NOW ON THE HOT SEAT: UH ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JIM DONOVAN
July 2nd, 2008 by Jeanne Mariani-BeldingWelcome to The Hot Seat. Joining us today from noon to 1 p.m. is UH Athletic Director Jim Donovan. Jim will answer your questions live during the hour.
And given all the changes in the university’s athletic department, there’s sure to be no shortage of questions. From the departure of June Jones to the subsequent push to beef up campus sports facilities to the story in today’s Advertiser announcing the athletic department’s record-setting $29.6 million budget.
Just a reminder of our Hot Seat ground rules: Please keep your questions concise and on point so that we can get to as many questions as possible; and keep it civil, no personal attacks please.
Ready? Click the comments button below and let’s chat.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Aloha Jim! Let’s get started with this question sent via e-mail from Louis K.:
As new athletic director, what are the top three things you plan to accomplish in your first year? And having spent some time in the system, what seem to be the biggest hurdles to getting things done?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Glad to be today’s Hot Seat guest.
To answer your question, Louis:
The first item would be to provide the coaches and student-athletes what they need to win conference championships. The second item would be to get the budget situation under control which means holding down expenses and increasing revenues. The third item would be to change the corporate culture in the athletic department so that we provide superior service and value to our customers. There’s a lot more to do than this, but those would be my top 3.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Jim:
Once things get “settled” down, will you consider moving UH Athletics into a conference within the central/west part of the mainland. Seems everything UH will do, travel cost will a primary factor.
Schools like La Tech must be thinking the same thing too.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Here’s one sent in via e-mail from Jason:
Can you explain the ticket pricing and what this all means for UH fans? And what’s your assessment of the football program so far post Coach Jones?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
From Koauka:
Once things get “settled” down, will you consider moving UH Athletics into a conference within the central/west part of the mainland. Seems everything UH will do, travel cost will a primary factor.
Schools like La Tech must be thinking the same thing too.
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Koauka:
I think the WAC has served us very well over the past 30 years. More likely than switching conferences we will look to play more non-conference games against teams west of the Rockies because of travel costs. We are definitely seeing a reluctance to travel to Hawaii by institutions because of the dramatic increase in the cost of travel and gas. Hopefully this is only a temporary phenomenon and not a permanent situation.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
And here’s another one sent via e-mail from Betsy:
Aloha Mr. Donovan. Can you tell us what true changes we will see, if any in the football program? And please tell us how you plan to make a positive difference in terms of athletics for women?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Jim,
You seem to be working really hard on issues and problems in the athletic department and believe me, there are many for you to handle! Let me speak on behalf of the community in thanking you for all you do for Hawaii and UH. My question is what do you do in your spare time? Do you have any? don’t you have a family?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
From Jason:
Can you explain the ticket pricing and what this all means for UH fans? And what’s your assessment of the football program so far post Coach Jones?
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Jason:
One of the first things I thought we needed to do when I got on board was to take a look at our season ticket and individual game ticket prices. My concern was that we had raised all our prices to the point that some of our fans could no longer afford to attend our events in person. After meeting with our management staff, we decided to lower season and individual game ticket prices in the endzones for UH football. We also decided to lower prices in the upper level of all arena sports and the “red” section of Les Murakami Stadium. We also created family packages where our fans, in certain sections of our facilities, can buy one child seat and get one free. All of these price reductions were done to make it more affordable for all of our fans to attend our events.
I’ve been very pleased with the efforts that Coach McMackin has made with the team, inside our department, and with our community. He’s been a real pleasure to work with and he’s very focused on continuing the success of our Warrior football program. While this year’s schedule is certainly the toughest I can recall in my 28 years since I was a former Rainbow Warrior, I know Coach Mack will have the team ready to play. If I learned any lesson last season…you just gotta believe!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
From Betsy:
Aloha Mr. Donovan. Can you tell us what true changes we will see, if any in the football program? And please tell us how you plan to make a positive difference in terms of athletics for women?
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Betsy:
As I mentioned in the previous answer, one of the first changes we’re seeing with the UH football program is Coach McMackin doing an outstanding job with public relations. I’m sure this will pay dividends for the Warriors for years to come. As far as on-the-field changes, I suspect we’ll be running the ball a little bit more and you’ll see the QB taking the snap from under center versus the shotgun formation — at least enough that everyone will notice it’s happening more often. As far as defense, I truly believe this year’s starters may be the best we’ve seen in a long time.
