Frazier is top candidate for UH AD position
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Strong indications point to University of Alabama-Birmingham athletic director Herman R. Frazier being named the new AD at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.
Age: 46 Born: Philadelphia Education: Arizona State AD experience: • Named University of Alabama-Birmingham athletic director on Aug. 22, 2000. Other experience: • Moved from graduate assistant with Arizona State track program to assistant director of events and facilities, director of athletic facilities, assistant director of operations, associate director of athletics and then senior associate athletic director for business and operations, a job he held from 1996-2000; • Managed a $24 million budget at Arizona State and oversaw a $40 million facilities improvement project. Herman R. Frazier Athletic achievements: • Won gold medal (4x400 relay) and bronze (4x100 relay) at 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal; also member of 1980 Olympic team; • Eight-time All-American in track and field, helping the Sun Devils win NCAA title in 1977. Other credentials: • Elected one of three vice presidents of the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1996; • Worked with the 2000 U.S. Olympic team in Sydney, Australia; • Member of the Olympic Games Atlanta Committee Board of Directors; • Member of the U.S. Olympic Athlete's Advisory Council; • Member of the U.S. Olympic Overview Commission; • Served as Chief Executive Officer of the USA Pan American Team in 1999; • Serves as peer review team member and is on the NCAA Certification Committee; • Member of the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors, having served as vice president in 1996 and chairman in 1998-99. As chairman, he oversaw the first unified championship of college football and conducted championship series negotiations that resulted in the largest ever payouts of $26 million.
A person close to the situation said Frazier is the leading candidate to succeed Hugh Yoshida, who announced he would retire in December when his contract expires.
Herman R. Frazier
Frazier arrived here last night and was scheduled to meet with UH-Manoa interim chancellor Deane Neubauer and UH president Evan Dobelle, according to the person, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Frazier has yet to be offered the job, according to the person, but added he is the only candidate meeting with UH officials here.
Frazier's hiring could be presented to the UH Board of Regents for approval by tomorrow.
"I've said from the very beginning I want what's best for the University," said UH associate athletic director Jim Donovan, also a candidate for the job. "I think everyone needs to get behind the new AD so we can continue to build on the success we've had this year."
The school hired Eastman & Beaudine to conduct a nationwide search. A seven-member delegation from UH — consisting of administrators and selection committee members — went to Dallas over the weekend to interview finalists for the job at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention.
Montana's Wayne Hogan and New Mexico's Rudy Davalos were approached by Eastman & Beaudine; Davalos declined a UH interview because he had just received a two-year extension.
Frazier, an Olympic gold medal winner who is active with the United States Olympic Committee, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the presidency of the USOC, according to the Associated Press.
He was one of three vice presidents of the USOC in 1996 and was involved with the U.S. team in the 2000 Sydney Games.
"I worked closely with him for about 10 years when we were on the executive board of the U.S. Olympic Committee together," recalled former Punahou School distance runner Henry Marsh, a teammate of Frazier on the 1976 U.S. Olympic track team. "On the Olympic Committee, he was very active with Edwin Moses in the drug testing area.
"From what I gathered, he was very effective at Arizona State," Marsh added.
Arizona State women's gymnastics coach John Spini vouches for Frazier.
"He's a tremendous person and an awesome individual," Spini said. "He's very knowledgeable in his fields."
Frazier, 46, has been AD at Alabama-Birmingham since October 2000, leaving Arizona State to take over for the retired Gene Bartow.
Frazier had a 23-year association at Arizona State where he was captain of the 1977 national championship track and field team and the 1977 400-meter champion.
He won two medals in the 1976 Olympics, a gold as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team and a bronze in the 400-meter run. He retired from competition after the U.S boycott of the 1980 Games in Moscow.
Upon graduating from Arizona State, he started as a graduate assistant in track before moving into athletic administration. He served as assistant director of events and facilities, director of athletic facilities, assistant director of operations, associate director of athletics and senior associate athletic director for business and operations.
On Monday, Alabama-Birmingham hired a senior associate athletic director in charge of raising money for the department, which has a $7.5 million deficit, according to the Birmingham Post-Herald. The Herald story added that a school trustee had been critical of Frazier's handling of the athletic program.
Alabama-Birmingham also is in the midst of an $80 million lawsuit brought by a then 15-year-old prodigy student, accusing 26 football players for sexual abuse that started before Frazier's arrival and the school administration for culpability in the matter.
Besides experience at the collegiate level, Frazier has been involved in other sports-related endeavors.
He also was chief executive officer of the USA Pan American team in 1999 and has been active with the NCAA, serving as a Certification Committee member. He also worked on the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors, serving as vice president in 1996 and chairman in 1998-1999.
Advertiser Staff Writer Ferd Lewis contributed to this report.
