Makoa Freitas, Reggie Torres and Siuaki Livai are among the applicants and interviewees for the open Kahuku football coaching job, according to sources.
At least 16 people applied for the job, a list that also includes Kahuku junior varsity head coach Sterling Carvalho, Red Raiders assistant David Te’o and former Kahuku assistant Marvin Cravens.
Freitas spent 2017 as the interim head coach for the Red Raiders, going 11-2 and losing 31-28 to Saint Louis in the Open Division championship game.
Torres was head coach from 2006 to ’13 and went 79-14 with five OIA championships and three state titles. The Red Raiders went 46-2 from 2009 to 2012, but had to forfeit the rest of their season in 2010 for using an ineligible player. Kahuku was 10-0 at the time.
Livai won state championships as Kahuku’s head coach in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005.
The Kahuku administration, including principal Donna Lindsey, vice principal Walter Santiago and athletic director Gillian Yamagata, typically do not speak to the media about the hiring process until after a hire is made.
According to sources, Kahuku’s head coaching search committee is made up of Santiago, Yamagata, former Kahuku girls basketball coach Wendy Anae, former football head coach Chuck Meade and former Kahuku football assistant and Kamehameha head coach David Stant.
Sources also said the committee is close to wrapping up the interview portion of the process.
The Red Raiders have had four head coaches in the last five seasons — Torres (2013), Lee Leslie (2014), Vavae Tata (2015-16) and Freitas (2017).
Freitas’ only other loss last season was against Bingham (Utah) in Las Vegas without starting quarterback Sol-Jay Maiava. Both Saint Louis and Bingham finished in the top 20 in the nation, according to MaxPreps.
This is why Kahuku can ask their Coaches to re-apply every year. Its because great coaches from every era would love to coach their at any time. Its not a just a job to them. They want to be here because they love Kahuku, and Kahuku Football. May the best person for the kids/school have the privilege of being the next head football coach soon.
At least 4 diff. HC in the last 6 yrs. Same results, Top 5 in state…Must be talent!
North Shore has always had the size and strength.. Its the coaching and expectations that make a great team/core group/individual.
Keala Santiago is running DBU out in Kahuku and that is the cornerstone of the Red Raider Nation.
Defense wins games (most of the time!)
Kahuku has a great opportunity to connect with the kids now. Coach livai and torres were my coaches in high school and they both inspired us as a team. It would be a tough choice. Livai was a excellent football coach and the legend to break the st Louis win streak and Reggie Torres is a legend in the athlete progam. Reggie inspired his teams and taught life lessons that implement success. Not just in the field but off the field. He coached judo, wrestling, and football and won state championships for each sport. He also manage to train us to be champions when all odds were against us. So choose wisely.
Almost seems like any coach can win out there. Anyway we need someone to get the players to come to UH, period.
amela – need to fix UH first, I don’t know if it’s the coaches or players but they are in a funk and looking pretty bleak.
These men are all a great selection! But only one man has a track record of beating St. Louis and he would be the pick if there is any chance of beating Cal Lee and his coaches! It’s iron sharpening iron only! Choose wisely and make it right because wining and learning are two different aspects but both are painful ask any player from Kahuku or Saint Louis which pain deals better!
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie …..
When Kahuku Admin initiated this re-apply for coaches that was back in 2014 I think football had just come off a 6-5 season… you read that right. 6 wins and 5 losses. It doesn’t define a career of coaching but it was a time to open things up.
Since then it’s meant coaches either do their best or find somewhere else to do it. Personally I thought that Reggie was ok. But after a losing season like that it was a good time to try to make a change. Leslie, did 9-3, then Tata went perfect. Then his second year lost against #1 in the nation and #1 in Hawaii. So the bar is set although I will say since Hao left Tata the O wasn’t as consistent. Here we had another 2 loss season but to some okay team in UT and then a close one against St. Louis. But if I compare this years St. Louis to last, last would have smashed this years.
Kahuku must think they are in the SEC instead of the OIA … Makoa did a great job and deserves to return as HC
808WarriorFan – Maybe UH could learn a thing of two from Kahuku being hard on their coaches?
I appreciate all the past coaches and their efforts…now let the past stay in the past (and one of them is my cousin).
Bring Makoa back. I don’t see many (any??) other applicants with his resume. It’s true we have ex-NFL RRFLs…but I don’t see any of them applying. And he cares for these kids just as much as anyone else on the list of applicants.
We need to move forward with stability, which fosters self-confidence in the kids. Bring him back.