The pendulum effect has been in full force when it comes to hiring University of Hawaii athletic directors. Since the 1980s it has swung back-and-forth each time, between the islands and the continent.
Stan Sheriff (mainland*), Hugh Yoshida (local), Herman Frazier (mainland), Jim Donovan (local), Ben Jay (mainland). Sheriff gets an asterisk because he was born in Hawaii and had strong family roots here.
Now, as the end game approaches to choose Jay’s replacement, all indicators are that we’re headed back to an AD who is already here — either David Matlin or John McNamara.
Usually, I don’t like the pendulum. It smacks of knee-jerk reaction. But it’s clear UH now needs an athletic director who knows the lay of the land. Jay did not, and it led to ineffectiveness.
Matlin and McNamara are actually hybrids. They were born-and-raised on the mainland and built the foundations of their careers there, Matlin most notably with the Houston Astros and McNamara with the Western Athletic Conference.
Their work here makes them logical candidates for the UH post, as Matlin is now executive director of the Hawaii Bowl and the Diamond Head Classic and McNamara is associate athletic director at Manoa.
They are kamaaina. Their wives are from here. This job wouldn’t be a steppingstone for either.
"Both very much care about UH and Hawaii," someone who knows both well said Tuesday. "It’s not a whistle stop for them, it’s a passion. They’re invested and want it to be successful for reasons beyond themselves. They both could operate in the local environment."
Having dealt with them the past 10 years — including a couple of times in mildly confrontational situations — I’ve found Matlin and McNamara both competent and accountable. On the occasions they couldn’t answer my questions they always eventually explained why, and there was always a good reason.
The two biggest questions now are the same I’d have for any candidate, and they tie in: 1. How would they handle the inevitable pressure from any number of powerful meddlers? 2. How would they address the financial problems?
There is no easy answer for either. Key components regarding money are working with boosters, upper campus and the Legislature. Both are immersed in the financial aspects of college sports in their current positions, but being the AD at UH would take that to a much higher level.
While I have as much confidence in Matlin and McNamara as in any other candidates for this ridiculously difficult job, it’s a big mistake that Keith Amemiya and Rick Blangiardi have not been asked to interview. If not meeting minimum qualifications is truly the reason, that’s a sham. Their success in Hawaii athletics-related ventures is more than enough to compensate.
Even if their lack of in-the-trenches college sports administration truly is deemed a deal-breaker, UH can benefit from hearing them out about what is needed to improve. Sports administration is business, and Amemiya and Blangiardi know business.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads Opens in a new tab.
