Arnold Martinez will become the new football head coach at Kaiser, trusted Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Prep World sources said Thursday.
This will be Martinez’s second head coaching job in Hawaii high school football. He was previously the head man at Moanalua, compiling a 51-51 record in 11 seasons from 2003 to 2013. The sources said Martinez was picked from a list of four candidates who interviewed at Kaiser on Tuesday. They also said that there may be some official paperwork to take care of before Martinez is officially announced as the new head coach. He was not at practice on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Martinez, who did not return a call for comment on Thursday, lives in Hawaii Kai and has a daughter who goes to Kaiser, the sources said.
Over the past two football seasons, Martinez spent time training at the following places:
>> 2014: Seattle Seahawks training camp
>> 2014: Clemson University football team
>> 2014: Army football team
>> 2015: Atlanta Falcons training camp as an assistant linebackers coach under the NFL’s Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship.
“It’s been a refreshing two years off,” Martinez told Hawaii Prep World earlier this year. “It was an awesome experience to be able to learn from some of the best coaches out there.”
Martinez takes over for Cameron Higgins, who stepped down for career reasons late last month. Richard Torres, the former Kahuku and University of Hawaii defensive back who was an assistant under Higgins, has been running spring drills for the Cougars in the interim. It is not known if Torres will stay on board under Martinez.
Higgins went 9-9 in two season with the Cougars.
One of Martinez’s athletes at Moanalua, defensive tackle Scott Pagano, is a starter at Clemson and played in the Tigers’ loss to Alabama in January’s national championship game.
Martinez was also a former head coach at Solano Community College in California.
——————
Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Prep World reporter Paul Honda contributed to this report.
This might work better for Kaiser than Rich Miano did
Doubt it.
Congrats and the OIA is lucky to have coaches that are dedicated to the craft. Kaiser is lucky to have him.
I remember on OC16 where Martinez was criticizing MIANO for throwing bombs in the last minutes of a.blowout game.
But I believe Martinez is a great coach and calling out Miano was warranted.
As a former player (who didn’t even play, might I add) by far one of the most passionate and dedicated MAN I have ever had the honor to learn from.
Football was just secondary to me (even at the time). But the life lessons and the work ethic you build under his team are some of the most lasting things I take with me. And that’s all you can ask from a coach. Of course wins would be the validation of the hard work but Martinez is definitely one who believes in the process that will pave the road to a uplifting destination.
Kaiser not only received one of the best coaches in the OIA… he is going to change the entire program, just as he did at Moanalua. Hopefully the “leash” isn’t short as he’s going to need a bit of time to make the players believe in the program… but he will in due time. Sorry to see you leave Big Blue but glad you get to stay near your residence and keep an eye out on your children at school. Congrats, Coach!
Very arrogant but a very good coach. He fits in well with the Kaiser and they will be winners.
What happened at Moanalua? Doesn’t he still teach there? I heard he only likes to coach at schools that have the color Blue. ( isn’t that immature )
Obviously the Kaiser selection committee did not do its due diligence here. He might have been the best of a very limited pool of applicants considering the extreme lateness of the hire, the season starts in 5 weeks. Hopefully at the end of the day, the Hawaii Kai community will be happy with the selection.
Is Kaiser Admin. getting him a teaching job on campus? or will he still be at Moanalua HS?
So Martinez wanted the Kamehameha job badly. He applied when Cosbie got it. He applied again when they just hired Maafala. Everyone in coaching community knows he wants the KS job and this is not what he wants. It’s all he can get.
At Moanalua he didn’t want his football guy playing other sports in the summer. I wonder if that will hold true at Kaiser. He also would add a lot of god into his speeches and lectures.
That turned off a lot of parents and some kids. I don’t believe any coach or teacher has the right to fore feed you their religious beliefs. Everyone should have their own right to choose their faith.
He makes a lot of promises and at first he will follow though. Many people will start off drinking the kool aid he’s selling. It will change over time.
He’s never had a big signature win at Moanalua.
wow the last poster read the future. right on the money. but regardless of all his religious speeches, he didnt deserve to get threats of violence.