A search advisory committee Tuesday recommended Dave Matlin as the next athletic director of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. But chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman might choose Keith Amemiya, sources told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Matlin referred questions to the search committee. Amemiya declined comment. Another finalist who was interviewed by the committee, UH associate athletic director John McNamara, referred questions to the committee.

Matlin, executive director of the Hawaii Bowl and the Diamond Head Classic, was the top candidate among finalists interviewed by the committee.

Amemiya, an insurance executive and former executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, was seen on campus with Bley-Vroman last week. He was not interviewed by the committee.

Bley-Vroman can take the committee’s recommendation, or make a choice of his own. An announcement will be made by UH by March 31, according to a UH news release. Then the Board of Regents would have to approve the selection at its April 16 meeting.

“I’m confident that we will be able to name an athletic director that possesses the right combination of executive leadership skills and vision to guide and grow the program through these challenging times,” Bley-Vroman said in the release.

Current athletic director Ben Jay will step aside when his successor is selected. It was announced on Dec. 9 that Jay would leave at a later date.