Takahara-Dias hired UH women's hoops coach

NORMAN SHAPIRO | The Honolulu Advertiser



Takahara-Dias hired as coach
• Photo gallery: UH names new women's hoops coach

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Calling her "the best fit and the best choice" among 85 applicants, University of Hawai'i athletic director Jim Donovan introduced Dana Takahara-Dias as the school's new women's basketball coach yesterday afternoon.

Takahara-Dias, 43, was a standout on University High's state championship team in 1984 and played for UH from 1984 through 1988, going from walk-on to starting point guard and team captain as a senior.

"I've lived this program, I have worn that mini-Wahine basketball uniform back in the '80s," Takahara-Dias said during a press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center. "But I've also walked these hallways, I've graduated from here. It is a distinct pleasure and an honor to come back to the university that has given me so much."

Exact terms of the three-year contract were not disclosed, but it is believed to be worth on the lower end of the posted salary range of $118,488 to $209,784.

Takahara-Dias earned bachelor's and master's degrees from UH and coached Moanalua to O'ahu Interscholastic Association championships in 1992 and 1993 before serving as an administrative assistant to UH coach Vince Goo from 1995 to 1999.

She later became athletic director at Moanalua and has served the past four years as an administrator in the City and County of Honolulu, most recently as director of community service.

Takahara-Dias also has been head coach of the "Team Aloha" high school girls basketball all-star team that has competed in prestigious national tournaments the past three years. Several former Team Aloha players are now playing NCAA Division I basketball, including returning UH guards Keisha Kanekoa and Courtney Gaddis.

"I think she'll do good, I'm excited," said Kanekoa, a 5-foot-6 junior from Honoka'a who started 27 games last season. "I enjoyed playing for her on Team Aloha. She's a good person and I think she has a very good basketball philosophy."

Gaddis, a former standout at La Pietra and Kalani who redshirted this past season after transferring from Whitworth (Wash.), said Takahara-Dias is "definitely capable" of coaching at the DI level.

"I think she'll be fine, I think she'll do a great job," said Gaddis, a 5-11 sophomore.

Among the eight finalists for the job, Takahara-Dias was the only one without Mainland college experience. But Goo, who won a record 334 games in 17 years as UH's coach, has full confidence in her ability to find and bring in quality players.

"She is going to check out the academics ... the basketball talent ... the character of the people she wants to recruit," Goo said. "That goes a long, long way into the success of your program. And no one can sell Wahine basketball and the University of Hawai'i better than her. Like she said, she lived it."

Donovan also said Takahara-Dias shows unique potential to draw alumni and community support, which is crucial for a program that has seen deficits of more than $750,000 per year.

"I really feel like she'll instantly bring in the UH alums, and I think they can be a great nucleus because they will bring in that depth of aloha for this program," Donovan said. "I think she'll bring in boosters, she's got community contacts all over the place that will rally around her. I think people will see an immediate impact with her hire as far as the support levels for Wahine basketball."

Punahou coach Mike Taylor, who has guided the Buffanblu to four state championships in the past seven years, called Takahara-Dias' hiring "exciting" for local basketball fans.

"No. 1, she's a great person," said Taylor, who applied for the job himself. "The pool of (candidates) was terrific. But Dana will have a big impact, especially in the local community. She has a competitive spirit that just rubs off on others. She has the potential to get the people here excited about Wahine basketball."

The other candidates interviewed were George Wolfe, a Kalani grad and former UH assistant coach; Gavin Petersen, Idaho State associate head coach and former UH assistant; Patrick Harrington, Colorado assistant coach; Joan Bonvicni, former Arizona coach; Mark Trakh, former USC coach; Jennifer Young, former UC Riverside coach; and Jennifer Gross, UC Davis assistant coach.

A five-person search committee of Goo, UH associate athletic director Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, booster club official Don Murphy, civil rights attorney and former UH player Jill Nunokawa and Hawai'i Tourism Authority member David Uchiyama unanimously recommended Takahara-Dias as the choice late Wednesday afternoon, and Donovan approved it yesterday.

Takahara-Dias replaces Jim Bolla, who was fired on April 6 after five seasons.