Craig Angelos is out as the University of Hawaii athletics director, sources confirmed to the Star-Advertiser.
The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy was the first to report the news early Tuesday morning on the social media site X, saying the move is effective Dec. 1.
By the end of Monday’s business hours, Angelos had declined to return several messages and calls from media outlets — an uncharacteristic cold shoulder from an AD who has admittedly been scolded by school and Mountain West leaders for being too open and transparent in interviews and during his radio show.
On Monday, Angelos told some staff members that despite rumors that “may or may not be true” he will continue to operate as usual.
But a booster and supporter of the AD said that Angelos will not be retained.
A petition apparently has been started to save Angelos’ job.
The decision would not be a surprise. When Angelos was introduced as successor to retiring athletic director David Matlin on May 18, 2023, the clock was ticking. Angelos was hired on an at-will agreement, meaning he would be without a contract — or buyout — while reporting to UH president David Lassner.
On Sept. 19, 2023 — 124 days after Angelos’ hiring — Lassner announced he would retire at the end of 2024. In an apparent hedge against an extended tenure, Angelos rented a unit in Manoa from UH’s faculty housing for a year, then took over a former coach’s lease in Kaimuki.
The UH athletic department is facing crucial points. KC Smurthwaite, a consultant for UH, announced on social media the school is nearing a multi-year apparel deal with Nike. The deal between UH and Adidas, which stepped in when Under Armour bought out its contract in 2021, is ending this year. No cash payments will be involved in the Nike deal. But UH will be able to buy Nike products at heavily discounted prices — savings that could total more than $3 million over the life of the contract — in what has become the standard arrangement between apparel companies and mid-major schools.
The five-year contract between Spectrum and UH is set to expire in June. Spectrum pays UH an average of nearly $3.1 million per year for the local television rights to UH sports. Angelos has said he would like to extend the Spectrum deal a year, through June 2026, to coincide with the start of a new deal the Mountain West is seeking with its national television partners. UH is a football-only member of the Mountain West through the 2025-26 academic year, after which 15 of its other sports will join. Angelos has been pushing the argument that as the last event of the day — the chase game — UH is popular among nocturnal East Coast football fans and sports bettors. That value, it is argued, should merit UH a significant share of the next Mountain West TV contract.
Angelos has sought additional revenue by making more premium seating available, particularly courtside at SimpiFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, and selling parking stalls. He also has worked with business leaders to provide more meals for UH teams, and name, image, likeness opportunities for student-athletes. He hired a consulting firm to plot a sports-performance facility and, if possible, redesign the Ching Complex if plans to build a new Halawa stadium collapse or are further delayed. He also was able to provide charter flights for the football team, and eliminate travel subsidies for visiting Mountain West teams.
But Angelos has not been able to repair the estranged relationship between certain lawmakers and UH; have influence in hastening a contract between the state and potential builders of Aloha Stadium’s replacement; secure large donations from companies on the continent; or receive funding for on-campus projects. He also has clashed with several staff members over his assignments and management style.
No official reason for his dismissal has been given by UH as of Tuesday afternoon.
