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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2009 23:07:40 GMT -5
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Post by kepakai on Apr 11, 2009 23:44:59 GMT -5
The release from UH
Wilton Steps Down As Head Coach After 17 Seasons At UH
HONOLULU – University of Hawai‘i head men’s volleyball coach Mike Wilton has announced his retirement following a successful 17-year career with the Warriors. Wilton, the winningest coach in the program’s history, will coach the team’s final regular season series next week against USC.
“My feeling right now is of extreme gratitude,” Wilton said. “It’s been an honor and privilege to be the men’s volleyball coach at the University of Hawai‘i. I’ll always be grateful to (former UH athletics director) Stan Sheriff who hired me and thankful for the support of the administration thoughout the years. I’m grateful to all the players who have helped make this program successful during my time and I look forward to watching the success these current players will have for years to come.”
In 17 seasons, Wilton has compiled a 314-166 record and has taken the program to new heights. Under his tenure, the Warriors have won five conference titles in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, considered the most dominant league in men’s volleyball. He guided UH to three NCAA Championship appearances, including two trips to the title match. Five of his teams finished the season with a Top 5 national ranking while 16 previous teams were nationally ranked at the end of the year.
Wilton was named AVCA Coach of the Year twice (1995 and 2002) and MPSF Coach of the Year once (1995). He coached 14 All-Americans including players of the year Yuval Katz and Costas Theocharidis. In addition, 26 of his athletes were selected to the all-MPSF teams.
Under Wilton, the sport of men’s volleyball grew in popularity not seen before on the Manoa campus. The Warriors have led the nation in attendance for 11 straight seasons and during the 1997 season, UH averaged an NCAA-record 7,930 fans per match. In 1995, fans flocked the Stan Sheriff Center – the first year of men’s volleyball in the arena since moving over from Klum Gym – and in 1996, the Warriors played before a record five sellout crowds in excess of 10,000.
In 1996, the Warriors completed perhaps the program’s best season with a 27-3 overall record and became one of a handful of MPSF teams to finish a perfect 19-0 in league play. Wilton directed UH to the national championship match against UCLA but fell 15-12 in the deciding fifth game.
The Warriors returned to the title match in 2002 but would later forfeit the outcome due to use of an ineligible player.
Wilton initially arrived in Hawai‘i in the late 1960s when he played volleyball at Church College of Hawai‘i, now called Brigham Young-Hawai‘i. He was their men’s volleyball coach in 1976 before moving back to the mainland and spending 12 seasons with the Cal Poly-SLO women’s team.
At Cal Poly, Wilton posted an impressive 283-137 record from 1978-89. He also led the Cal Poly men’s team for three years. Wilton also served as an assistant with the UC Santa Barbara men’s squad. He took over the Warrior program after a year as an assistant with the Brigham Young men’s squad in Provo, Utah.
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Post by turk182 on Apr 12, 2009 1:28:58 GMT -5
I know there has been talk about who his replacement would be but I think Mike Sealy will be the guy. He would deserve a long look at the very least.
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Post by kepakai on Apr 12, 2009 3:11:40 GMT -5
Pretty sure Sealy's not interested in going back to the men's game. Many more opportunities on the women's side.
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Post by m on Apr 12, 2009 9:15:19 GMT -5
With Wilton retiring this year, Senior Night should be interesting. I wonder if thousands will show up?
