Nanakuli announced Wednesday night that head football coach Keala Watson is stepping down for personal family issues.
Offensive coordinator Kieran Watson will take over as head coach.
Keala Watson went 21-17 in four seasons with the Golden Hawks. After going 4-5 in his first season, Watson led the Golden Hawks to the OIA Division II championship in 2014 with a 37-36 overtime win over Pearl City in the final. It was the first OIA football title for Nanakuli since 1983.
The Golden Hawks went 7-3 two years ago before getting bumped up to Division I this past season. Nanakuli went 0-8 but was competitive in losses to Waipahu, Aiea, Castle and Kailua.
According to a press release from the school, Watson is just temporarily stepping away from coaching and will remain involved with the program from a distance.
Great coach, Great man; Nanakuli losing a Great one..
What a great coach, with a heart of gold. Always putting his team and community first. The hawks will be in good hand with the other coach Watson taking over. #hawksbebe
Keala is still involved with the football team and most of the same staff with the adding of a couple more awesome coaches to the mix. Kili Watson has taken over with the same philosophy and discipline as Keala. We haven’t lost a step with the transition.
Good luck Hawks!