Bill that gives regents authority to hire, fire University of Hawaii athletic director, coach advances

The Hawaii State Senate’s Higher Education Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would give the University of Hawaii Board of Regents a larger role in hiring and firing UH’s highest-paid athletic department employees.

SB 3268 would authorize the BOR to terminate UH-Manoa’s athletic director and other personnel for cause, and also give the board responsibility in approving any athletic department hires with annual salaries of $200,000 or more.

The bill goes next to the Senate Ways and Means Committee and must also pass numerous floor votes before it can be signed into law by the governor.

“Please note that the Board already has the authority proposed in this bill (by current state law) but delegates it through Board Policy,” wrote BOR Executive Administrator and Secretary Kendra Oishi in testimony.

Historically, the UH president hires and fires athletic directors, and the athletic director hires and fires coaches. The BOR’s role in athletics has been mostly to approve proposed salary ranges for coaches.

State lawmakers questioned this process at a Senate informational briefing Jan. 7, and asked that the BOR address a variety of complaints about then-football coach Todd Graham, and the UH administration’s response to them, including athletic director David Matlin, UH president David Lassner and the BOR.

Graham resigned Jan. 14. Timmy Chang was announced Jan. 22 to replace Graham after former UH coach June Jones turned down an offer to coach the team for two years, with Chang replacing him after that.

Sen. Donna Mercado Kim is chair of the Higher Education Committee and one of three sponsors of the bill. Kim said at a hearing before Tuesday’s vote she is concerned about what she described as a lack of “checks and balances” in the processes of hiring high-salaried athletic department employees. If Graham had not resigned, the state could have been stuck with paying him $1.2 million to fire him without cause, or incur large legal fees to do so with cause, she said.

Graham’s salary was $850.000 and Chang’s has been reported at $500,000. Matlin’s is $313,548, according to the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly website.

Scott Collins of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, which represents UH coaches, spoke in opposition of the bill at the hearing, which Oishi also attended.