11TH IN A SERIES
This summer, head coaches from all 28 Oahu high school varsity football teams are being asked to recount their football playing days.
One coach interviewed for this multi-part series pointed out what he thinks may be the value of this endeavor:
“A lot of times, you only hear about coaches when they’re getting released or are having a special season. It’s super hard to have a special season, so this should shed more light on them as people and their journey of when they were student-athletes. It’s going to bring more respect to the people who are doing this job. They didn’t all of a sudden become a high school coach because they coached Pop Warner. These guys have gone through it all, they’ve run the gamut of experiences.”
Some made it to the NFL. Others went to big colleges. Still others went the small-college route. They started as young’uns and got the bug, falling in love with football and taking pride in passing on their knowledge.
Along with the coaches’ look-back at their football-playing pasts, they also give their outlook on where their programs are at heading into the 2019 season.
PART 11:
COACH TIM SEAMAN AND THE 2019 KAISER COUGARS
Tim Seaman found his anchor at Kaiser High School.
After having lived as a young boy in various states, including Ohio and Florida, he landed at Kaiser late during his high school days and he finally had a place he could settle into.
“I played some Pop Warner as a receiver,” he said. “We came to Hawaii my junior year and I didn’t play football. My first year in football was my senior year at Kaiser.
He was a reserve defensive back under coach Ron Lee.
“The biggest thing I remember are the friendships, the lifelong friendships that you make — the relationships I developed with the coaches at that time who I’ve kept in touch with over the years,” said Seaman, who graduated from Kaiser in 1979. “For me, coming to Kaiser meant being connected to a school and a community. To be a part of something and fitting in at school and to learn culturally about Hawaii, all those things came about from participating in sports.
“I was a (backup) and got to go in every now and then. We started off the year and lost a couple of games and then we got on a roll and went to the OIA championship and lost to Waianae (35-28). The very next year, Kaiser won the Prep Bowl (27-7 over Kamehameha).”
Seaman also ran track at Kaiser and the relationship he developed with coach Bill Von Arnswaldt led him into football coaching.
“Bill and I had a really good relationship and he took over as the head football coach when Ron Lee left,” Seaman said. “Another guy was supposed to take the job, but the guy ended up leaving. So I got involved then. He had me run drills. I learned from him and shadowed him and that’s how I got started. I’m still in touch with coach Von (who also became a Kaiser athletic director) to this day. He lives in Las Vegas and is retired.”
Eventually, Seaman became a defensive backs coach for the Cougars.
“I’ve kept in touch with coach Ron a lot and the Lees, including Cal, have helped me coaching-wise a lot and I’ve always appreciated that. These guys made an impact on me at a young age. They encouraged me to want to do the same. Pay it forward.”
On the field, Seaman’s biggest highlight ended up not counting.
“I made an interception against Roosevelt and then it was called back,” he said. “I was better in track than I was in football. I ran the 400 and 4×400. I placed in the OIA, but nothing significant.”
From 1981 to 90, Seaman coached under either head coaches Von Arnswaldt or Scott Chan, except for 1987-88, when he was the JV head coach. In 1991 and ’92, he was the head coach at McKinley and took the Kaiser head job for 1993 and ’94.
In 1995, he took a break from coaching when he went back to school, but returned under Cal Lee and then Delbert Tengan coaching inside linebackers at Saint Louis from 1996 through 2002. He didn’t coach in 2003 and stayed away for about eight years to focus on his daughter’s activities.
Some glory years at Kaiser came next, when Seaman was the JV head coach in 2012 and 2013. That’s when Rich Miano was coaching the Cougars varsity team to the ’13 Division II state championship.
“We won the OIA D-II JV championship in 2013,” said Seaman, who was a defensive backs coach under Arnold Martinez at Kaiser before taking over as head man starting in the 2018 season.
What’s on tap for 2019?
“We want to take that next step,” Seaman said. “I think we can’t just be happy running on the field. We need to get out there and compete. We had that last year and we got more competitive as the year went on, but we need to keep moving forward. One positive sign is the kids were pretty committed in the offseason, getting into the weight room. Last year, we played hard every game, so I think that was a good sign. Again, we need to grow as leaders, grow and learn how to finish games. We haven’t set team goals yet, but we are looking to improve each day as we work through the summer. Once we get closer to the season, we’ll start really focusing on what we need to do to prepare and compete to the best of our abilities each week. We continue to progress and are moving in the right direction.”
2019 KAISER COUGARS AT A GLANCE
>> 2018 record and finish: 4-4-1 (3-3 OIA Division II); Lost to Kaimuki, 30-14, in OIA D-II semifinals.
>> Head coach Tim Seaman’s staff:
— George Lumpkin (defensive coordinator)
— Mark Gardner (offensive coordinator)
— Keola Willing (quarterbacks, receivers)
— Justin Ikei (receivers)
— Jared Ikei (offensive line)
— Nick Hironaka (offensive line)
— Bryan Almadova (defensive Line, special teams coordinator)
— Taulia Lave (linebackers)
— Richard Torres (defensive backs)
— Darryl Samura (assistant coach)
>> Approximate varsity and JV numbers: 50 varsity, 35 JV
>> Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State selections returning: None
>> Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State selections lost to graduation: None
>> Players with Division I FBS college offers: None
>> Among 2019 key returnees: Joseph Chin, Sr., DL, 6-0, 220; Ethan Domen, Sr., DB/RB, 5-9, 180; Dre Falls, Sr., DB/WR, 5-6, 140; Jesse Stroede, Sr., DB/WR, 5-9, 140; Mason Yoshino, Jr., WR, 5-8, 150; Kieran Gabriel, Sr., OL, 6-2, 270.
>> All-time state championships: 1 (2013, D-II)
>> All-time Prep Bowl (1973-1998) championships: 1 (1979)
>> All-time OIA championships: 2 (1979, D-I; 2013, D-II)
>> 2019 conference: OIA Division II
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COMING NEXT IN “GLORY DAYS”:
Part 12: Coach Daniel Sanchez and the 2019 Farrington Governors
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Previously in the series:
>> Coach Darren Johnson and the 2019 Campbell Sabers
>> Coach John Hao and the 2019 Castle Knights
>> Coach Eddie Klaneski and the 2019 Damien Monarchs
>> Coach David Tautofi and the 2019 Kaimuki Bulldogs
>> Coach Kale Ane and the 2019 Punahou Buffanblu
>> Coach Mike Fanoga and the 2019 Waianae Seariders
>> Coach Bryson Carvalho and the 2019 Waipahu Marauders
>> Coach Mark Kurisu and the 2019 Leilehua Mules
>> Coach Pat Silva and the 2019 McKinley Tigers
>> Coach Kili Watson and the 2019 Nanakuli Golden Hawks
Coach Seaman is one of the most passionate football coaches in Hawaii. He has a great strategic mind and knows how to motivate young adults. He serves as a great role model for all.