Dobelle seeks coaches' input on conference affiliation

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle said he will meet with the school's coaches Dec. 12 in a session aimed at determining what type of conference affiliation best suits the athletic program.

Since his arrival at Bachman Hall in July, Dobelle has said he wanted to meet with coaches of the school's 19 sports to decide whether Western Athletic Conference membership continues to best serve the state's only Division IA athletic program.

Dobelle said various scheduling conflicts and commitments have kept the meeting from taking place earlier.

UH is second in WAC seniority among current conference membership, having joined July 1, 1979 after being an independent.

"What I want them to tell me is that we need to continue in the Western Athletic Conference," Dobelle has said on several occasions. "If that's what they wish to do and they feel that's the way we can win, then as the No. 1 fan of UH sports, I'm for it.

"If there is the opinion that perhaps we ought to be in the Big West or Mountain West or perhaps some teams should be in one and football should be in another or football may even be independent. That we may have an opportunity in the future for consideration for the Pac-10, then, I'm for that."

Should UH decide to leave the WAC, under conference regulations it would have to give notification by Sept. 1 of the year before it departs, Dobelle said.

Football coach June Jones has said on occasion that he would be interested in exploring the possibility of becoming an independent in football.