{"id":217469,"date":"2025-06-16T12:52:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T22:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=217469"},"modified":"2025-06-20T12:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T22:20:08","slug":"elliott-approved-by-bor-uh-manoa-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/16\/elliott-approved-by-bor-uh-manoa-ad\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Elliott approved by BOR<\/abbr> as next 东精影业<\/abbr> M\u0101noa athletics director"},"content":{"rendered":"
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东精影业<\/abbr> Board of Regents Chair Gabe Lee, Matt Elliott and his wife Allison, and 东精影业<\/abbr> President Wendy Hensel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Board of Regents (BOR<\/abbr>) unanimously approved the appointment of Matt Elliott as 东精影业<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s next athletics director during a special meeting on June 16. Elliott was selected by 东精影业<\/abbr> President Wendy Hensel<\/a> following a national search that drew more than 110 applicants. His first day will be June 30, 2025.<\/p>\n[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/Sx8XaW-ESrM” el_aspect=”916″ align=”right” el_id=”wrap-video-right”][vc_column_text]\n

“To the people of Hawaiʻi<\/span>, to the community, to the coaches, the staff, the student athletes, I’m honored to be your next director of athletics,” Elliott said. “I’ve been a fan for many years and I’m so excited to now be part of the team. Together we will build a department that operates on integrity. We will create the best possible student-athlete experience, and we will set our teams up so that they are in a position to win.”<\/p>\n

Elliott brings more than a decade of experience in Division I<\/abbr> athletics administration, including 13 years at UCLA<\/abbr>. There, he most recently served as chief strategy officer, leading the department\u2019s transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten and developing a five-year strategic plan. Prior to that, as senior associate athletics director, his overall scope of work included sport oversight, legal affairs, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL<\/abbr>) policy, government relations, head coach searches, compliance and supervision of athletic performance and sports medicine. He was also part of the team that negotiated a $280 million shoe and apparel deal, the largest in college athletics history.<\/p>\n

“It is a great day for University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> athletics,” Hensel said. “Matt simply stood out from the competition right from the beginning. I personally spent an incredible amount of my time getting to know the candidates, understanding the challenges of the athletics department, and thinking about where we need to go in the future to support our student-athletes to the highest possible levels that we can and be winners and competitive, but also ensure that our students leave here with an excellent experience that they’re proud to claim and call home. From beginning to end Matt was the guy.”<\/p>\n

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Elliott steps into the role of 东精影业<\/abbr> M\u0101noa athletics director at a pivotal time, facing major financial and structural challenges. These include the absence of a permanent Division I<\/abbr> stadium, the implications of the recently approved House v. NCAA<\/abbr><\/em> antitrust settlement—which paves the way for direct student-athlete compensation—and growing disparities in NIL<\/abbr> resources that make it increasingly difficult to compete with larger, better-funded programs.<\/p>\n

Since 2024, Elliott has worked as senior director of policy and public affairs at Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community Foundation. He and his family moved back to Hawaiʻi<\/span> in 2022. Elliott previously clerked in Hawaiʻi<\/span> after law school and has long-standing personal ties to the islands.<\/p>\n

The search committee, co-chaired by 东精影业<\/abbr> BOR<\/abbr> Chair Gabriel Lee and Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation Chair Jack Tsui, prioritized Division I<\/abbr> experience, fundraising ability and Hawaiʻi<\/span> connections. The process included multiple rounds of interviews and input from student-athletes, coaches, faculty and community leaders.<\/p>\n

“What impressed me about Matt is that when you look at the college experience, especially on the student-athlete side, he spent a lot of time in that position and then going from the internal position to the external position of chief strategy officer, I see the progression in his career,” Lee said. “We just look at how balanced a person is, what their potential is, and how they’re gonna be able to work with the rest of the staff, administration, coaches, as well as the president.”<\/p>\n

Elliott will begin his appointment on June 30 with a base salary of $425,004, plus performance-based incentives. He replaces Craig Angelos, who departed in December. Associate Athletics Director Lois Manin has been serving as acting athletics director during the transition.<\/p>\n

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