Donovan leaving UH to run new bowl game

Advertiser Staff

Associate athletic director Jim Donovan will step down from his position at the University of Hawai'i and become the ConAgra Hawai'i Bowl's first executive director, and outgoing UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida will chair the Christmas Day game's executive committee.

The announcements were made yesterday at a downtown press conference.

Donovan, 42, first joined the Hawai'i athletic department as an offensive lineman in 1981 and has been associate athletic director for the past six years. He said he will officially step down from his UH position "in early to mid-September."

A UH spokesman said no timetable has been set yet to name Donovan's replacement.

Donovan said his main duties as the Hawai'i Bowl's executive director will involve selling major corporate sponsorships and generating ticket sales. He said he gained experience in that area, especially during six years as UH's sports marketing director from 1987-1993.

"I coordinated the bowl games for UH (in 1989, 1992 and 1999), handled all the logistics," Donovan said.

Pete Derzis, senior vice president for ESPN Regional Television (ERT), which owns and operates the bowl, called Donovan "a perfect fit" for the job.

The Hawai'i Bowl will match representatives from the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA in the Dec. 25 game. UH is assured a berth if it wins at least seven games this season.

Derzis said UH season ticket holders will be offered a chance to buy their seats for the Hawai'i Bowl through a direct mailing in early August.