Hawaii head coach Eran Ganot has been as much a worrier as Warrior.
He is concerned about the well-being of his wife and daughter, his basketball team, his friends, and even some people he has never met. When a former cohort was in the hospital, he visited regularly. When a player’s mother died, he traveled to California for a day to console the family. A few years ago, when a reporter was recovering from surgery, Ganot texted every day, even while preparing his team for the NCAA Tournament.
What worries him the most is worrying others.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be incredibly low maintenance,” Ganot said of childhood in Tenafly, N.J. “That was my No. 1 priority. I have a great family; my parents worked really hard. There are a lot of worries in the world. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t one of them.”
In his typical low-key fashion, Ganot announced on Wednesday, through a news release, he was taking a temporary medical leave of absence. Ganot declined to disclose his medical condition, similar to how he has avoided talking about the painful back condition he has suffered for more than a year. Ganot notified his coaches on Tuesday, then told his players. There is no timetable for his return.
A couple of days before the announcement, Ganot spoke of the joy of helping others.
“That’s something natural in me,” said Ganot, who has never met a volunteer list he hasn’t signed. When a fundraiser is scheduled, he joins the planning committee.
“I don’t wear a UH basketball shirt,” he said. “I wear a UH shirt a lot. I wear an ‘H.’ You want to do your part to help the athletic department, the university, the state. You work hard to be in a platform where you can help.”
For Ganot, work is his “go-to,” part of his three-step process to dealing with situations. “Perspective, go to work, lead,” he said.
One aspect of work is coaching in practices and games. The other part is the preparation and study. “I’m an idea guy,” Ganot said. “I like talking. I like re-watching things. And sometimes at night, particularly during the season, I like watching films of games and opponents. That’s when I stay up a little later in the season than I do in the offseason.”
His home work space is similar to his office. He will watch videos on his laptop or a larger monitor connected to his computer. “I have my routine,” said Ganot, whose video-watching accompaniments include pens and yellow legal pads. He will scribble thoughts, ideas and impressions on the pads or a white board. He will keep pens and pads on a bedside table, just in case an offensive wrinkle appears in his dreams. For Ganot, happiness is work and contentment of family and extended family.
“I don’t get much joy in (receiving) presents or things like that,” Ganot said. “If people are in a good place and feel good about things that are in my family and my extended family, I feel great. When I’m around my wife and daughter, or when I see our guys growing as people, I sit back and take it all in. Those are great moments.”
GANOT’S RECORD
OVERALL CONFERENCE
Year W L Pct. W L Pct.
2015-16 28 6 .824 13 3 .813
Regular season champion; BWC tournament champion; NCAA Tournament berth
2016-17 14 16 .467 8 8 .500
Fifth in regular season, lost in quarterfinals of BWC tournament
2017-18 17 13 .567 8 8 .500
Sixth in regular season, lost in quarterfinals of BWC tournament
2018-19 18 13 .581 9 7 .563
Fourth in regular season, lost in quarterfinals of BWC tournament
