Edward "Eddie" Hamada (27 January 1928 – 3 January 2010) was a high school

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

, athletic director, and teacher.

Early life

Hamada attended Kaahumanu Elementary School and eventually transferred to Iolani School, where he played football under

Kenneth A. Bray Kenneth Augustine Bray (May 26, 1879 – January 9, 1953) was an American Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal priest, teacher, Sportsperson, sportsman and Coach (sport), coach. He founded the athletic program for Iolani School from 1932 ...

. Bray, who had founded Iolani's athletic program, instilled his "One Team" philosophy, which embodied discipline, teamwork, humility, and respect, in Hamada. Hamada in turn carried it on through his own way of life.

Coaching career

After graduating from Iolani, Hamada earned a teaching degree from

Emporia State University Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Em ...

, returning to Iolani to teach and coach in 1959. The following year he became head football coach, and in 1963 he became the school's athletic director. Under Hamada's coaching, Iolani won three ILH football championships, in 1968, 1972, and 1980. In 1988, Hamada retired from coaching. Three years later, in 1991, he retired as athletic director. That same year, Iolani named its athletic field after him. Many students credited Hamada as being a guiding influence in their lives, giving him the nickname "Mr. Iolani."

Awards and honors

* ESU Athletics Hall of Honor, 1985 * Hamada Field at Iolani School, 1991

Death

Hamada died of natural causes at his home on January 3, 2010. He was so well known throughout the local community that when a photographic portrait of him was taken to a printer to be enlarged for the funeral, the business owner, who had no known Iolani connection, waived the fee upon recognizing Hamada's name. Nearly 2,000 people attended Hamada's memorial service, drawing people from across the United States. Attendees included former Iolani alumni as well as coaches and players from other schools across the state.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamada, Eddie 1928 births 2010 deaths Emporia State University alumni High school football coaches in Hawaii American educators