Craig Angelos, the athletic director, was abruptly fired, shocking the University of Hawaii’s sports community. Even though Angelos has only been in the role for a year and a half, he has already received widespread recognition for his noteworthy accomplishments, which include obtaining Hawaii’s full-time membership in the Mountain West Conference and enhancing the football team’s travel arrangements. Angelos, who was appointed by UH President David Lassner, will be fired on December 1.
Students and athletes have come together in support of Angelos amid the chaos, as evidenced by a petition started by UH volleyball player Kurt Nusterer. Given their financial limitations, Nusterer cited Angelos’ efforts to take advantage of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) prospects for sportsmen as a major source of support. “He really helped our team out when he came in and NIL became a thing,” Nusterer told KITV. The petition has already received thousands of signatures, demonstrating the support from the university’s athletic community.
In addition to student athletes, state lawmakers and others in the sports industry have also attacked Lassner’s decision to fire Angelos. The departure of an AD who was “putting up championship teams, saving money, bringing in money then poof, that all disappeared this morning,” according to Hawaii News Now, shocked everyone, and Senator Glenn Wakai echoed the general astonishment. Even prominent supporters have expressed amazement and apprehension about the sudden decision; Jeff Wagoner, CEO of Outrigger hospitality, has praised Angelos’ proactive approach to addressing issues specific to collegiate athletics.
The UH community and its supporters are eagerly awaiting clarification on the athletics program’s future course as interim athletic director Lois Manin prepares to take over in December. Concerns regarding Angelos’ dismissal and its consequences for prospective future candidates thinking about a position at UH have been voiced by lawmakers such as Representative Andrew Takuya Garrett. Many questioned why Craig Angelos was fired weeks before Lassner’s own retirement since he was negotiating an apparel deal with Nike and had successfully reduced UH’s subsidies for visiting teams.
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