As far as women’s athletics goes, I believe that this is one aspect of our athletic department that is performing spectacularly. One of the items that I’ve been able to address in my first 100 days is starting the process of hiring several assistant coaches for our women’s programs. We’re taking a hard look at all the sports budgets, in particular the women’s programs, to make sure they have the funding they need to win their conference. With women’s volleyball, soccer, softball, water polo, track & field and diving all having outstanding seasons this past year, we have much to look forward to in 2008-09.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Jim: Can you tell us your thoughts on the $185 million renovation of Aloha Stadium and how it will affect UH football, if at all? Do you think it’s a good idea, or should the state build a new stadium better suited to UH’s needs?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Here’s one sent in from Gail:
Welcome to the Hot Seat. Can you tell us why you think you will be more successful in aiding the athletic system than Herman Frazier? And how has he helped you achieve these goals?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Mr. Donovan,
If the student body as a whole opposes a student fee, would there be any consideration into making the Manoa Maniacs a paid-membership club.
For example:
Fee 75.00-90.00
Includes:
-Free access to all UH sporting events
-UH Manoa Maniac “Nights” at various clubs or venues (i.e. D&B, movie nights, etc…)
-An annual coupon book with discounts to several merchants and business already with UH as corporate sponsors (i.e. Papa John’s and Jack in the Box discounts).
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
From Mike:
Jim,
You seem to be working really hard on issues and problems in the athletic department and believe me, there are many for you to handle! Let me speak on behalf of the community in thanking you for all you do for Hawaii and UH. My question is what do you do in your spare time? Do you have any? don’t you have a family?
————————————
Mike:
Thank you for the kind words! I don’t have much spare time right now but I try hard to get in some excercise and see my family when I can. Someone told me in my first few days on the job, “Congrats on getting your dream job — you know, the one where you dream about seeing your wife and kids…” I gotta tell you I wouldn’t be able to do this job without the support of my family. I involved all of them in the decision-making process before I took the job and they were extremely supportive and still are. I have to especially thank my wife Tracy, who for many years worked in UH Athletics — in fact, we met here — so she of all people knows the amount of hours a job like this takes. With a good ohana, anything is possible!
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
From Steve:
Jim: Can you tell us your thoughts on the $185 million renovation of Aloha Stadium and how it will affect UH football, if at all? Do you think it’s a good idea, or should the state build a new stadium better suited to UH’s needs?
—————————–
Steve:
First and foremost, I’ve said before and I’ll keep on saying it, the location of Aloha Stadium couldn’t be better for the island of Oahu. Being at the intersection of the H-1 and H-3 freeways and only a few miles from the H-2 freeway, it’s a very convenient location. Add to the fact that it’s a planned light rail stop, it’s location gets even better (imagine parking at UH or Blaisdell or in Pearl City and taking rail to Aloha and avoiding the traffic and parking challenges…). I did have the opportunity to see the projected improvements and they were quite impressive. They certainly would be welcome by fans and sponsors. As far as building a new stadium or refurbishing the one we have, both of those options are in the hundreds of millions of dollars and only the legislative and executive branches can really make that decision (when you’re talking about that level of funding).
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
And here’s one from Andreas:
What’s the status of the sports scholarship program beyond just football? Are there opportunities for girls? And what do you plan to do to improve it ?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
from Gail:
Welcome to the Hot Seat. Can you tell us why you think you will be more successful in aiding the athletic system than Herman Frazier? And how has he helped you achieve these goals?
————————————–
Gail:
I think the best way to answer this is I’ve always tried to learn from the past but focus on the present and where you want to be in the future. I don’t like to compare myself to anyone that’s previously held the position I’m in — I just work as hard as I can to do the best job that I’m possible of. I believe everybody contributes something in their own way to the overall growth of an organization — it’s up to others to ultimately decide what mark you’ve made.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
From Kazz:
Mr. Donovan,
If the student body as a whole opposes a student fee, would there be any consideration into making the Manoa Maniacs a paid-membership club.
For example:
Fee 75.00-90.00
Includes:
-Free access to all UH sporting events
-UH Manoa Maniac “Nights” at various clubs or venues (i.e. D&B, movie nights, etc…)
-An annual coupon book with discounts to several merchants and business already with UH as corporate sponsors (i.e. Papa John’s and Jack in the Box discounts).
——————————————-
Kazz:
I’m not sure the student body actually does oppose a student fee. It’s an issue that we’ll be taking a look at over the next year or so. At most Division IA athletic programs, there is a student fee to support athletics. In return for the fee, the students typically receive free admission to various sports. That said, you had some great ideas for your Manoa Maniacs “Club” that I’ll pass onto John McNamara, Associate AD, who has done a tremendous job building the Manoa Maniacs into what it is today. Thanks so much for your feedback and ideas.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Mr. Donovan,
I had noticed a few things the Midweek article that was released late yesterday covering your first 100 days.
