When the Hawaii men’s basketball team opens practice Saturday, the contracts of two of its coaches, Gib Arnold and Brandyn Akana, will be on hold, officials said.
Arnold’s three-year extension as head coach "has not been signed by the (Manoa) Chancellor and its status is ‘on hold,’" UH said in reply to an open records request by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Arnold is operating on a one-year extension that began July 1 under terms of his previous contract, officials said.
Asked if the "hold" on Arnold’s deal was pending the outcome of the NCAA’s six-month investigation of the basketball program, athletic director Ben Jay said, "I can’t comment outside of, at present, the university is not going to take action on it."
Arnold, who received a $344,000 annual salary, was due a $21,000 raise in the contract forwarded to the chancellor’s office.
UH said the contracts of 10 other head coaches, including women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman, men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade and baseball coach Mike Trapasso, have been approved and await only HGEA approval.
Meanwhile, Akana, an assistant coach, has been operating on a month-to-month contract since July 1, UH said. Akana had been on a series of one-year annual contracts since he was hired in 2010.
But Akana became a focal point of the controversy surrounding the basketball program in January and was suspended for 30 days by UH, missing 12 of the team’s final 14 games. UH refused to say if Akana’s contract was pending NCAA findings.
All other UH assistant coaches except Kevin Clune, the football team’s defensive coordinator, have one-year contracts. Clune has a two-year agreement.
The men’s basketball team will hold its annual green and white scrimmage following Saturday’s Rainbow Wahine volleyball match.