Herman, Year Six

Ferd Lewis with the article.

Herman Frazier starts his sixth year as the University of Hawai'i athletic director today — although he chuckles and says "it seems like longer."

Here's what Frazier thinks of his tenure so far:

"I think, given all the things that we have had an opportunity to touch since we've been here — and everyone might not always agree that we did the right thing — we will certainly tell you that we believe that we have," Frazier said.

And I can certainly tell you - though some might say I'm crazy - that I believe in unicorns.


My pretties

One of those who might not always agree with Frazier is K. Mark Takai:

But some, including state Rep. K. Mark Takai D-34th (Newtown, Waiau, Pearl City), who led a legislative meeting into UH athletic operations under Frazier in May, question what he has accomplished. "In my few interactions with Mr. Frazier he seems like an intelligent person and nice guy. However, for the amount of money we're paying him ($250,000), I just don't see what he has personally done to bring Hawai'i to the next level," Takai said.

The football scheduling fiasco (no 13th game but two Division I-AA opponents) and budgetary questions (a balanced budget for 2006 but overall unrestricted net deficit of $4.2 million) are issues that have hung over Frazier's past year. "Those two issues are examples," Takai said. "The finances, some could argue, have put the UH athletic program in a more financially risky (position) and deeper in debt."

And here's Ferd with the follow-up column.

By year five of that administration, a football schedule — the only major schedule the AD actually works on — should have been long since cast in stone. Especially for one whose contacts have been so heralded. That it hasn't been, especially befitting a season in which UH has its first real Heisman Trophy candidate, is a huge disappointment.

And a hope (or lament) for the future:

Frazier has done some praiseworthy things in his tenure, keeping UH largely out of the NCAA doghouse and running a quality, broad-based department among them.

But for one of whom so much has been expected more needs to be produced.