Posted on: Tuesday, August 6, 2002

UH coaches lose use of cell phones

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

What University of Hawai'i coaches and athletic officials now have is a failure to communicate.

Verizon Wireless recently ended a two-year trade agreement with UH, forcing 19 coaches and athletic department officials to relinquish their free use of cellular telephones.

UH and Verizon Wireless officials were unable to estimate the amount the school saved annually from the cellular services. But in fiscal year 2000, the athletic department reported receiving $40,000 from telephone companies.

Verizon Wireless provided free cellular telephones to all of the UH football coaches, who used them to keep in contact with their players and recruits.

"That was a luxury," football coach June Jones said.

Verizon Wireless spokes-man Andrew Colley said it had become too difficult to manage the 19 accounts.

"It was a maintenance issue," Colley said.

Colley said Verizon Wireless provided the free cellular service in exchange for advertisement placements at UH sporting events. Colley said his company no longer wants to enter trade-service deals.

"We're open to cash sponsorships," said Colley, although it does not appear Verizon Wireless will serve as a UH sponsor this academic year.

The Verizon telephone company owns a 55-percent stake in Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest cellular company with 30 million customers.

The UH men's basketball and men's volleyball teams are not affected by Verizon Wireless' decision. Nextel sponsors the men's basketball team, and the volleyball booster club provides cellular telephones for head coach Mike Wilton and assistant Tino Reyes.

"Those things are real handy," Wilton said.

Mark Livingston, director of marketing for UH, said he is in the process of "trying to provide a different (cell) provider" for the coaches who lost their telephones.