Message from UH Hilo’s new athletic director Patrick Guillen
Athletic Director Patrick Guillen shares his vision for the Vulcans and what he calls the “Three Pillars of Success” in a well-rounded intercollegiate athletics program.

Aloha!
It is an honor to have this opportunity to write to you and briefly share my vision and outline key areas I would like to focus on as your new Director of Athletics at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
First, I am grateful to UH Hilo for giving me this wonderful opportunity. UH Hilo and Vulcan Athletics are a vital part of this great community. I want to honor our past and build for our future. There is a deep, rich history and tradition of Vulcan athletics, and I look forward to doing what I can to continue this tradition by assisting coaches and student-athletes in elevating to the next level of excellence.
I would like to share what I call the “Three Pillars of Success” in a well-rounded intercollegiate athletics program. These critical elements are: 1) Academic Achievement, 2) Athletic Excellence and, 3) Community Service. We will do everything to ensure that our student-athletes excel in all three areas.
As educators, our first priority will always be academics. This includes recruiting, retaining and graduating our student-athletes. Achieving this opens up the windows of opportunity for our students and prepares them to become productive citizens of our community as they enter the workforce and continue their personal journey in life.
Vulcan Athletics will work hard to put an exciting and fan-friendly product on each venue of competition. The PacWest Conference has become one of the elite National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II conferences in the country and we will strive to compete for PacWest Conference Championships and elevated NCAA rankings every year.
In order to accomplish this, we need the support of the entire campus and local community. Please come out and cheer on the Vulcans. Our student-athletes work tirelessly in the classroom, on the field and court, work part-time jobs and travel like no other student-athletes in the country to achieve their dream of playing collegiate athletics. Let’s support their dream and aid in their success by getting involved.
Community service and civic engagement (Service Learning) help our students learn the importance of giving back to our community. I firmly believe that learning to serve others is critical to the development of leaders. Our future leaders need to have an appreciation for community service in their personal character tool kit. It is a humbling and fulfilling experience to be able to give of our time and talents to assist others.
Finally, I look forward to immersing myself in the community to listen and learn how we can become an increasingly trusted and valuable partner. Together, let’s strengthen our foundation of trust and respect to enhance opportunities for all, but most importantly, for our students. Our students and community are the reason we are here and represent the ties that bind our hopes and dreams of a better future.
On behalf of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, I am humbled to lead this effort. Join us as we establish anew increased expectations for academic achievement, athletic excellence and community service: The Three Pillars of Success.
Come on out and support your Vulcans! Here are the season opening dates for each of the fall sports.
- Saturday, August 29, Women’s Cross Country.
- Thursday, September 10, Women’s Soccer vs. Simon Fraser University.
- Thursday, September 10, Women’s Volleyball vs. Cal State Los Angeles.
- Saturday, September 26, Men’s Soccer vs. Notre Dame de Namur University.
Visit us on the Web at hiloathletics.com for detailed schedule information.
Mahalo for welcoming me to the Vulcan ‘ohana,
Patrick Guillen
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Related: UH Hilo Stories, July 28, 2015: Guillen recommended for UH Hilo athletic director.