First thing I noticed was how the article states that UH was able to get control of concessions on lower campus and will be able to reduce food costs to 20% and beer costs to 10%. I was under the impression that the school already was in charge of concessions at the Stan Sheriff Center and Les Murakami, but I guess I was incorrect.
Second thing I noticed is that the athletic department will start seeing a “significant” amount of revenue from the Rainbowtique sales as opposed the funds going towards auxiliary services.
My question to the above is, when did this transpire and are these changes a result of a general consensus among those in the athletic department or are they a result of public opinion?
Mahalo.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I sent this in early this morning to your blog host, but here it is again:
I was stunned to read in Stephen Tsai’s blog last week that there’s no money in the Men’s Volleyball budget to provide pre-match meals. Are other sports facing similar cutbacks?
I am concerned about a number of issues, but the most important one is to make sure that the team members do not jeopardize their long-term health because they don’t eat enough to maintain their bodies - especially in such a high-energy sport as volleyball.
Has a fund been set up through Koa Anuenue for fans to make earmarked contributions to purchase pre- or post-game meals for all teams? How do other schools handle this? What can we do to help out?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
from Andreas:
What’s the status of the sports scholarship program beyond just football? Are there opportunities for girls? And what do you plan to do to improve it ?
—————————————
Andreas:
We have a total of 19 sports programs at UH (20 if you count the cheer team which in my opinion has some of the best athletes we have). All of these programs offer some kind of scholarship opportunities for their athletes. Koa Anuenue, an organization that has been raising scholarship funds for UH sports for about 40 years, provides us with most of the monetary support necessary to provide these scholarships. We wouldn’t be nearly as successful as we are today without Koa Anuenue’s loyal support.
Of the 19 sports programs, 12 of them are for women athletes.
Our long term plans for improving the experience for our student-athletes is to raise funds so that our athletes can also go to summer school if they so desire. By doing so, this helps them graduate sooner, stay in shape between playing seasons and takes a little pressure of them school-wise during the regular year. This is one of the areas that we will be working hard to improve.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Mr. Donovan,
Mahalo for your response to my questions, although I believe I made a mistake in saying that the student body opposes a student fee. I was referring to the fact that the choice to have a student fee was voted down by the student body/council a while back.
Of course with some extra incentives (hopefully with UH’s corporate sponsors willing to further assist the school) involved it could only help especially since most college students don’t have a lot of extra cash to spend in between paying for books, a place to live, etc…
Anyway,
My last question for the day, is concerning further public donations to the program.
If you could say, what program faces the biggest need of assistance in terms of higher booster club membership and or donations from the public? Or should donation efforts by the public be focused on the program as a whole?
Mahalo,
Kevin Kacatin
Pearl City, HI
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Aloha Jim, a lot is said about the football program but what about the others, and especially the swimming program. Will competitive swimming ever come back to the UH?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
And here’s another one from Greg:
What’s your strategy for managing this athletic department to maximum efficiency? How do you plan to bring in new revenue?
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
From Kazz:
Mr. Donovan,
I had noticed a few things the Midweek article that was released late yesterday covering your first 100 days.
First thing I noticed was how the article states that UH was able to get control of concessions on lower campus and will be able to reduce food costs to 20% and beer costs to 10%. I was under the impression that the school already was in charge of concessions at the Stan Sheriff Center and Les Murakami, but I guess I was incorrect.
Second thing I noticed is that the athletic department will start seeing a “significant” amount of revenue from the Rainbowtique sales as opposed the funds going towards auxiliary services.
My question to the above is, when did this transpire and are these changes a result of a general consensus among those in the athletic department or are they a result of public opinion?
Mahalo.
—————————————
Kazz:
Food service throughout campus including concessions at our sports venues were under a master food service contract covering the entire University of Hawaii at Manoa that expires at the end of this year. We have asked and have received permission to have a separate contract just for our sports venues. Again to provide more value to our customers, we will be asking interested food service providers to “roll back” prices up to 20% so coming to our events will be more affordable. Auxiliary Services is assisting us with this endeavor and ultimately they will act as our intermediary with the next food service provider.
Auxiliary Services has managed the Rainbowtique locations at the Stan Sheriff Center and Ward locations since their inception. In fact, it was a risk-taking decision that has turned into an entrepreneurial success. It is independent of UH Athletics but Auxiliary Services has always been very cooperative in supporting our sports programs. Essentially they were very open-minded when we negotiated our new contract and we are very appreciative of their support. My belief is they decided to support us because they wanted to not because of any outside pressure — but that’s been typical of their behavior over the years to support various areas of the University.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
From Shannon:
I sent this in early this morning to your blog host, but here it is again:
I was stunned to read in Stephen Tsai’s blog last week that there’s no money in the Men’s Volleyball budget to provide pre-match meals. Are other sports facing similar cutbacks?
