Four days before terminating basketball coach Gib Arnold and an assistant, the University of Hawaii agreed to pay for Arnold’s legal representation and that of two assistant coaches in an NCAA matter, according to an email made available to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
In it, the athletic department said it would "pay the appropriate legal fees and related miscellaneous expenses for services provided by Mr. Scott Tompsett for representation of head men’s basketball coach Gib Arnold, assistant coach Brandyn Akana and assistant coach Benjy Taylor."
Arnold’s Honolulu attorney, James Bickerton, said Tuesday that his client asked for and received a 15-day extension to reply to the NCAA charges because UH had "reneged" on a pledge to pay nearly $15,000 owed to Tompsett. Without the payment, Bickerton said Arnold had to do some of the work himself.
The Oct. 24, 2014 email, from then-athletic director Ben Jay to the HGEA, concerned "interviews conducted by the NCAA Enforcement Office through Friday, Oct. 17, 2014, during the investigation of the UH Men’s Basketball Program."
The email read, "This date assumes that the NCAA has concluded all interviews of our men’s basketball coaches."
On Oct. 28 UH announced the dismissal of Arnold and Akana "without cause."
Taylor was retained and elevated to interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Three months later the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations charged UH with seven violations of NCAA rules, all of them of Level I or Level II, the most severe categories. Arnold was cited in all seven and Akana in two.
Taylor was not named in charges.
Jay declined comment on Wednesday, referring question to UH officials. A UH spokesman said, "The matter is the subject of threatened litigation, and the University will respond to all claims as part of that process."
The HGEA, which represents coaches at UH, declined comment, citing "the ongoing grievance process."
Arnold has a grievance pending against UH in which he claims he is owed $1.4 million for his dismissal under terms of a 2011 contract. William McCorriston, UH’s outside counsel in the grievance, and UH officials have disputed Arnold’s claim to the $1.4 million.
The issue could go to arbitration this summer or fall, parties involved said.
