The pick is in.

The University of Hawaii will announce President David Lassner’s choice for the next UH athletic director Friday morning.

The Board of Regents will vote on whether to approve Lassner’s recommendation during its May 18 meeting at Honolulu Community College.

The state’s sunshine law mandates at least six days between the public announcement of a nominee and the board’s decision.

The nominee has been advised to not speak to media until the board makes its decision next week.

The regents are not permitted to meet as a group to discuss the matter until the public meeting. They are, however, allowed to talk about it in one-on-one conversations with each other.

An eight-member search/advisory committee sent a list of three to five finalists to Lassner in no order of preference. Lassner had made a selection from among the finalists by Wednesday morning, according to a university spokesperson.

Former UH and NFL football player Ashley Lelie was added to the search/advisory committee in March after a petition signed by UH alumni was presented to Lassner and the board, complaining of a dearth on the committee of Black and Polynesian people and no representation of football and men’s basketball.

In the past, the athletic director’s supervisor was the UH-Manoa chancellor who would make a recommendation to the UH president. But under a reorganization, the athletic director now reports directly to the president who recommends a candidate for the AD position to the board for approval.

Previously, the board’s only role in the hiring process was to approve the new AD’s salary (which it also does for other high-salaried UH employees).

David Matlin, who has served as athletic director for eight years, is paid $325,212 in annual salary. It is expected his replacement will be paid the same, according to UH.

Matlin announced his retirement from the position in January, and his last day as University of Hawaii athletic director is June 2.