I am concerned about a number of issues, but the most important one is to make sure that the team members do not jeopardize their long-term health because they don’t eat enough to maintain their bodies - especially in such a high-energy sport as volleyball.
Has a fund been set up through Koa Anuenue for fans to make earmarked contributions to purchase pre- or post-game meals for all teams? How do other schools handle this? What can we do to help out?
————————————–
Shannon:
To be honest, I wasn’t aware of the situation you’re describing so I’m going to have to talk with head coach Mike Wilton and see what the situation is. When I was with the athletic department about 6 years ago, most of the sports programs paid for pre-game meals from their booster club funds. I just don’t know what the situation is currently but I will look into it.
The funds raised by Koa Anuenue go towards covering scholarship and room and board cost. As far as other schools are concerned, there’s probably several ways this issue is approached, but again I need to talk with Coach to find out what’s up. Thanks for your offer to help — if we can use it, we’ll let you know.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
From Kazz:
Mr. Donovan,
Mahalo for your response to my questions, although I believe I made a mistake in saying that the student body opposes a student fee. I was referring to the fact that the choice to have a student fee was voted down by the student body/council a while back.
Of course with some extra incentives (hopefully with UH’s corporate sponsors willing to further assist the school) involved it could only help especially since most college students don’t have a lot of extra cash to spend in between paying for books, a place to live, etc…
Anyway,
My last question for the day, is concerning further public donations to the program.
If you could say, what program faces the biggest need of assistance in terms of higher booster club membership and or donations from the public? Or should donation efforts by the public be focused on the program as a whole?
Mahalo,
Kevin Kacatin
Pearl City, HI
———————————————–
Kazz:
Our football, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, men’s volleyball and baseball programs have very robust booster clubs. The other sports programs have some corporate sponsors and booster clubs but typically don’t raise the same levels of funding as the sports I mentioned above. So we leave it up to our fans to help whichever program they like but certainly helping out one of the programs not listed above would be extra special. Here’s a link to a web page on our site that allows you to make donations to specific sports programs online:
http://www.koaanuenue.org/team_prog_suppt.shtml
If you visit the site, you’ll see there are other ways to support too. Again, thanks to all of you out there who have made monetary contributions over the years to our sports programs — we couldn’t do it without you!
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
From John:
Aloha Jim, a lot is said about the football program but what about the others, and especially the swimming program. Will competitive swimming ever come back to the UH?
———————————–
John:
Our swimming and diving program is actually doing quite well and I expect even better results in the coming years. This past season, our women’s diving program had an NCAA champion in the 1 meter event and the men’s diving program scored a second-place finish in the NCAA championship 1 meter event. Look for more great results from our swimming and diving program!
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
from Greg:
What’s your strategy for managing this athletic department to maximum efficiency? How do you plan to bring in new revenue?
————————————-
Greg:
Glad we left one of the most difficult questions for last. Well, the first thing I believe we need to do to increase overall efficiency is to change the corporate culture such that the employees feel empowered to implement solutions. I’m working hard at getting this new concept across to the hundred or so employees that work hard to bring all of you a successfull athletic program. Changing corporate culture takes time and a clear vision. My vision, in the simplest terms, is to provide Disney-like experience for our customers and sponsors, and to provide an environment for our student-athletes so that they not only graduate but have one of the best times of their lives while they’re at UH.
New revenue would include premium parking at Aloha Stadium and UH for our sporting events. Continuing to work with Koa Anuenue to raise more scholarship funds. Approaching corporations and donors for facility and scholarship support. Throw on top of that new tv, radio, and WAC tv contracts and there are numerous sources for additional revenues. In addition, we’re always looking to create brand new revenue streams.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Sorry, folks, we’re out of time. Thanks for participating in today’s Hot Seat. And a special thanks to Jim Donovan for taking the time from his busy schedule to answer questions from our readers. Great job, Jim.
Watch for excerpts of this Hot Seat session in this Sunday’s Focus section of The Advertiser.
Stay tuned to see who our Hot Seat guest will be next week. Thanks for joining us, on The Hot Seat!
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Jeanne,
Thanks for the opportunity to interact with our community and the readers of The Honolulu Advertiser. I also really appreciate the questions, the feedback and the support posted on The Hot Seat today. Again, thanks everyone for your support of UH Athletics and we’ll see you at one of our sporting events this coming season!
Mahalo!
Jim
July 25th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I found this blog on a google search and boy am I glad I did. I thought I heard someone mention it in a free chat room.
Awesome read!