HONOLULU ? Bob Nash has been selected as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Hawai?i at Manoa, Herman Frazier, athletics director, announced at a press conference today.
“We conducted a thorough national search and Bob Nash emerged as the best person to lead our men’s basketball program,” Frazier said. “In addition to his outstanding skills as a basketball coach, Bob is a wonderful person and incredible role model for student-athletes. He will represent UH in first-class fashion and get the most out of his players, athletically and academically. This is a proud day for UH and the future is bright for Rainbow Warrior basketball.”
Nash becomes the program’s 18th head coach and succeeds his former boss, Riley Wallace, with whom he spent the past 20 years as associate coach. A member of the school’s famed “Fabulous Five” teams of the early 1970s, Nash has spent a total of 28 seasons affiliated with the program as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach, and associate coach.
“I want to thank the committee, Mr. Frazier, President McClain, and Chancellor Konan for this opportunity,” Nash said. “They have entrusted me with this basketball program. I’m humbled by the outpouring of support I have received from the community and coaching friends across the country. My alma mater has called and I am ready to serve.”
Nash has been a part of 11 of the program’s 12 all-time postseason appearances, including all four NCAA Tournament trips as both a player and coach. He helped Wallace build the program into a consistent winner, having compiled 16 winning seasons in 20 years, including eight- straight since the 1999-2000 campaign. The Rainbow Warriors made nine trips to the postseason in the last 20 years and captured three Western Athletic Conference Tournament championships. From 2000-04, the ’Bows were the winningest team in the WAC with 84 victories.
Nash had been Wallace’s right-hand man the past two decades and served numerous capacities, including mentoring the program’s post players. In addition, Nash has a 1-1 record as acting head coach when Wallace was unable to coach due to various health reasons.
A former All-American during his playing days with the ’Bows, Nash continues to hold school records for rebounds in a game (30) and single season (361). He is one of two players to average double-doubles for their careers (16.8 ppg and 13.6 rpg).
During those two years, the Nash-led “Fabulous Five” compiled a 47-8 record, the best two-year mark in the program’s history, and made the school’s first appearances in both the NIT and NCAA tournaments. Since then, the ’Bows have three NCAA Tournament appearances and earned six invitations to the NIT.
Upon completion of his collegiate career, Nash was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the seventh overall pick in the 1972 NBA Draft. He spent a total of four years with both the Pistons and Kansas City Kings in addition to a year with the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors. In between, Nash spent three years in Sweden with the Alvid Basketball Club.
Nash received his bachelor’s degree in education from Hawai?i in 1984. He is married to the former Domelynne Lum, a former UH cheerleader, and they have two children, Erika and Bobby. Erika, a former Division I volleyball player at Bradley, is a master’s graduate of UH and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Missouri-Saint Louis. Bobby, a former ?Iolani School standout and current three-year UH letterwinner, will receive his bachelor’s degree in political science in May and has one year of eligibility remaining.