HONOLULU — The soon-to-be University of Hawaii interim athletic director has no designs on the permanent job, Lois Manin said on Wednesday.

In a lengthy statement issued through UH, Manin, the UH Athletics second-in-command, sought to “set the record straight” and dispel “conjecture” about her plans following Tuesday’s dismissal of Manoa Athletic Director Craig Angelos by UH President David Lassner.

What You Need To Know

  • Lois Manin, the University of Hawaii at Manoa associate athletic director, issued a lengthy statement Wednesday afternoon in which she sought to "set the record straight" on her plans in the wake of the dismissal of head athletic director Craig Angelos

  • Angelos was dismissed Tuesday "based on performance," UH announced in a statement, but he will serve until Dec. 1, after which Manin will take over on an interim basis

  • Manin said she will not apply for the permanent position when incoming UH President Wendy Hensel conducts a search at a to-be-determined time in 2025

  • Meanwhile, Timmy Chang and Eran Ganot gave the first on-the-record reactions from UH coaches to Angelos' termination

“Let me be very clear. I will not be applying for the permanent position,” wrote Manin, who pledged to continue the "momentum" that Angelos and UH staffers created during his 18-month tenure.

Angelos, an at-will employee, was released “based on performance,” UH said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. The vague wording left many to draw their own conclusions about the rationale for the removal of the administrator who garnered plenty of support from UH fans in a short time.

UH announced that the associate AD Manin would assume the interim position on Dec. 2, the day after Angelos’ final day Dec. 1.

Some online appeared to believe that Manin, a longtime member of the department under ex-AD David Matlin, and Lassner made a power play to put Manin in charge before Lassner’s term expires at the end of the year.

According to Manin, her authority will last only until incoming UH President Wendy Hensel finishes a search for a replacement. Manin will be the department’s first female head athletic director; Dr. Donnis Thompson was UH's first AD for women's sports in the 1970s.

Manin was a finalist for the AD job in May 2023 when Lassner chose Angelos.

“I decided not long after I was not hired as Athletics Director last year, that I would not take another shot at the top job,” Manin wrote Wednesday. “I would end my athletics career in the second chair if allowed to do so. I have been asked to serve as Acting Athletics Director when Craig departs and until the next leader is chosen. I do not know the timeline and do not intend to apply for the job when it opens up. I view my role as getting the department through the transition.”

Manin, UH’s Director of Internal Operations and its UH Senior Woman Administrator, said she hopes to lead with “optimism and boldness” during a time of significant changes in the college sports landscape.

“My hope is that everyone can put personal feelings aside and work together for the greater good of our student-athletes, coaches, fans, and the staff behind the scenes who help make it all work,” she wrote.

Lassner has not yet commented on the matter, but the UH Board of Regents holds a meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday at Bachman Hall.

Meanwhile Wednesday, two UH coaches were the first to speak on the record about their thoughts on Angelos and his dismissal.

Men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot lauded Angelos’ character and work ethic, saying “I don’t know when he slept.”

Ganot said he was “kind of in the same boat in terms of the surprise when you hear the news” of his dismissal.

“He held people accountable, held me accountable,” Ganot said during an interview about the 4-0 Rainbow Warriors’ home game Friday against No. 10 North Carolina. “Made me better, made us better. ‘Here’s what you’re doing well, here’s what you need to work on.’ I like that.”

Meanwhile, a booster who heads the Rainbow Collective, which covers hundreds of thousands of dollars in Name, Image and Likeness support for UH men's hoops, said Tuesday he would no longer do so after Angelos' firing.

"I’ll get to that when I get more information," Ganot said. "We have a really close relationship. We’ll talk it out and go from there."

After Wednesday morning’s football practice, coach Timmy Chang called Angelos a “great person.”

“Not talking about work, just talking about people,” Chang said. “I enjoyed our conversations and our work together and his vision and the things that he was trying to do for our university.”

Chang also voiced support for Manin, who was a sports information director for UH when Chang played for the Rainbow Warriors in the early 2000s.

“I love Lois. Lois knew me as an 18-year-old and watched me grow up,” Chang said. “Having her in the department, a reliable resource and someone that you’re comfortable with, know and understand, she’ll do a great job.”

Chang and the Rainbow Warriors will conclude the 2024 season at either 5-7 or 4-8, depending on the result senior night Nov. 30 against New Mexico. He has one more year on his contract, as does Ganot.

Note: This story added context about Dr. Donnis Thompson serving as the first UH athletic director for women's sports in the 1970s.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.