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Post by azvb on Apr 12, 2009 9:44:37 GMT -5
Not surprised he's retiring, but VERY surprised he's taking a job at BYU. They treated him like crap (got his assurance he would take the job if they fired Karen Lamb), then hired Jason Watson.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 15:33:01 GMT -5
* * * The next Warrior volleyball coach will inherit a talented team. The Warriors lose only one starter, setter Sean Carney. Opposite attacker Steven Hunt is going to be a star, and Gus Tuaniga, who is having an up-and-down freshman season, is expected to be an impact player. The Warriors also have received a commitment from a 6-foot-9 opposite attacker from Germany. Pacific coach Joe Wortmann, who tried to recruit the player, compared him to Pepperdine's Paul Carroll, the best hitter in the country. The Warriors' last 6-9 attacker, Clay Stanley, is now the best player in the world. But unlike Stanley, who took up volleyball at 17, the recruit has played competively for several years. * * * warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com/2009/04/12/cupboard-is-well-stocked/I have heard about the German and that he's the real deal but wondering if he will still be coming if Reyes isn't here? I hope the AD is NOT considering Reyes for head coach  , the program needs a fresh start. I am thinking Speraw or Kevin Ring as possible head coaches. |
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Post by bunnywailer on Apr 12, 2009 15:39:26 GMT -5
With Wilton retiring this year, Senior Night should be interesting. I wonder if thousands will show up? Don't know about thousands. Might be a couple dozen people with tomatos to throw. I think it's incredibly weak how he torpedoed a once-proud program over the past 2-3 seasons, knowing full well that he would probably retire at the end of his last contract extension. |
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wdsr5
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Post by wdsr5 on Apr 12, 2009 16:43:32 GMT -5
come on now people!!! you guys got to give coach wilton credit.. as far as I can remember I dont think that no other UH mens volleyball coach made it to the fianl four or the champion ship match like coach wilton did... I been coaching volleyball for 18 years now and I found out that Its easier to blame the coach then the players!!!!!theres alot of things that goes on behind the scenes that the public dont see.... one of the former assistant was my good friend and I've went to one of the practices and there was this one incedent that a star player came into practice hangover from a late night.. and he was practicing like crap..... the next night match he never played..... and there was alot of sh!t talking about how coach wilton was an Idiot for not putting him in the match.... so untill you know both sides of the story dont be quik to judge him!!!!!
to add one note I dont think Speraw would everleave UCI for hawaii
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Post by brooselee on Apr 12, 2009 19:49:56 GMT -5
I too am surprised that Wilton would want to be an assistant. As a head coach you can be in a "supervisory role" and delegate assignments to your assistants. As an assistant, you have to do a lot fo the grunt work like breaking down films, scouting opponents, setting up practices, recruiting, and working closely with the player. At age 65, I wonder if Wilton is down with all these stuffs. I don't think there are many if any 65 year old assistant around.
It is also interesting to see whether or not he can recruit. It is one thing to recruit young men to your program. It is an entirely different thing to try and convince young ladies to play for you. Wilton old enough to be their grandpa.
Good Luck to coach Wilton and his family in Provo.
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Post by HawaiiVB on Apr 12, 2009 21:51:12 GMT -5
now if only someone else retires too.
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Post by ucsdfan on Apr 12, 2009 22:28:13 GMT -5
Has Scott Wong's named been mentioned? It would seem that a long time assistant at a solid program with Hawai'i ties would be the natural selection.
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Post by bunnywailer on Apr 13, 2009 0:04:39 GMT -5
Wilton's ties to the Mormon church are strong, he has wanted to go back to Provo for a long time. I believe taking the assistant coaching position is just something to keep him occupied and make some side money.
As far as the post about not knowing the whole story about the kid who showed up drunk to practice, a quality coach sets standards in the beginning and inspires players to hold up their own personal standards of conduct, so that these incidents don't happen in the first place.
You don't see Pepperdine or Stanford athletes showing up to practice drunk and then having to be sat on the bench as punishment. They don't exhibit that kind of behavior in the first place because they were probably quality kids to begin with, know that the volleyball program expects them to uphold a degree of professionalism and personal conduct, and respect their coaching staff and school enough not to do dumb things like that.
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Post by Bookumdanoaloha on Apr 13, 2009 14:22:14 GMT -5
I see Scotty Robbs is on the selection committee for a new coach. Good pick. Scotty has been with the program for many years, and I value his opinion. I wonder who else is on the committee.
Crush Da Coconuts, Braddah . . . . . . . .
Bookumdanoaloha
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 18:05:37 GMT -5
The rest of the selection committee is Hugh Yoshida(former AD), Ken Rowe(former Player), Leann Satele(former wahine), Basil Sparlin(booster), and John McNamara ( associate AD) www.pers.hawaii.edu/wuh/nadvert.aspx?rn=8385This was posted today, I wonder who will apply. |
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, the program needs a fresh start. 
