Much has happened in the past five months in the world of University of Hawaii sports and college sports in general, but nothing to make acting athletic director Lois Manin change her stance. She still is not pursuing the job she has worked at since December on a permanent basis.
“My word is my word,” Manin said on Monday, the deadline for applications for AD. “Things change every day. But I don’t intend to break my word.”
I could have predicted as much, knowing her as a no-BS pro since the time our paths at work crossed on a daily basis for several years. Manin was the UH football team’s primary media contact when I covered the Warriors as a beat reporter in the early 2000s.
But so many people asked that I had to hear it from her. No, the acting athletic director did not apply for the permanent post. Like she said in a statement in November: “… let me be very clear. I will not be applying for the permanent position.”
Vince Baldemor did, though.
“It’s not going to be a secret,” he said Tuesday. “I did apply.”
Hawaii’s associate athletic director for external affairs since 2018 is on his second stint at Manoa. He was executive director of UH sports’ official fundraising organization, Ahahui Koa Anuenue, from 2003 to 2013 before he was athletic director at Hawaii Pacific University from 2014 to 2018.
Central Pacific Bank senior vice president Keith Amemiya, who is also head of Gov. Josh Green’s sports task force, is a known applicant. Amemiya declined comment Tuesday.
Craig Angelos is also an applicant. Yes, the same Craig Angelos who was fired from the job by now-retired UH president David Lassner just 18 months after Lassner hired him. Angelos’ last day was Nov. 30, 2024. Manin’s first day as acting AD was Dec. 1.
Many other names will likely surface in coming days. Former Rainbows basketball star and NBA player agent Jarinn Akana is among those who have expressed interest.
Four UH teams are on the continent this week, three of them playing for championships.
Manin can only be in one place at a time, so for now that is Columbus, Ohio, site of the NCAA men’s volleyball championships and where the Warriors will try to win their third national crown in the past five years, starting Thursday against Penn State in a quarterfinal match.
Even though she’s where many UH fans would love to be, Manin’s job is — excuse me, jobs are — always a lot more than just fun and games.
“I try to keep track of everything. Thank goodness for the live updates,” said Manin, referring not just to other UH games, but also how earthshaking legal action will impact the program. “I’m focused on getting us prepared for the House (vs. NCAA) settlement.”
Today is the deadline for modification of an agreement stemming from 2020 anti-trust litigation regarding name, image and likeness. It could result in severe roster cuts to college sports teams nationwide.
Meanwhile, the UH water polo team will be around 175 miles away in Indianapolis, also with a national championship on the line. Hawaii plays Cal in a first-round match Friday.
Also on Friday, the baseball team starts its last road series of the regular season with the first of a three-game set at Fullerton, Calif.
The softball team is already at Fullerton, where it starts Big West Tournament play as a No. 5 seed against No. 4 Long Beach State today in the double-elimination tournament. Retiring coach Bob Coolen hopes to make it to a 12th NCAA Tournament in his 34 years as head coach at Manoa.
“The goal is to have a new coach in place before the end of May, since that’s the end of Bob’s contract,” Manin said.
Associate coach Dee Wisneski is the top contender as Coolen’s successor and is in Fullerton this week, too, doing her job as the head coach’s right-hand.
Especially given her background in softball, Manin is the right person to choose the new head coach even though she will be the AD for just a few more months.
She said she can’t comment on specific candidates, for any UH job. But Manin did agree to offer some free advice for the next athletic director.
“You have to be very nimble, and you have to make a lot of decisions without having all the information you would like to have,” she said.
