Math Teacher Counts Eight Years As Hurricanes Coach

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Kapolei offensive coordinator Jon Yamada on his home turf - the football field. Photo by Leah Ball, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Like his spread option offense, Jon Yamada’s football timeline at Kapolei is invariably tied to his quarterbacks.

Asked how many seasons he has already been there at the school, Yamada backtracks through his former stars, which have included Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Jon Medeiros, Brad Padayao and Mason Koa, in addition to current starter, Noah Pascua.

“I always figure it out by naming the quarterbacks,” laughed Yamada, a mathematics teacher at Kapolei.

A few moments later, he has his answer.

“This will be my eighth season,” he said.

During Yamada’s tenure as Kapolei’s offensive coordinator, the Hurricanes have been among the more productive units in the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s Red West Conference, not an insignificant feat in a league that already features Leilehua, Mililani and Waianae, among others.

With Pascua back in the fold, the Hurricanes figure again to be an exciting unit on offense.

With the prep football season set to officially begin on July 28, Yamada recently took some time out to sit down for some questions from MidWeek.

What’s your earliest football-related memory from your playing days?

When I was younger, there was no junior pee wee level yet, so my dad talked to the pee wee coach, and I was allowed to practice with them for a year until I was eligible. I was just happy to be out there. I’ve been in football ever since.

How did you get into coaching?

I was back at Moanalua right after graduating from UH. Loving football, I wanted to be around the game, and you’re not in this for very long if you don’t enjoy working with the kids.

Who’s had the biggest impact on your coaching?

One of the main reasons I went into coaching was because of (current Navy assistant coach) Ivan Jasper, the quarterback there when I was at Moanalua. He befriended me at a 7-on-7 at UH. He would work with me throwing the ball on weekends, and he came to my games a couple of times my senior year. He influenced me to give back (to the football community).

What has made the spread-option offense a good fit for Kapolei? Is it the talent pool at Kapolei or the scheme itself that makes the difference?

Both. It fits our personnel. We’ve had a lot of talent here. The spread option is a quarterback-controlled offense. He has to be intelligent, athletic and able to run and pass. We always put one of our best athletes at the quarterback position, and the offense brings out his athletic ability. The modern game is so wide-open, but, depending on our personnel, we like to throw the ball around like we did when we had Brad (Padayao) and the Medieros brothers.

How did your other coaching stops at Moanalua and Damien influence your coaching?

We ran the spread option in high school. (Current Georgia Tech head coach) Paul Johnson was at UH at that time, and it was the in-vogue offense. At Damien, we ran the run and shoot, and Howard Peralta was the offensive coordinator there. He’d been at Castle and Saint Louis. I learned the run and shoot from him.

In Noah Pascua, you will have one of the more experienced quarterbacks around this season. How has he been progressing through your spring drills and into your 7-on-7 summer passing league?

We’re excited about him. He’s our first three-year starter at Kapolei, so he knows the offense inside and out. He’s also worked as hard as anybody this off-season. He really had no break with the camps he attended. He looks really sharp right now.

Who among your offensive two-deep roster will surprise people in 2009?

A lot of kids are going to do well, but the one that comes to mind is Elijah Tagura, a wide receiver. He worked really hard in the off-season also, and he developed a lot of timing with Noah (Pascua).

When in-season, how many hours do you spend on football during the average week?

A lot. I appreciate my wife, Joy’s, patience and understanding. People like my wife are football widows during the season. When I’m home, I’m always planning for school or watching film, trying to design a game plan for that week. It’s a seven-days-a-week endeavor, but the process is fantastic and I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.