Big name up for ops job

The Hawaii men’s basketball director of operations job has to remain posted online for another week or so, but it’s already attracted a surprisingly big name.

Former Louisiana Tech coach Kerry Rupp is said to be interested in the job previously occupied by the since-promoted Scott Fisher.

Rupp was fired at the end of last season after a last-place (2-14) finish in the WAC which caused the Bulldogs to miss the WAC tournament. Overall, he was 57-69 in four seasons at LaTech. The previous year, the Bulldogs went 24-11 and qualified for the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

If UH coach Gib Arnold hired Rupp, he’d have two former Division I head coaches on his staff (along with associate head coach Benjy Taylor, whom formerly coached at Chicago State).

He’s likely by far the most qualified (read: overqualified) for the job, but so was Fisher after his Hall of Fame stint in Australia’s National Basketball League. The director of operations oversees day-to-day tasks like planning road trips and logistics. It’s a job decidedly below that of a full assistant, which makes Rupp’s interest, well, interesting.

Will keep you notified as this develops.

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If you haven’t seen the breaking news, OC Sports decided on its TV crew for UH basketball broadcasts this season. For men’s games it will be Kanoa Leahey, Tony Sellitto and David Hallums. Artie Wilson and Howard Dashefsky will be involved with pre- and postgame segments, with Wilson reprising his role as color commentator from time to time.

If you’ve heard Kanoa’s calls of Diamond Head Classic games over the last two years, you know he’s excellent at UH hoops play-by-play. Sellitto has been a mentor to Gib Arnold since Arnold’s return to the islands, and brings a wealth of coaching knowledge to the table. Hallums is a well-known former UH player and is comfortable around the media.

Three-man booths can be challenging to execute successfully for basketball, but my favorite team in recent years was ABC/ESPN’s trio of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. So it can be done, if the chemistry is there. (Pity Jackson is now coaching Golden State. … And that there’s a lockout).

For women’s games, it will be Jim Leahey and Lori Santi, with additional crew members to be announced.

Glad to see the elder Leahey is still involved. That tandem has plenty of practice calling Wahine hoops games.

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Injury update: junior center Vander Joaquim shook off a tweaked ankle during Saturday’s practices and returned to action on Monday.

No other setbacks to report right now.