Wilton agrees to UH deal
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i men's volleyball coach Mike Wilton has reached an agreement on a three-year contract, according to people familiar with the situation.
Because of a gag order recently implemented by the school's Board of Regents, Wilton and athletic department officials cannot discuss his contract situation.
But several sources, who requested not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Wilton has agreed to terms on an offer from high-ranking school officials.
If the contract is approved by the regents, Wilton will receive a significant raise in his base salary. Wilton, whose current contract expires Aug. 15, earns $80,000 annually.
What's more, long-time assistant coach Tino Reyes will receive a pay raise and Wilton's son, Aaron, will be promoted from part-time assistant to a full-time coach. The athletic department will pay the entire cost of the new full-time position. The men's volleyball team was UH's only arena sport with one full-time assistant coach.
It was hoped that Wilton's contract would be introduced at the regents' personnel committee meeting Thursday. That would have opened the way for the regents to vote on the matter at their monthly meeting in mid-July.
But it does not appear the contract met the deadline for introducing new business. Unless the matter is fast-tracked to the regents for July's meeting, Wilton would have to wait until at least September to receive a new contract. The regents do not meet in August.
Wilton's last two contracts lapsed, and he did not sign his most recent one until February.
Wilton is the winningest coach in the program's history, and he has led the Warriors to the NCAA final four three times in the last eight years. The Warriors' national championship last month was the first by any UH men's team.
The men's volleyball program, which led the nation in attendance for the eighth consecutive year, is one of UH's four profitable sports teams.
Last month, Wilton withdrew as a candidate for the Brigham Young head coaching job, saying he wanted to return to UH for an 11th season. He was widely regarded as the top candidate.
