In 2010, a longtime figure in local basketball circles was let go after three seasons as head coach of a University of Hawaii hoops team … three years of losing more games than winning. Headed into this season, Dana Takahara-Dias faces a situation similar to Bob Nash’s — in some ways.
After two seasons as head coach of the UH men, Nash’s teams were 24-36. Takahara-Dias’ first two Wahine teams have gone 21-39.
Nash was fired after his third team finished 10-20. Takahara-Dias goes into the 2011-2012 season — the final of her three-year contract — with no guarantee of having a job after it’s over. But athletic director Jim Donovan said UH doesn’t necessarily have to have a winning season for her to get an extension.
"There are a lot of positive things going on with the program," Donovan said. "I’d like to see how the wins and losses go. I want to see progress on the court."
Does "progress" mean above .500?
"I don’t have any preset number of wins," he said. "But, yes, progress on the court as has been made in other areas."
Those other areas include recruiting, attendance, academics and community service. All have improved significantly under Takahara-Dias.
Like Nash, Takahara-Dias is well-liked in the community. But, again, like Nash, she has had her credentials as a Division I college basketball head coach questioned from the day she got the job — and so far, the win-loss record doesn’t do anything to quiet critics. Also, other things being equal, if three years is some kind of standard timetable of success for men’s basketball, should it be the same for women’s? Does gender equity extend to how long coaches get until they find themselves on the hot seat?
There are other circumstances. Nash’s team regressed in its third year. Also, as Donovan points out, "Bob was an assistant at UH for 20 years. Expectations were much higher from Day One. Dana was a very successful high school coach."
So, this year, it’s not necessarily about more wins than losses for the Wahine. It’s about making progress.
Donovan did not hire Nash. Still, it was difficult for him to fire one of the program’s greatest all-time players, and a good person.
There is reason to believe it won’t come to that with Takahara-Dias, the AD said: "She’s put together a good team. We’re pretty excited to see how this year goes."
Takahara-Dias understands the harsh realities of job security in college coaching. She remains excited about rebuilding the program for which she played.
She sees seven new players coming in to join youthful stars Kamilah Jackson and Shawna Kuehu as a plus, not losing half of last year’s team as a problem.
She gets the big picture, which is why the team does volunteer projects, like working at the Institute for Human Services last week.
Does Takahara-Dias feel pressure to win?
"Yes, like any competitor. I totally understand the way it is," she said. "I’m enjoying this journey. Like I tell the players, it’s what we do at the end that counts. Not because it’s the last year of my contract, but we’re putting together something special."
It’s already special how the team does in the classroom and community. If special also includes winning at least a few more games than last year, Dana Takahara-Dias gets to keep her job.
