Eran Ganot has been named the new men’s basketball coach at the University of Hawaii.
The university officially announced the hire during a press conference Thursday.
“This is a dream job and a dream destination of mine,” said Ganot, who previously spent four seasons, from 2006-2010, at UH as an assistant. “From the very first time I arrived, I knew this state and the university was a special place which I’m very fond of and I consider home. I’m excited to return to the islands and help direct the program through some very challenging times. I’m thankful for all my mentors, including coaches Randy Bennett, Riley Wallace, and Bob Nash, for helping me get to this point. I will do my very best to represent this program the right way on and off the court and in the classroom.”
Ganot is the 21st head coach of the UH men’s basketball program and the second-youngest at 33 years old.
Ganot returns to Manoa from Saint Mary’s College, where he served most recently as the associate head coach, earning runner-up in the West Coast Conference (WCC) standings and making an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), finishing the season with a 21-10 record. In 2013-14, he served as acting head coach for five games and tallied a 3-2 record.
“Eran is known for his work ethic, integrity and dedication to the game. He understands the importance of our team to the people of Hawaii,” UH Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman said. “I am confident in his experience in coaching winning teams, recruiting and helping student-athletes to grow and succeed.”
Former UH interim head coach Benjy Taylor interviewed for the job, but finds himself back on the market despite leading UH to a second consecutive 20-win season and the Big West Championship game. More than 80 candidates applied for the job.
“We were blessed with excellent candidates, but one person clearly rose to the top,” Bley-Vroman said. “He possesses all the qualities we are looking for in our next basketball coach.”
Despite securing a head coach, there is still some uncertainty looming for the Rainbow Warrior hoops program. The school has been under investigation by the NCAA from allegations stemming the Gib Arnold-era.
Arnold was fired last October just weeks before the start of the season amid the allegations that he acted unethically and knowingly influenced others to provide false or misleading information regarding the violations.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, UH self-reported an incident from January 2014 in which ”a men’s basketball coach submitted an altered document that was essential for admissions purposes.”
Ganot commended the UH compliance department on dealing with the “tough situation” and remained upbeat about the future.
”I’m ready for the challenge that could come. I’m not going to run from it, we’re not going to run from it,” he said. ”We’ll approach it the right way and make sure we don’t have any issues going forward.
We’re not going to go looking for excuses. We just got to be very prepared.”
