UH, former hoops coach say they’ll meet NCAA deadline

The University of Hawaii and its former men’s basketball coach, Gib Arnold, expect to file separate, contrasting replies to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations by Friday’s deadline, the parties said.

Both had originally been due to file by April 30, 90 days after the NCAA issued its 42-page notice in January. But Arnold requested and received a 15-day extension and UH officials, not wanting to tip their hand, also took advantage of the later deadline.

"Definitely we are ready to file," said UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. "We expect to meet the deadline — and we were ready for the previous deadline."

James Bickerton, Arnold’s Honolulu attorney, has said his client sought the extension because UH hadn’t followed through on a pledge to pay an invoice for the ex-coach’s Kansas City attorney, causing Arnold to have to do some of the work himself.

The responses by UH and Arnold are complicated by his pending grievance against the school for $1.4 million and what UH has termed "threatened litigation."

In its notice, the NCAA alleges seven violations of its rules, all of them classified as Level I or Level II, the most severe of four categories. Arnold is cited in all seven.

Meisenzahl declined comment on the specifics of UH’s reply.

UH is expected to ask that at least one of the charges, allegations of extra benefits for recruits, be reduced to Level III.

In addition, UH is expected to lay out some self-imposed sanctions in advance of whatever penalties the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions eventually metes out. Once UH and Arnold reply, the NCAA has 60 days in which to respond. A hearing is expected in Indianapolis, site of NCAA headquarters.

The school dismissed Arnold and assistant coach Brandyn Akana on Oct. 28, three months before the NCAA notice. Soon after, UH announced the ineligibility of All-Big West selection Isaac Fotu. Fotu subsequently left school and played professionally in Spain.

During the past five months UH said it has considered a wide array of possible sanctions including a ban on postseason play, a loss of scholarships, reduced practice time and cutbacks on the role of an operations director.

But UH is believed to have backed away from at least the possibility of a postseason ban.

Head coach Eran Ganot, who took over at UH on April 9, has sought to retain the full role of an operations director.

The position figures prominently in the NCAA allegations. The NCAA, citing testimony of several staff members, alleges that two past operations directors were impermissibly used in capacities as on-the-floor coaches as well as scouts and recruiters.

Jamie Smith was hired as operations director late last season and is hopeful he can retain the job under Ganot.