UHH Hoops Job Enters Second Wave of Finalists

The University of Hawai`i at Hilo is now entering “Plan B” in its search for a new head basketball coach.

A school official told Big Island Now Saturday that all three finalists for the head coaching position have, for various reasons, removed their names from consideration for the coach’s position.

At least one of the candidates was offered the job and turned it down.

Panola College associate coach Guy Beach, Grand Canyon assistant coach Mark Nelson, and Steven Kinder, head coach of Humboldt State University, were announced as the three finalists for the vacant position on May 21.

All three finalists have since declined the opportunity to coach the Vulcans, forcing the university to approach a second batch of candidates. The names and amount of applicants considered in the second wave have not yet been made available.

The official noted that an offer has been made to one of the unnamed candidates.

It has been nearly three months since the university announced that Jeff Law was stepping away from the men’s basketball program to become the head coach at Western New Mexico University. Law spent the past 15 seasons at UH Hilo, accumulating a record of 208-188. His resignation was announced on March 18.

The position was officially announced days later. A total of 361 applications from across the basketball spectrum applied for the position and a handful were interviewed by a five-person selection committee. The committee than gave Dexter Irvin, director of athletics at UH Hilo, the names of the three finalists who, ultimately, turned down the job.

Zac Zepponi, who served under Law as a first-year assistant coach, continues to oversee the program until a head coach is hired. Zepponi’s contract runs until July 1.

***Updated on Tuesday, June 11, to clarify why the search was expanded to three new finalists.”***