McMackin, Clapp, Hula Bowl, Farney

Jason Kaneshiro writes about Jeff Reinebold's endorsement of Greg McMackin as UH's new head coach.

"I just feel like that's the best thing for everyone concerned," Reinebold said yesterday. "We don't need any kind of divisiveness. ... This is time to heal and a time for kokua.

"Greg would be the best choice and I think it's important that we all get behind him."

Rich Miano, who like Reinebold initially showed interest in the head coaching job, talks to Stacy Kaneshiro about why he now endorses McMackin.

"He's worked with the Lee brothers (assistants Cal and Ron), he understands Hawai'i, he's great with kids, he does a great job with the assistant coaches. I think he'd be a great candidate from within. I think it should come from within. In my opinion, and I think from some other people on the staff, he's our leader."

"We went 12-1 this past season and I know that June has left, but we have good systems on offense and defense and special teams," Miano said. "We have good coaches, we have good players. To start again at ground zero is something you do when you're 1-12, not when you're 12-1."

Acting AD Carl Clapp discusses the process of hiring a new coach.

The job was posted on the UH Web site on Tuesday. By mutual agreement with the Hawai'i Government Employees Association, the position must be advertised for at least five working days.

While the university does not have a definite target date for hiring Jones' replacement, the looming football recruitment period is a big consideration.

The earliest UH can host recruits on campus is the Jan. 18 to 20 weekend, Clapp said.

"We're on it," Clapp said. "We're going for it."

Clapp said he will work with selection committee members to determine the set of criteria that would be applied to the applicants. He said those criteria could be determined "in three or four days."

Another good thing about hiring McMackin is that he would keep a lot of staff in place. I'm pretty certain that hiring new assistant coaches is subject to this waiting period where the job needs to be advertised for a certain number of days. Retain Miano, Reinebold, etc and you don't have to do that.

More on the process from Carl Clapp.

"We would like to get an individual who has got the ability to assure a smooth transition to our current team members," Clapp said of the new coach.

"They need to fit in Hawaii," he later added. "This is a very special place. I think that will be something a committee will hold to."

And from that article, some encouraging words:

In a press conference yesterday at the Stan Sheriff Center, Clapp mentioned the department will continue to compile a "comprehensive list of what the facility needs are" and address the school's radio and television contracts.

Of course, this has been all said before, so gotta hope this administration follows through.

While Frazier left the department's budget in the black, a report says the department's "financial condition is still very fragile."

It found problems with the department's monitoring of some donations from booster clubs, potential for unrecorded ticket office revenue, and discovered a "human error" that caused former star football coach June Jones to be underpaid by $10,000 in the 2006 fiscal year. Jones has since been compensated for that amount, according to the audit.

But Ben Yee, vice president of Na Koa, the UH Warriors football booster club, said Frazier's inability to fix sports facilities and keep coach June Jones overshadows his successes.

"To get out of the red is good," he said. "That's interesting ... but nothing has been done to improve the facilities."

Kyle Sakamoto talks to some Warriors practicing for the Hula Bowl about June Jones' departure.

"I'm kind of disappointed in the way it was handled," said safety Jacob Patek on Jones' departure. "Herman didn't take the necessary steps in getting the contract in order for coach Jones and present it to him."

Added defensive lineman Michael Lafaele: "I don't know what their intentions were; he (Frazier) messed up on his part."

Here's an AP article discussing the craziness of the past week.

Brian McInnis profiles former UH coach Mike Cavanaugh, in town to coach in the Hula Bowl.

Warrior players and coaches remember Mitch Farney.

Senior wideout Jason Rivers was shocked by the news of his fellow receiver last night. When asked about it after practice, he took a knee.

"It's so unfortunate -- last night I almost cried," Rivers said, calling Farney a "hard worker" and a "great person."

Rivers said he got to know Farney over the course of the season when the freshman talked to him about finding a place to live off-campus.

"I said my prayers last night for him and his family," he said.

Stephen Tsai has more from Reinebold, Davone Bess, and Farney's father:

Thomas Farney said his son was "a great friend, a loving person. He would go out of the way to help his friends with anything. He was the best son we could ever have."