Posted on: Wednesday, January 12, 2005

UH coaches to get bowl bonuses

By Ferd Lewis and Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writers

University of Hawai'i interim president David McClain has authorized payment of bonuses owed to the football assistant coaches for the Warriors' participation in the 2003 and 2004 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

The nine assistant coaches — including Tyson Helton, who was on the 2003 staff before accepting a coaching job at Memphis — will receive their 2003 bonuses on Jan. 20 as part of their regular paychecks and the 2004 bonuses in February.

Each coach is owed the equivalent of one month's salary — ranging from $5,000 to up to $8,333 — for each bowl appearance. Athletic department officials cited a financial slump for the late payment of the 2003 bonuses.

"Herman (Frazier, the athletic director) was able to find the financial resources to move on it," McClain said.

Frazier forwarded the bonus-payment schedule to Peter Englert, the UH-Manoa chancellor, and then to McClain. "I think they were entitled to it," McClain said.

Although McClain approved the proposal on Dec. 18 and the coaches were notified shortly thereafter, they declined to comment until they received the money. "I knew it would happen," UH coach June Jones said.

Division I-A football programs usually use a portion of their bowl appearance fees to pay for the bonuses. UH kept $350,000 of its $750,000 appearance fee, with the remainder going to the Western Athletic Conference. UH's bowl expenses, including a six-night hotel stay, did not exceed $250,000 last year, according to people familiar with the situation.

Most schools distribute the bonuses within a month after the bowl game. When the Warriors qualified for the O'ahu Bowl in 1999 and Hawai'i Bowl in 2002, the bonuses were paid within four months of those games.

When it appeared the 2003 bonuses would not be distributed before the fiscal year that ended last June 30, UH president Evan Dobelle, in a June 14 e-mail to athletic department officials, said he would find the money to pay for the bonuses. The next day, Dobelle was fired.

In related news, linebacker Ikaika Curnan underwent surgery on his right ankle. Jones said Curnan will not participate in spring practice, but should be available for the start of training camp in August.

Also, defensive end Melila Purcell III has decided to remain at UH for the spring semester. His father, a U.S. Army reservist, is training in Fort Bliss (Texas) for future duty in Iraq. Purcell had said he wanted to return to American Samoa this semester to take care of his mother.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044 and Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.