Occasionally it takes something like the announced departure of associate head coach Charlie Wade to make you reflect on just how remarkable Dave Shoji's run as the head volleyball coach of the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine has really been.

Wade is scheduled to leave UH at the end of the month for the head coaching job at the University of Pacific after what seems like forever as Shoji's right-hand man in Manoa. Of course, in the musical chair coaching profession Wade's 11 years almost qualifies as an eternity.

Which is part of why Shoji's own 31-year run at UH is noteworthy in its own right. UH's ability to keep churning out All-Americans and figuring in the national polls is something not to be overlooked.

Wade becomes Shoji's seventh No. 1 assistant to move on, and the fifth to become a head coach. Not a bad track record. For as Dick Tomey used to say when he was the head football coach at UH, if nobody is interested in your assistants, you probably aren't doing a very good job of hiring.

Through it all, the Rainbow Wahine have hardly missed a beat. Sure they have taken some time to adjust on occasion, but it seems like despite whoever has left or whoever steps in the program doesn't suffer. Though former assistant Dean Nowack (1984-90) likes to remind people that UH hasn't hung a national championship banner since he left.

Still, the continuing excellence in the wake of the changes tells you the UH system has been the real star here. That and Shoji, who got the whole thing up and running and has managed to keep it going through the turnovers.

Wade's departure might provide the biggest challenge to that. He has been the longest serving No. 1 assistant of Shoji's reign, with 10 of his 11 seasons in that position. Wade has been a keen judge of talent, and a strong recruiter not to mention dedicated video analyst and on-the-court worker.

Small wonder, Shoji says, "I thought he was ready (to become a head coach) a long time ago."

Indeed, Wade was interviewed for the Washington job and was offered the Fresno State position last year.

"I think he didn't come here to be an assistant coach all his life, so I felt it was a good time for him to go," Shoji said.

Still, as much as Wade will be missed, Shoji maintains: "I think in the long run we will find someone who will add to our program."

To this point, that has certainly been the track record of Shoji and the Rainbow Wahine.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.