Advisory group to help in search for men’s coach

LIHU‘E — University of Hawai‘i athletic director Jim Donovan announced a five-member advisory committee to aid in the selection of the next men’s basketball coach, Tuesday, after Monday’s firing of Bob Nash.

Peter Ho, Bert Kobayashi, Ernest “Ernie” Nishizaki, Maryann Sacharski and Tom Schroeder will make up the committee.

Those individuals will be involved in recommending names, reviewing applicants and acting as a normal hiring committee would, according to Derek Inouchi, UH media relations director.

Four of the five committee members have experience with the ‘Ahahui Koa Anuenue Board, the official UH athletic fundraising organization. Ho, Nishizaki and Sacharski are all directors on the Board, while Kobayashi is a former chair.

Schroeder is a professor at UH-Manoa and director of the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR). He is also a former chair of the faculty senate, as well as a two-term member of the athletic advisory board.

Ho is currently the president and chief banking officer of Bank of Hawai‘i.

Kobayashi is a senior partner at the law firm of Kobayashi, Sugita & Goda.

Nishizaki is president of Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts.

Sacharski is a director of sales for Oceanic Time Warner Cable, as well as a past president of the UH Letterwinners Club.

Nash was relieved of his coaching duties after three seasons as head coach, compiling a 34-56 record. The Warriors finished this season 10-20 and 3-13 in the Western Athletic Conference, finishing last in the nine-team league and missing out on the conference tournament, which begins Thursday in Reno, Nev.

Hawai‘i’s last winning season was 2006-07, when it finished with an 18-13 record and was 8-8 in the WAC.

Its last postseason action was the 2004 National Invitation Tournament, winning two games before falling to Michigan in the quarterfinals.