Seaman takes reins as Kaiser football coach

Tim Seaman is back as a head coach.

The former head man at McKinley and Kaiser in the early- to mid-1990s is back in charge of the Kaiser varsity team.

Seaman, 57, was named to the post last week and Hawaii Prep World caught up with him via cell phone today.

“It’s obviously a big challenge ahead for us,” he said. “Our job is to increase the numbers, participation.”

After winning the Division II state championship in 2013, the Kaiser varsity fell on hard times.

“We want kids to develop a connection to their school and teammates and to the community,” he added. Coach (Arnold) Martinez worked very hard to bring a set of standards and he did a lot of good for the program, establishing a foundation. There’s a base to work from. Our JV numbers improved, but not quite to what our goal is, but headed in the right direction.”

The Kaiser JV team had roughly 35 players last year, but the varsity team’s roster was small, with manpower down to 17, or even less at times. As a result, the team forfeited most of its games and did not finish the season.

There were complaints by some parents and it led to an argument and altercation between Martinez and some parents on campus Sept. 18 that required a police presence. On Sept. 30, Martinez, who spent two years at the helm in place of Cameron Higgins (the head coach in 2014 and 2015 in place of Rich Miano) announced he would not return to his position.

Seaman, who was an assistant under Martinez, puts those occurrences way in the past. He’s looking forward.

“We have excellent facilities and we would love for kids to get out and give it a try,” he said. “You want kids to feel a part of something. That’s what we’re striving for, a positive environment that they can be around.”

Seaman was head coach at McKinley in 1991 and 1992 and head coach at Kaiser in 1993 and 1994, compiling a 20-30-1 record. From 1996 through 2002, he was an assistant under Cal Lee and Delbert Tengan (for one year) at Saint Louis. He was also a track and field head coach at Kaiser.

In addition, Seaman was an assistant under Miano at Kaiser in 2012 and 2013.

In the years he wasn’t coaching, Seaman said, “I watched a lot of soccer as my daughter Noe was growing up.” Noe played for the Cougars and graduated from Kaiser.

A physical education teacher at Kaiser and a Kaiser alumnus (class of 1979), Seaman applied for the vacant position when Martinez stepped down.

“There were some people, alumni and school people, who asked if I wanted to increase my responsibility — to say the least.

“But this is a project and not a one man deal, a collaborative effort with the school and the community.”

Seaman has started filling out his staff positions with four hard commitments already from Kaiser assistant athletic director Bryan Almadova, Kaiser teachers Alex Miguel and Mark Gardner, and former Kaiser assistant Richard Torres.