Matt Elliott Year 1: Just Getting Started

Throughout a record-breaking fiscal year, Matt Elliott’s walk to his office on the ground floor of the University of Hawai‘i Athletics Complex provided a daily reminder of the true bottom line of the position he’s occupied for the last 12 months.

“No matter when I arrive on campus, student-athletes are already here,” Elliott said. “They are dedicated and brave individuals that give everything they have to succeed and represent Hawai‘i.”

Elliott officially moved into his role as UH Athletics Director on June 30, 2025, and promptly embarked on a campaign to both expand and unify the UH fan base with a steady eye on supporting the close to 500 student-athletes competing within the department’s 21 programs.

What followed was a historic inaugural year with Elliott overseeing unprecedented gains in fundraising and licensing while finalizing an enhanced media rights package as the department celebrated an array of championship performances highlighted by UH’s ninth national title.

According to preliminary figures, UH Athletics raised a record $13.2 million for the 2026 fiscal year. The fundraising total represents a more than $9 million jump over 2025 and soared $6 million beyond the department’s previous high set in 2021. The department’s engagement in the community drew 7,353 gifts in 2025-26, an increase of close to 5,000 over the previous fiscal year. UH’s distinctive brand also produced record figures with the UH system licensing program raising close to $930,000.

UH Board of Regents chair Gabe Lee’s $1 million pledge during Giving Week in the fall helped ignite the fundraising drive, which received a major boost in June with five high-powered local donors making a collective $5 million commitment toward the Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for student-athletes. These funds augmented the longstanding support from the Waterhouse Charitable Trust that exceeds $1 million annually. The establishment of the Our Team, Hawai‘i’s Team Fund and Boost the ’Bows Fund provided additional access points for community members to contribute toward the department’s operational and NIL efforts.

“Providing the student-athletes with an experience they’ll value both during and beyond their college years will always be at the core of everything we do within this department,” Elliott said. “These student-athletes bring so much pride to the entire state and we’re extremely grateful to everyone in the community who have stepped forward to support them.”

As the department launched its “Our Team, Hawai‘i’s Team” campaign shortly last summer, Elliott announced the elimination of pay-per-view for UH football telecasts. The switch extended the Rainbow Warriors’ reach by making the games more accessible throughout the Hawaiian Islands and major cities on the continent. UH also tapped into the Japan market with a deal to broadcast football games via Rakuten.

The department enters the 2026-27 athletics year poised to further expand exposure of UH Athletics with a new media rights deal with Hawai‘i News Now. The four-year contract provides free statewide distribution with 110-plus events slated to air on K5 and more than 200 planned for streaming on the new MW+ platform. 

Elliott also continues to construct the department’s senior leadership team, including the transition of former women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman to an administrative role as Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success. He made two high-profile coaching hires, elevating Khalilah Mitchell to succeed Beeman as women’s basketball head coach and drawing former UH men’s volleyball All-American and assistant coach Joshua Walker back to Manoa to take over the storied Rainbow Wahine volleyball program. Elliott signed baseball coach Rich Hill to a three-year contract extension and Eran Ganot also earned an extension following the men’s basketball team’s run to the NCAA Tournament. Football coach Timmy Chang is on track for an extension as well with the Warriors looking to build on last year’s 9-4 campaign.  

Elliott’s work on the financial and media fronts remains rooted in empowering the department’s coaches to recruit and retain student-athletes who contributed to a year highlighted by five Big West championships and the men’s volleyball team’s run to the program’s third NCAA title.

With the football team crafting a magical Christmas Eve comeback against California in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl and the men’s basketball team claiming its first Big West title since 2016, UH took a place among just six schools over the past decade to claim a bowl win, a men’s basketball conference tournament championship, and a national team title in a single athletics year.

Already early into Year 2 of his tenure, Elliott is leading the department into yet another transition with UH joining the Mountain West as a full member effective July 1. Work is also underway to enhance the gameday experience at UH’s various venues as the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine continue to prepare for the season to come.

“As we step into the Mountain West and look toward the future, our focus is on building upon the momentum of this past year,” Elliott said. “The foundation is set, and our potential is enormous.”

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