Supporters of new University of Hawai'i men's basketball coach Gib Arnold say they already have new commitments for nearly $80,000 in tickets and contributions for the program.

The money, pledged since Arnold was announced as coach March 20, will initially be used to help underwrite salaries for assistant coaches and expand the recruiting budget, organizers said.

"To have a good program, you must have good operators and that starts with the quality of the staff," said Nate Smith, one of the boosters.

A meeting is scheduled today of the Rainbow Warrior Booster Club, new donors and UH officials to plan upgrades for the program.

Athletic director Jim Donovan, who has met with some of the contributors, said, "we (the athletic department) try to fund all the necessary items for the program, but can't always do it to the level we'd like."

Smith said, "We're trying to help close the gap."

When Arnold was hired, Donovan said UH would make $240,000 available with which to hire an associate head coach and two assistants.

The salary range for an associate basketball coach is $79,500 to $124,656, while assistants are paid $50,004 to $105,000, UH said.

Arnold has said that he would like to expand UH's international recruiting and his first hire, associate coach Walter Roese, is coach of the Brazilian junior national team and formerly a Nebraska assistant.

"Support from our booster club is very important to helping us get the kind of things we need to move forward," Arnold said.