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It’s December all year now for David Matlin.
On its surface that might seem great — except we’re not talking about a kid who gets vacation half the month and a whole bunch of presents.
We’re talking about the 50-year-old new University of Hawaii athletic director and erstwhile executive director of the Hawaii Bowl and the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
The joke was that Matlin only worked the week of Christmas the past six years, running the ESPN college football and basketball events … and just one day a year when it was only the Hawaii Bowl.
Of course there’s much more to it. But the day-to-day pressure was nothing compared to what he now faces.
It’s a giant step up in responsibility. Matlin knows this, and acknowledged it a couple of times at his introduction. Two of his mentors are former UH