Some University of Hawaii athletic department staffers felt pressured by coaches to back off fiscal controls, an independent auditor told a Board of Regents committee Thursday.

"From an outsider’s view, looking at the athletic department and how it was operating, there is a sense that administrators within the department were not able to carry out their responsibilities effectively either for fear of their jobs or retributions against them if they spoke up," said Corey Kubota of Accuity LLC.

The disclosure surfaced as the regents’ committee on university audits heard the athletic department’s response to two critical audits. An internal audit of the department, commissioned in the wake of the Stevie Wonder Blunder, was delivered in November.

In it, auditors said coaches were often seriously overdue in repaying the school for travel advances and expenses, that there was poor financial accounting in the operation of some camps and the proceeds from some so-called "scholarship dinners" went to pay coaches.

Regent Chuck Gee labeled many of the practices, some of which were cited as violations of UH and NCAA rules, "disturbing."

Athletic director Ben Jay, who assumed control in January, said, "We’re taking control of all these shenanigans that have gone on." He pledged to the regents to "restore faith and trust in the department" and said measures have been put in place to curb abuses.

Neither the auditors nor Jay identified the coaches allegedly involved, but Jay said they have been "put on notice. I don’t want that to happen again," Jay said. "We’ve got some good people who have to be allowed to do their jobs."

Jay said he has done away with "scholarship dinners."

Kubota said, "Dinners were held to raise money to support these camps, but, ultimately, those fund-raising dinners, let’s say, end up going towards salaries."

Jay said "Corey is right. In the past these so-called scholarship dinners — and I have hated that word because it is misleading — go to (coach salaries)." Jay said camp money can be used to pay coaches but, "anything that is raised through these dinners should stay in the program to help purchase additional equipment or software for the benefit of the student athletes."

The audit said accounting of both camp participants and funds was poor. In one case, the audit said, there was a cash shortage of $615. In another, a cash overage of $100. Jay told the regents that a business office position would be assigned to oversee accounting.

The audit raised questions about camp waivers in which some participants were allowed entrance for free or at reduced rates, a possible NCAA violation.

The audit questioned how some coaches "are not required to charge vacation while operating and managing their respective camps although their coaching responsibilities are not being performed." Jay said that would be dealt with in contracts.

The audit said "approximately 78 percent of the excess travel advances were not repaid within the required 21 calendar days after the end date of the trip, including an excess travel advance of $4,700 that was reported stolen from an office safe."

UH said a report was filed with campus security and HPD. It did not say whose office it was stolen from.

Jay said all other delinquent funds have since been paid or reconciled. In the future, he said, coaches who are delinquent will receive no additional advances until debts have been reconciled.

The audit also questioned whether "facility personnel are paid overtime in addition to receiving compensatory time off and monthly stipend benefits" while working at UH facilities in excess of eight-hour days for non-UH affiliated events. UH said it will consult with HGEA.