Dana Takahara-Dias, a former walk-on and assistant to the University of Hawai‘i women's basketball team, is the program's new head coach.

UH athletic director Jim Donovan introduced Takahara-Dias today at the Wong Hospitality Room at Stan Sheriff Center.
“I’m honored to return to the University of Hawai‘i where I received my degrees and played basketball here but more importantly to give back and contribute to the community,” Takahara-Dias said. “I’m excited about this wonderful opportunity and I feel I’ve come full circle as a player, staff member, and finally as head coach. I’m ready to get started and begin this journey.”
Takahara-Dias received the unanimous endorsement of the five-member selection committee. Her salary was not announced. UH interviewed eight finalists from 85 who applied for the job.
“She is a Rainbow Wahine at heart," Donovan said. "She’s come back to the UH ‘ohana and will be a true role model for the young women of Hawai‘i.”
Takahara-Dias was interviewed by the selection committee yesterday.
The other candidates interviewed were George Wolfe, a Kalani High graduate and former UH assistant coach; Gavin Petersen, Idaho State associate head coach and former UH assistant; Patrick Harrington, Colorado assistant coach; Joan Bonvicni, former Arizona coach; Mark Trakh, former USC coach; Jennifer Young, former UC Riverside coach, and Jennifer Gross, UC Davis assistant coach.
A committee recommended Takahara-Dias to Donovan, who chose the successor to Jim Bolla.
Bolla, who coached UH for five seasons, was terminated for what UH has said was with cause on April 6. He filed suit April 12 seeking damages and reinstatement.
Takahara-Dias, a guard on the 1985-88 Rainbow Wahine teams, is currently the City and County of Honolulu's director of the department of customer service. She has been an assistant coach and operations director for the Rainbow Wahine.
Takahara-Dias, 43, was head basketball coach and athletic director at Moanalua High, where she led Na Menehune to five consecutive state tournaments. More recently she coached the all-star squad Team Aloha in Mainland tournaments.