David Matlin to retire in June as UH athletic director

The University of Hawaii will be seeking a new leader for its 21-sport program following David Matlin’s announcement Wednesday that he will retire in June after eight years as athletic director.

Matlin’s three-year contract extension is set to end April 30, but he will continue to work through June 2.

Matlin, 58, told his staff that he is retiring from the university, but did not rule out future work elsewhere. Matlin told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he does not have any plans after his UH retirement. He said he wants to “finish the (sports) year well.”

A UH official said it was entirely Matlin’s decision and that he “was never asked to step down.”

“This has been more than a job for me, it’s been an opportunity of a lifetime to work with some incredible people — our student-athletes, coaches, staff, university leadership and, of course, our fans,” Matlin said in a news release. “And I thank you all for the passion and dedication that each and every one of you give to our program every day.”

UH did not announce a timetable or format for hiring a new athletic director.

But the Star-Advertiser was told of these potential candidates:

>> Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association.

>> Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Central Pacific Bank Foundation. Amemiya, who ran unsuccessfully for Honolulu mayor in 2020, previously was the executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and executive administrator of UH’s Board of Regents.

>> George Killebrew, commissioner of Major League Rugby. The Punahou School graduate spent 27 years as executive vice president and chief revenue officer of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. He was considered the “right-hand man” to Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

“More like David Matlin,” men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade said of the preferred qualities of the next athletic director. “You’re going to go to the beat of your own drummer. That you’re going to do what you feel is in the best interest of the department rather than listen to the noise and listen to what other people are trying to tell you what to do. It’s lonely at the top. You make decisions, and you deal with the consequences. But when you’re grounded in your own belief system, I think that’s really valuable.”

Mindful of the bottom line, Matlin employed “money-ball” strategy — making the most with the least — in his hires. Matlin hired 16 head coaches, including football coaches Nick Rolovich, Todd Graham and Timmy Chang, to affordable contracts. Graham’s $800,000-a-year contract was offset by his $12.8 million buyout from Arizona State in 2017.

It was Graham’s hiring in 2020 that drew some criticism because of his lack of ties with Hawaii and unceremonious departure as Arizona State’s head coach. Graham resigned in January 2022 in the aftermath of public complaints from some players and a state Senate hearing based on accusations of a toxic environment fostered under his leadership.

There also was controversy in the search for Graham’s successor, particularly when negotiations between UH and former head coach June Jones unraveled. Jones, who had coached UH for nine years through the undefeated 2007 regular season, turned down what his representatives considered a low-ball, two-year offer from Matlin.

Matlin also had to find a new home for UH football home games when Aloha Stadium announced in December 2020 the Halawa facility would be shuttered for spectator-attended events because of safety concerns.

Unwilling to play “home” games at Maui’s War Memorial Stadium or on the mainland, Matlin spearheaded a movement to expand the on-campus Ching Complex to a 9,300-seat facility for the 2021 football season. It was a move that likely saved the football program from extinction. The replacement for Aloha Stadium might not be ready until 2027. Meanwhile, work is beginning next week to further increase Ching’s seating capacity to at least 15,500 for the coming season while constructing a track and soccer field in the neighboring grass area. Ching eventually could expand seating to as much as 20,000 in the next few years.

“Surprised but not shocked,” Wade said of Matlin’s announcement. “I think it’s a pretty bittersweet job to have. It’s not the most gratifying at times because a lot of people criticize what you do. In my estimation, David Matlin and (UH president) David Lassner are the best combination of leaders that we have at the university and the athletic department. He will be missed. He’s done some outstanding things for the athletic department.”

In 1994 Matlin initially was hired as an information officer for the UH ticket office. It was a casual-hire position, meaning he did not receive any benefits and was “fired” every 89th day. He then gained more than 20 years of experience as a business leader and in sports management, including 13 years with ESPN, of which seven were as executive director of the Hawaii Bowl and Diamond Head Classic.

In his second stint at UH, Matlin is credited with leading the program through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing resources to boost UH’s NCAA academic progress rate, create partnerships with Hawaiian Airlines and the Hawaii Tourism Authority, negotiate lucrative deals for television and radio rights, and earn funding from the Legislature. He also gave cost-of-attendance subsidies to student-athletes, funded an expanded meal program and served on several national committees. His term with the men’s volleyball team’s championship committee expires at the end of the academic year.

“David Matlin has been a fantastic UH Manoa athletics director and is truly going out on top,” UH President David Lassner said in the news release. “He is a highly respected senior AD and leader in the Big West Conference, the Mountain West Conference and nationally.”

UH competes in football in the Mountain West. Most of the other UH sports are members of the Big West.

“He deserves a lot of credit,” Chang said. “I’ve been in the conference for the last five years (four with Nevada) and watching this program, and he deserves a lot of credit. This athletic program in a lot of different areas has succeeded. So it’s sad but it’s also exciting for him and his family for a new journey they can embark on together. … Personally, I’m indebted to him. He gave me my opportunity and my shot to become a head coach … so I’m very indebted to him and his family.”

Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Robyn Ah Mow said: “I think I’m the No. 1 indebted, for sure. As soon as he announced that, I did tear up. Just wanted to come down here and give him a hug. He’s an awesome person. I texted him. I was, ‘thanks for giving this little brown girl a chance, a local girl from Hawaii.’ Definitely indebted to him.”

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Star-Advertiser reporter Jason Kaneshiro contributed to this story.