple had previously declared a January 2013 target date for naming a permanent AD, UH said on Thursday the committee now "hopes to complete its efforts, and submit a candidate’s name or candidates’ names to Chancellor Apple as early as October, but with a firm target date of Nov. 1."

UH began advertising the AD opening Wednesday and said review of applications will begin Sept. 21.

In addition, UH said it is inviting proposals from search firms to provide services in the search. UH said it hopes the funding will come through donations.

The Board of Regents list a salary range of $203,000-$293,000 for the athletic director position.