The first tests of athletic director Jim Donovan's pledge to rein in coaching salaries at the University of Hawai'i are just around the corner.

With the closing of applications for the first two positions to become available in his tenure, women's basketball coach and men's volleyball coach, Donovan will have an opportunity to trim some dollars from what has become the financially challenged department's biggest expense.

Salaries and benefits comprise approximately $13.5 million of UH's nearly $30 million operating costs, according to a spokesman. With the athletic department running a $5.4 million deficit accumulated over the past five years — and a projected $2.5 million to $3 million deficit the current fiscal year — it is one of the areas where UH can begin to reduce red ink.

Earlier this year, Donovan told the UH Board of Regents, "Over time, as coaches change, we can lower salary amounts." Asked by the board if that was realistic in such a competitive industry, Donovan said, "that's the reality. That would be my approach."

Yesterday, Donovan reiterated his stance. "Philosophically, I believe they have to earn a decent base pay (with) incentives for performance," Donovan said. "That's going to be my plan going forward."

Making incentives a larger piece of the equation makes both dollars and sense. If their teams add to the UH coffers, coaches should share in the rewards. Especially if the incentives are realistic, not like the one men's basketball coach Bob Nash cashes in on for winning an NCAA championship.

More suitable are attendance and revenue targets. The kind that should have been a bigger component of football coach Greg McMackin's $1.1 million annual deal.

The women's basketball position has a salary range of $118,488 to $209,784 and the men's volleyball opening a range of $53,820 to $107,640. Former women's basketball coach Jim Bolla was believed to be making more than $120,000 and ex-men's volleyball coach Mike Wilton in the neighborhood of $100,000.

Just where UH is aiming with the new hires, Donovan said, "I can't say more than that because it will depend upon what happens in negotiations."

A person familiar with the process said some prominent assistant and associate head coaches, including at least two from the Big 12 Conference, have looked into the women's basketball position. UH refused to say how many applicants there have been for either position. "The number of applicants is confidential information," a spokesman said.

How UH pays them and the trend it sets will be of interest.

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