All signs point to Hawai'i's Mike Trapasso being recontacted by Oklahoma officials regarding the still-vacant baseball coaching position.

Trapasso said he is not allowed by UH to comment on the Oklahoma coaching job until it is resolved.

Oklahoma media reported that Trapasso has emerged as a leading candidate for the job that became vacant with the resignation of long-time coach Larry Cochell. Cochell resigned in May after making racially insensitive statements regarding one of his players. Cochell was replaced by assistant Sonny Golloway, who became interim coach. Golloway also is a candidate for the job.

Trapasso was reported to have interviewed for the Sooners' job in early July.

On Sunday, Wichita State's Gene Stephenson accepted the Oklahoma job, but declined it the next day, citing scholarship issues. Stephenson, who completed his 28th season for the Shockers, is the winningest coach in college baseball at 1,506-489-3. (The Shockers beat the Rainbows, 3-2, in the Rainbow Tournament in March.)

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione was in Washington, D.C., earlier in the week to accompany the men's gymnastics team, which visited the White House with other national championship teams. He was supposed to have returned to Oklahoma yesterday.

Trapasso has ties to Oklahoma. He pitched for Oklahoma State in 1984 and 1985. He also has family in Oklahoma and neighboring Missouri.

In four seasons at UH, Trapasso compiled a 105-117 overall record and 44-74 in the Western Athletic Conference. He guided the Rainbows to a 28-27 record, the third consecutive winning season after going 16-40 in his debut season in 2002. The Rainbows' third-place finish in the WAC at 15-14 is the highest his team has placed in conference and was the first time it was over .500. He was named WAC Coach of the Year in 2004, when UH was 31-24 and 13-16 in the WAC, taking fourth place. He also was an assistant coach for Team USA last summer.

Trapasso came to UH in June 2001 after seven seasons as an assistant at Georgia Tech under Danny Hall. At the time, Trapasso was billed by Baseball America as one of the top candidates for a head coaching job because of his success in recruiting, as well as a pitching coach, for the Yellow Jackets.

TRAPASSO ERA

Year Record Standing (overall/WAC)

2002 16-40/5-25 6th in WAC

2002 16-40/5-25 6th in WAC

2003 30-26/11-19 4th in WAC OF Jaziel Mendoza, RHP Chris George all-WAC second team

2004 31-24/13-16 4th in WAC OF Greg Kish, RHP Ricky Bauer all-WAC first team; 1B Andrew Sansaver, 2B Isaac Omura, RHP Stephen Bryant and RHP Steven Wright all-WAC second team; Trapasso WAC coach of year.

2005 28-27/15-14 3rd in WAC 2B Isaac Omura, OF Matt Inouye, RHP Stephen Bryant all-WAC first team; C Esteban Lopez, SS Joe Spiers, RHP Darrell Fisherbaugh all-WAC second team