I'd like to know before pursuing the job opening. Thanks for any insight!

if you're talking D1, it is a challenge.
You hope for an occasional top prospect in Hawaii, but other than that it mostly internationals. Or a rare recruit on the continent that was overlooked.
With a low prestige, good success with the international thing is tough. If you're able to get a higher prestige you begin to hold your own on the international scene.

Take a look at the success cimmy426 has had in Allen.
https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Stats.aspx?tid=6930

D1 or D2?

I honestly think D2 can be a pretty good location if there isn’t a low level D1 coach that steals all the fringe hawaii guys on the island, and you’re the only D2 coach. It’s definitely objectively the worst job all of D2 outside of Alaska.

D1 is obviously really bad and by far the worst Big 6 job, but at least you have decent baseline prestige relative to like the Big West. If I was purely trying to build a program and have sustained success I would pick some midmajor or D baseline team with a nice location (mountain west/texas) over Hawaii, but I feel like it’s a little better than people think if you know how to scout/recruit int’ls well (although this is hard at a low or even medium prestige and you can’t pursue any PR guys). Once you get to A or so, you should be pretty successful in the international pool, but it’s just so hard to get there. I think a lot of people find challenges fun which is why the Hawaii job is always full. Good coaches can build a great program and win titles in Hawaii, but I would probably consider it the hardest program in the game to build up from nothing and the hardest big 6 to maintain success at A+ level.

i personally consider folks who made a final 4 at hawaii to have accomplished significantly more than winning a title at a good mainland school, i haven't coached there myself but it seems like, way harder. i think its a super cool challenge but if you are relatively new to d1, i would definitely steer clear. seems like one would want to be able to maintain an A+ program with ease before trying hawaii, but some people really like a challenge, in which case, good on you.

Thanks for your input. Sounds rather difficult and time consuming. Appreciate!

Hawaii is a tough spot, but it can be fun. I've been there for a long time in Crum

key concepts

1. Must keep all the good players from the Islands.
2. This means getting prestige up to a level that permits you to resist folks who try to take the best Hawaii players. Schedule krispy kreme non conference to get wins until you get prestige to around B - you will then be able to keep the good locals
3. play zone - otherwise, some good locals wont fit in your scheme. Must keep all talented locals
4. Dig into the internationals - do more scouting of the internationals than most folks do - which will let you find guys with potentials
5. IFF you can inexpensively keep talented locals and add some high potential internationals and now and then grab an elite international, you can compete at a high level

My roster at Hawaii rarely has anyone from the Mainland - too hard to get guys worth having with that big cost disadvantage compared to teams that are closer. We run zone and triangle, Now and then mix in some combo press when we happen to be deep for a couple of seasons.....

My net results - we've been to a few Elite Eights. Not yet a Final Four. When the system is working, I expect the NT consistently - but the PAC in Crum has become a very strong league, so we have recently stumbled.

Your roster at Hawaii will not look like any other team - and your approach will need to vary depending on who you can get. Kinda fun in a warped way

Posted by putz37 on 4/26/2021 12:19:00 PM (view original):
Thanks for your input. Sounds rather difficult and time consuming. Appreciate!

Hm, not 100% sure it's that time consuming.

Recruiting seems pretty non-time consuming actually, since it's more taking what you're given on the island and in the int'l pool, but maybe I'm picturing it wrong.

Agree with cubcub, there tend to be fewer guys to look at for Hawaii - most mainland guys are not worth a look as I see it.

BUT, you do have to dig deeper on the guys you look at, think through potentials and roles they could play......less time, more depth of effort probably

These guys are likely talking about D1, but I wouldn't totally give up on the mainland. I just discovered and signed unrecruited Marc Houk in RS2 for my D2 Hawaii Hilo team. Granted, he's not a stud, but passing is the only rating that is orange or red. Everything else is black or better.

makes sense to me that a good D2 team with a coach who understands can pull talent mainland guys to hawaii

I think it is hard to nab mainland guys for D1 - but some coaches at Hawaii do it

Posted by fd343ny on 4/27/2021 6:53:00 PM (view original):
makes sense to me that a good D2 team with a coach who understands can pull talent mainland guys to hawaii

I think it is hard to nab mainland guys for D1 - but some coaches at Hawaii do it

Just as a side note - I've played many seasons in GD, and winning a National Championship at Hawaii is my ultimate goal. I've had as many as 4 Hawaii teams at once. Down to 1 right now. But securing your acceptable local players is key, and then be patient to try to find the high potential mainland guys who flew under the radar.

Posted by bjschumacher on 4/27/2021 8:44:00 PM (view original):

Posted by fd343ny on 4/27/2021 6:53:00 PM (view original):
makes sense to me that a good D2 team with a coach who understands can pull talent mainland guys to hawaii

I think it is hard to nab mainland guys for D1 - but some coaches at Hawaii do it

Just as a side note - I've played many seasons in GD, and winning a National Championship at Hawaii is my ultimate goal. I've had as many as 4 Hawaii teams at once. Down to 1 right now. But securing your acceptable local players is key, and then be patient to try to find the high potential mainland guys who flew under the radar.

That's awesome man. Do you have ties to Hawaii or just like the challenge?

Hawaii Crum in the Sweet Sixteen - but next up is awesome Northwestern for whom I doubt we have answers

Dont tell my players!

Posted by mlitney on 4/27/2021 9:23:00 PM (view original):

Posted by bjschumacher on 4/27/2021 8:44:00 PM (view original):

Posted by fd343ny on 4/27/2021 6:53:00 PM (view original):
makes sense to me that a good D2 team with a coach who understands can pull talent mainland guys to hawaii

I think it is hard to nab mainland guys for D1 - but some coaches at Hawaii do it

Just as a side note - I've played many seasons in GD, and winning a National Championship at Hawaii is my ultimate goal. I've had as many as 4 Hawaii teams at once. Down to 1 right now. But securing your acceptable local players is key, and then be patient to try to find the high potential mainland guys who flew under the radar.

That's awesome man. Do you have ties to Hawaii or just like the challenge?

My only ties to Hawaii is the fact that my wife and I have visited there something like 20 times over the past 21 years. 19 of those to Maui.