An autobiography might help the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball program’s quest to regain the 2002 national title that it was forced to relinquish two decades ago.

“We’ve been on that for six months, at least,” UH athletic director Craig Angelos said.

David Reed, a UH consultant who is considered an expert on NCAA compliance issues, has been working with NCAA contacts in seeking what is termed a “historical correction.”

A year after defeating Pepperdine in the NCAA title match, the Warriors were stripped of the 2002 championship for using an ineligible player. At issue was outside hitter Costas Theocharidis’ amateur status. He was not paid nor did he sign a contract when he played alongside some pro players on a club team. In May 2004, the NCAA denied the Warriors’ appeal.

“It’s been tough sledding,” Angelos said. “The bottom line, they’re saying, is unless new evidence comes forward that they’re not budging on this. (Reed is) contending there might be additional information that wasn’t considered at the time. We’re trying to maneuver our way through that to see if we can overturn (the forfeiture).”

UH is hopeful of a similar outcome to Reggie Bush’s case. In April, the 2005 Heisman Trophy was returned to Bush, a former USC running back, in part due to what the Heisman Trust called “enormous changes in the college football landscape.” Bush was forced to forfeit the trophy after the NCAA imposed sanctions against USC for providing improper benefits to players. It has been noted it was the Heisman Trust, not the NCAA, that returned Bush’s Heisman Trophy.

In April, Theocharidis released his autobiography, “Warrior for Life: Thriving Within the Chaos.” The book was intended as “something to leave behind for my daughters, for them to understand my life,” Theocharidis said. “It wasn’t just about sports.”

He also wanted to illuminate the Warriors of the early 2000s, part of the bridge from the Yuval Katz-led teams to the recent back-to-back NCAA champions.

Theocharidis also provided his view on the controversy, insisting he was never considered a professional player ahead of joining the Warriors in August 1999. His Mountain Pacific Sports Federation stats remain, and he still is considered to be the only Warrior to be named four times to the All-America first team.

“It is important for people to go back and understand the history,” Theocharidis said. “And part of it was for me to give my perspective of things. Things happened back then, 20 years ago, I didn’t really make any public statements. It was time to get some closure on this whole thing. In the back of my mind, it was unfinished business.”

Theocharidis is in town for a series of book-signing events. Tuesday’s signing at Ruby Tuesday is sold out. He will sign books for booster-club members at the UH Letterwinners’ clubhouse on Thursday. He is finalizing an event for the public next weekend.

His book has received positive reviews. It was listed as the No. 1 volleyball book on Amazon. “I was amazed at what he’s done since he graduated (in 2003),” Spectrum Sports announcer Chris McLachlin said of the book. “His journey is unbelievable in the business world, in raising a family, in competing in ultra races. It was fun to read about how he approached the rest of his life after volleyball. He approached it like he approached volleyball, pursuing excellence at every turn. Reading about that was very interesting.”