Top UH supporter cuts university funding after athletics director Craig Angelos is fired

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – One day later University of Hawaii athletics director Craig Angelos suddenly firedQuestions remain as to exactly why he was suddenly released.

The decision upset many UH supporters and they are making their feelings clear.

Mike Kawazoe, a longtime UH supporter and businessman, founded the Rainbow Collective in April of last year as a way to raise funds for the department and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) money for student athletes.

During that time, the collective has raised more than $1 million, and Kawazoe credits Angelos’ work in generating revenue for the program and securing successful business ventures.

He said he was shocked by the dismissal and that no one from the university reached out to him to explain the decision.

Related article: University of Hawaii abruptly fires athletic director Craig Angelos after 18 months

“I think if there was a very serious reason for this to happen, I think everyone would agree and say we understand why this action was done. It was crickets,” he said.

“If you’re using performance as an excuse, it doesn’t make sense to anyone close to the program,” Kawazoe said.

Kawazoe said the collective will continue to donate funds for individual student-athletes and NIL opportunities, but he will no longer personally donate money directly to the university.

“We’re at a critical juncture here as all of these moving pieces are going on and transitioning with deals on the table,” he said. “The ink on the paper has not yet been signed and the details will be worked out. It’s a critical time. “The timing couldn’t have been worse.”

Learn more: Student-athletes and athletic community outraged over UH athletics director’s firing

Attorney Jeff Portnoy is the former athletics committee chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees. He says such sudden layoffs indicate dysfunction and could hurt the program for years.

“This is unfortunately nothing more than a nail in the coffin, and under what circumstances can Hawaii maintain a Division I football program with this type of disagreement happening not only locally but nationally? “Nobody can say this is a good thing,” he said.

The university has had five athletic directors since 2008. When the search begins early next year for Angelos’ replacement, Portnoy worries that the current state of the division will alienate serious candidates.

“How do you run a Division I football program without NIL money? Playing on a football field when you don’t have corporate money and you’re lucky if there are 10,000 people? “I don’t know who will take the job, but I’m sure there are people out there who will consider it.”

We have not yet heard from UH President David Lassner about the decision, but he will speak to the Board of Trustees at 9 a.m. Thursday at UH Manoa.

The public is also welcome to testify.

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