Despite a report to the contrary, University of Hawai‘i athletic director Hugh Yoshida said a new baseball coach has yet to be selected.
"There’s nothing done," Yoshida said yesterday. "No contract has been signed. It’s an ongoing process."
In a KFVE telecast during last week’s UH-Nevada series, broadcasters said that a coach had been picked. No name was revealed.
Hawai‘i is seeking a successor to Les Murakami, who announced in May that this would be his final season. He has been UH’s coach since 1971, but suffered a debilitating stroke Nov. 2 and is still in rehabilitation. Longtime assistant Carl Furutani has been serving as acting coach.
Since a coach apparently will be selected late, he will miss an entire year of recruiting. Usually, the only players available during the summer are junior college transfers.
There is a reluctance to reveal finalists if they are current coaches because they might jeopardize their present jobs.
There were more than 70 applicants for the position. Those who said they applied said the UH job is one of the most attractive in the nation because of the stadium and local talent available.
