Abu Maafala is the new football head coach at Kamehameha, according to trusted Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Prep World sources.
Maafala will be officially announced as the new coach by the school this week, according to the sources.
On Friday, Hawaii Prep World tried but could not get confirmation of Maafala’s hiring from the Kamehameha athletic department.
Maafala is a former standout defensive lineman for Kamehameha, Hawaii and Cal and will be leaving his job as an assistant football coach at West Liberty University in West Virginia, where he has been employed the last five years.
Hawaii Prep World has learned from multiple sources that former Kaiser head coach and University of Hawaii assistant Rich Miano, former Kamehameha head coach David Stant, former Hawaii and Kamehameha assistant Dennis McKnight, and former Moanalua head coach Arnold Martinez were among the candidates who applied for the Kamehameha job. According to another source, former Mililani quarterbacks coach Joshua Ursery also applied for the job.
Doug Cosbie, the former Dallas Cowboys star tight end, vacated the post in December after three seasons at the helm.
Maafala is a 2002 Kamehameha graduate who played for the University of Hawaii in 2002 and and 2003 before transferring to Cal, where he played through 2006. He also played in the 2007 Hula Bowl.
When he was with the Rainbow Warriors, Maafala was not a starter but he did see a lot of playing time.
On March 28, Maafala told Hawaii Prep World that he applied for the job, and said, “This is something that my wife and I talked about as worthy of applying for. Kamehameha and college has given so much to the both of us and we want to give back. That’s something we describe as our mission.”
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Billy Hull of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Prep World also contributed to this report.
Congratulations Abu! I knew him when he was in elementary school! I am confident he’ll help KS contend!
I am so happy we got Abu and not Miano or Martinez.
IMUA, I always want to see a Hawaiian get the head job at Kamehameha. I am very happy about that. The Kamehameha Schools absolutely has to do its utmost to provide for the kanaka maoli. Now, that being said, I could have accepted Rich Miano. You got a chance to get someone like him. with his NFL pedigree, you go for it. Same with Doug Cosbie. It gives your program credibility when big names like those lead your program.
When I was a kid, Cal Chai was the long time coach at Kamehamea. He was Pake. Had his teams play in baby blue uniforms. Blane Gaison – Hawaiian. So was Kanani Souza and David Stant. I remember David Stant at Kahuku. Nose guard, #44. Played next to a Hawaiian with a huge afro: Jr Kealoha.
One of Kahuku’s staring DB’s, Kekaula Kaniho, apprently transferred from Kamehameha to Kahuku. Never would have seen that 40 years ago. Back then every Hawaiian dreamed of attending Kamehameha. If Kamehameha wants to play for state football championships again, cannot let that happen. Kekaula Kaniho played a MAJOR role in helping Kahuku defeat St Louis. .
Gandhi: more like he came back home to play with his friends and graduate from his home town!!! Oh come on now… It continues…smh!
I don’t trust Miano, would never want him. So many bad things. This is not the place to air it out.
At least it’s someone who has strong roots to Kamehameha. I hope he’s more about the team than anything else. Anybody know if he’s a cool guy?
It’s 2016. I would want the best candidate for the job regardless of ethnicity or gender. It’s this archaic ways of thinking that continue to cripple this race. With all of the monies that Kamehameha Schools puts out, no child of Hawaiian Blood should be uneducated or living in poverty.
In response to Mahatma Gandhi: Cal Chai, who coached at Kamehameha was Hawaiian Chinese, a graduate of the Kamehameha School for Boys, Class of 1948. Abu Maafala steps into some big shoes and he can do the job.
MG: “When I was a kid, Cal Chai was the long time coach at Kamehamea. He was Pake.”
Cal Chai was a KS grad, around c/o 1947, & Hawaiian.He was a fine man, coach, & role model, as was his brother, imposing line coach Willie Chai. Both were teachers; if you messed up w/ grades & attitude, you simply didn’t play. But…it shouldn’t really matter the ethnicity, but more so the talent, passion, & fairness of the coach among other important traits.
Imua Kamehameha – you’re an elitist as are ALL the peo0le coming out of “The School”. No matter who the coach is they cannot compete as they only allow the well-connected into “The School”.If they had hula competition among schools “The School” would own the trophy!! Clowns!!
@No Cry, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove to me, really. If you’re strictly talking about football, of course we’re going to lose games, everyone does sometime along the way. Did you look in to the other sports Kamehameha competes in? For example look at the ILH D1 champions, Kamehameha led by Coach Chris Blake. A coach when first coming on to the scene, was a former assisstant coach at ‘Iolani. A coach at the time of hiring who has yet to be proven elite. Being an elitist doesn’t lower competition between teams.
Congrats to Baldwin High baseball coach Jon Viela, named new AD at Kamehameha-Maui.
Hope now they name a new head football coach. Hear counselor Alima Afoa is leading candidate.
Coach Chai’s record after 30 years of coaching K football, Majority of it at Kamehameha school was 189-54. He was of Hawaiian Chinese Nationality. Genealogy traces back to Isaac Davis Ohana who was a loved and honored person by Kamehameha the 1st. Isaac Davis married royalty but his nephew Charles Davis who also married Kanaka is where the Chai ancestors came from.