Leilehua honors former coach
Honolulu
Advertiser 9/17/2004
It was 1969, and Hugh Yoshida was
agonizing over whether to accept an offer to become head football coach and
athletic director at Leilehua High, one of the state's largest public schools,
or continuing coaching at little Waialua High.
At the time, he recalled
something his former Iolani School classmate, Willie Chang, told him.
"You're a good coach,"
Yoshida recalled Chang saying. "The only thing you don't do is win at
Waialua."
Waialua had given the former
Linfield College NAIA All-American linebacker his first head coaching job.
Yoshida's undersized but disciplined teams earned the respect of Rural Oahu
Interscholastic Association opponents with their scrappy play despite 1-7-1,
3-6 and 4-5 records from 1967 to 1969.
Yoshida decided to take
Leilehua's offer, a decision that proved to be a springboard for both the
Wahiawa school and for his career as a coach and athletic administrator.
The tradition, work ethic and
pride Yoshida established in his 17 years at Leilehua is still embodied by the
school, says Vice Principal Bob Davis, who played on the Mules' 1984 Prep Bowl
championship team. During halftime ceremonies of today's game against Nanakuli,
the school will honor its former coach by officially naming its campus stadium
after him.
The 1984 championship team also
will be recognized at halftime.
"It's a nice honor, very
unexpected," said the 64-year-old Yoshida, a Mililani resident whose
119-25-5 coaching record at Leilehua included two league titles and seven
division crowns in addition to a Prep Bowl victory. "We had a very nice
run there, and met a lot of good people and good administrators.
"When I made that
decision," Yoshida said of leaving Waialua, "it was a difficult one
but it was the right thing to do."
Yoshida left Leilehua in 1987 to
become the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's executive secretary, succeeding
the late Bill Smithe. Four years later, he was named associate athletics
director at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. He succeeded the late Stan Sheriff
as UH athletics director in 1993 and served until his retirement in December
2002.
"Every step was
meaningful," Yoshida said. "The common ground was always to do what's
best for the student-athlete."
Leilehua Principal Norman
Minehira began having "sidebar discussions" with his athletic
director, Richard Townsend, last year about honoring Yoshida, whom Minehira
says embodies what LHS stands for — leadership, humility and service.
"His greatest legacy is he's
touched the lives of thousands of kids," Minehira said. "We honor
history and tradition at this school."
Yoshida transformed Leilehua into
an instant contender behind the passing of Alex Kaloi, receiving of Rick Wagner
and all-around play of Paul Dombroski. The Mules became the darlings of
Wahiawa, and seats for home games were hard to come by. A local radio crew
arrived for a showdown game against Wai'anae in 1970 at the end of the first
quarter because of traffic on California Avenue.
In his first seven years at
Leilehua, Yoshida's teams never lost more than one game in a season.
"Coach Yoshida built the
winning tradition of Leilehua football," Davis said. "We might not
win every year but we will always be competitive."
Davis, an offensive guard,
recalled that the 1984 championship team that defeated St. Louis, 10-0, in the
Prep Bowl to finish with a 10-0-1 record had to work extra hard since there
were only 32 players on the varsity roster.
Playing for Yoshida was all about
having the right character, work ethic and pride, said Davis.
"We would run a play over,
and over and over again in practice, five, six, seven times, until we got it
right," Davis recalled. "The defense knew what we were going to do but
coach told us if we execute it right, it doesn't matter if the defense knows
what's coming."
The work ethic is what Davis
tries to pass on to students today. "I tell them you might not have the
right tools or right background but you can still accomplish what you want if
you're willing to work hard at it."
In retirement, Yoshida spends
most of his time helping his wife, Patti, baby-sit their three grandsons, ages
6, 2 and 4 months. They're expecting a granddaughter in November. There's still
time for golf and a trip, says Yoshida.
::::::::::::::::::::
Yoshida to retire as UH athletic
director
Dick Tomey is touted as a
top replacement but is not sure he is interested in the job
Honolulu Star-Bulletin 2/22/2002
University of Hawaii athletic
director Hugh Yoshida, 61, confirmed last night that he would announce his
retirement at a news conference on campus this afternoon.
Yoshida said he will end a nearly
10-year tenure on Dec. 31, which closes out his current contract.
"That's accurate,"
Yoshida told the Star-Bulletin last night.
He said he is not sure of his future
plans.
"I'm just really happy to
have had the opportunity to work here and experience heading a Division I
program. I feel very blessed," Yoshida said. "Right now, it's still
10 months out from retirement and there are a lot of options out there. I will
be doing something, whether it's playing golf, spending more time with my
family or doing a job."
Yoshida was offered a job upon
his retirement as a special assistant to UH president Evan Dobelle. But he
turned down the post that would include building intercollegiate athletic
programs from scratch at the UH system's community college level.
Yoshida became UH athletic
director when his predecessor, Stan Sheriff, died in January 1993. He was
associate athletic director in 1992.
Prior to that, Yoshida was a
successful high school football coach and athletic director, mostly at Leilehua
High School. He was also the executive secretary of the Oahu Interscholastic
Association.
Dobelle said, " Hugh's been
dedicated to the young people of Hawaii for 30 years. He's at the top of his
game. Sometimes it's nice to leave while the band's still playing."
Yoshida, who was born in Kapaa,
Kauai, is a 1958 graduate of Iolani School and earned bachelor's and master's
degrees from Linfield College in Oregon, where he was an NAIA All-American in
football. Yoshida is the 16th athletic director at the University of Hawaii. He
is the first American of Japanese ancestry to hold such a Division I post
nationwide.
Former UH and Arizona football
coach Dick Tomey, 63, is considered a top candidate to replace Yoshida. But
Tomey, who was an analyst for UH football telecasts last year, said he is not
sure what he wants to do in the future.
"I tried very hard to get
the Cal (football coaching) job, and as recently as last week I talked to
someone about a coaching job," Tomey said. "Then there's
broadcasting. There are a lot of options.
"I'd need to think a lot
about (the UH athletic director's position). I really don't know the process or
the timetable," he added. "At this point the biggest feeling I have
is nothing but admiration for the job Hugh's done. Hugh will be a tough guy to
replace."
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UH ATHLETIC DIRECTORS
The
Maui News 3/14/2008
1921-38—Otto ‘‘Proc’’ Klum
1938-40—None
1940-41—Eugene ‘‘Luke’’ Gill
1941-42—Theodore ‘‘Pump’’ Searle
1942-46—None
1946-47—Francois d’Eliscu
1947-49—x-Iwao Miyake
1949-51—Thomas Kaulukukui
1951-52—Archie Kodros
1952-60—Henry Vasconcellos
1960-61—Frederick Haehnlen Jr.
1961-62—Edward Chui
1962-66—Young Suk Ko
1966-67—Phil Sarboe
1967-68—Robert Martin
1968-75—Paul Durham
1975-76—x-Edward Chui
1976-83—Ray Nagel
1983-93—Stan Sheriff
1993-2002—Hugh Yoshida
2002-2008—Herman Frazier
2008—x-Carl Clapp
2008—Jim Donovan
x-acting or interim
