The fallout of reassigning the University of Hawaii-Manoa chancellor includes these questions: Is the position even necessary? Can the UH president just assume those duties?
As a state taxpayer, it sounds like a good idea. And as a close observer of local sports the past 40 years, it appears athletics at UH progressed fine and dandy without a Manoa chancellor prior to recreation of the post in 2002.
But a friend who knows the inner workings of upper campus much better than I labels it ludicrous to even contemplate eliminating the position now.
"It’s hard enough for the president to do his own job of overseeing 10 campuses," he said.
I agree, though, that two of the major problems are communication and jurisdiction. Confusion reigns because too often people at Manoa don’t know if an issue is to be handled by the chancellor’s office or that of the president. Work is duplicated or falls between the two.
And upper campus dysfunction affects athletics how? It manifests itself in many ways, from late scholarship checks to unsigned coaches contracts.
So, Tom Apple is out as chancellor basically because he got a bad report card. It’s obvious even to those of us not engaged daily with upper campus that a lot of people there don’t think he deserved to be ousted.
Apple was athletic director Ben Jay’s strongest ally mauka of Dole Street. But he won’t be able to do much for him and UH sports from his new position as a chemistry professor.
There could be a silver lining in all of this if an interim chancellor or UH president David Lassner sees the lunacy in a three-year extension for a basketball coach’s program that is under NCAA investigation and applies some veto power.
At least UH has an athletic director in place. The same can’t be said for two of the state’s most prominent high school sports programs, Punahou and Saint Louis.
Jeaney Garcia and Ed Paola, respectively, have yet to be replaced after spring departures.
And, no, Cal Lee will not add Crusaders AD to his list of duties. The winningest high school football coach in state history held the title at one point during his dynastic run, but won’t upon his return.
Lee said he will have his hands full coordinating the defense.
"And don’t forget Ron is back too," Lee said, referring to his brother who orchestrated the high-powered run-and-shoot offense during the Crusaders’ 14-run of Prep Bowl championships from 1986-1999.
It doesn’t seem that long ago Ron Lee was the offensive coordinator at UH. Now, technically the Rainbow Warriors don’t have one.
Newly-minted quarterbacks coach Jordan Wynn, a promising young assistant who called plays as a graduate assistant last year, is the unofficial OC. Of course he will work closely with head coach Norm Chow in developing game plans.
I won’t pretend to know if Manoa should have a chancellor or not. But I can say with confidence Punahou and Saint Louis will be better off with athletic directors and if Wynn is going to do the work of an offensive coordinator he deserves the title, regardless of his youth.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads.
