Athletic director for UH retiring
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hugh Yoshida will retire as athletic director at the University of Hawai'i at the end of his contract this December, UH president Evan Dobelle told the Board of Regents yesterday.
Yoshida, 62, who has served at the position full-time since 1993, is expected to make a formal announcement, possibly as soon as today.
"It seemed like the right time," Yoshida said. "I get tired of answering the questions all the time (of how long is he going to stay). As far as I'm concerned, this is the best time."
Yoshida was reportedly offered a job on campus and turned it down.
Yoshida, who oversees the state's only Division I-A athletic program, has been the school's longest-serving Division I-A athletic director.
Under Yoshida, who had previously served as associate athletic director, the number of UH intercollegiate sports has expanded from 16 to 19 while the budget has grown from $8.7 million to $16 million.
"I'd like to think I'll be leaving it in good shape," Yoshida said.
Yoshida also helped negotiate lucrative television and radio contracts, and lured June Jones, who had coached in the National Football League. He said UH met the five-year plan set in 1996.
"In my seven years in the WAC (Western Athletic Conference), Hugh has always been one of the most dependable people. Someone you can always count on," said Karl Benson, WAC commissioner. "When you look at the program, to the hiring of June Jones, to maintaining the overall level of UH athletics, he's had a very significant impact."
Yoshida became interim athletic director in January 1993, following the death of his predecessor, Stan Sheriff, for whom the school's arena is named.
Yoshida was named to the position full time, by then-UH president Kenneth Mortimer in October.
Yoshida received an "outstanding" rating in his evaluation from Mortimer in 2001. Mortimer left UH in June of last year after eight years as president to return to policy study, publishing and consulting in a life of semi-retirement.
Mortimer said in June that Yoshida was the lowest-paid athletic director in the WAC in 1997. Now, even at $125,000 annually, Yoshida's salary is near the bottom in the 10-school conference.
Yoshida has more than 30 years in the state retirement system between his service at UH and 20 years in the Department of Education.
Former University of Hawai'i football coach Dick Tomey, former UH football assistant Rick Blangiardi and Benson have been mentioned as possible candidates to replace Yoshida.
Other candidates include associate athletics director Jim Donovan and assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano.
People from the administration have been sounding out staff members about Tomey, who appears to be the frontrunner.
Tomey coached UH football from 1977 to 1986. He later coached at Arizona and now lives in Hawai'i.
Blangiardi, former defensive coordinator at UH in the 1970s, works for Telemundo, a Spanish language TV network out of Los Angeles.
Staff writer Catherine E. Toth contributed to this report.
