Nash on UH's final four list of coach candidates
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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An initial decision on the next head coach of the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is expected to be completed by tomorrow, according to a source.
However, the selection would still have to be approved by the UH administration, so a public announcement may not be made this week.
At least four candidates from the original list of 71 are believed to have emerged as the leading contenders to replace Riley Wallace as head coach of the Rainbow Warriors. They are:
Hawai'i athletic director Herman Frazier and some members of an advisory committee were in Los Angeles to interview Bennett, Demopoulos and Wilson on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to sources.
Bennett's name surfaced yesterday as one of the leading candidates.
Hawai'i associate athletic director Carl Clapp — who accompanied Frazier on the trip to Los Angeles — was the athletic director at Saint Mary's when Bennett was hired there in 2001.
Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Henry Bibby was thought to be a leading candidate, but it has not been confirmed if he had an interview this week.
Frazier has been secretive about the candidates throughout the search process, and could not be reached for comment yesterday.
An official list of "finalists" has not been released by UH.
UCLA assistant coach Donny Daniels confirmed yesterday that he was not contacted by UH for an interview in Los Angeles this week.
"I have not heard from anyone — no A.D., no associate A.D., no search committee, no official from the University of Hawai'i. No one," Daniels said. "So unless I'm in the Twilight Zone and have missed something, I don't know where people are getting that I'm one of the finalists. If I am, I'd like to know."
Wallace announced his resignation in late-December, and it will go into effect on April 30, ending a 20-year tenure as head coach of the 'Bows. Wallace has been endorsing Nash as his successor ever since he announced his resignation.
Wallace and Nash will attend the annual Rainbow Warrior Awards Banquet tonight at the Hawai'i Prince Hotel. For ticket information, call 956-6501.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
