Wagner headed Former Hawaii football coach Bob Wagner has been named athletics director at the Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii Campus on the Big Island, the Star-Bulletin learned yesterday.
to Big Island
The former Hawaii coach leaves
UTEP to head Kamehameha's
athletics department in KeaauStar-Bulletin staff
Wagner will help develop Kamehameha-Hawaii's athletic program, which enters Big Island Interscholastic Federation competition this fall as the school welcomes its first freshman class.
Wagner could not be reached for comment last night.
Former Molokai athletics director Kurt Ginoza took over the same position at Kamehameha's Maui campus earlier this month.
Wagner was slated to be the assistant head coach for the Texas-El Paso football team this season. He was also supposed to be the Miners' linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.
Wagner coached at UH from 1977 to 1995, first as an assistant under Dick Tomey then as head coach for nine years.
He compiled a record of 58-49-3 as head coach and guided the Rainbows to the Western Athletic Conference championship and a Holiday Bowl victory over Illinois in 1992. He was named WAC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1992.
After being fired following the 1995 season, Wagner worked as an assistant coach at Arizona from 1998 to 2000. He joined the UTEP coaching staff as defensive coordinator last season.
Wagner expressed interest in the UH athletics director position when Hugh Yoshida announced his retirement plans earlier this year. Herman Frazier was picked for the post last month.
Wagner graduated from Wittenberg University (Ohio) in 1969 and earned a master's degree in physical education from Ohio University.
Wagner joins a Kamehameha-Hawaii staff set to welcome 96 freshmen this fall.
The school will institute varsity programs in track and field, cross country, bowling, swimming and water polo this year. Kamehameha-Hawaii will also field junior varsity basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball teams.
The Kamehameha-Hawaii campus opened in August 2001 and started its athletic program with middle school teams in track and field, basketball and volleyball this past school year.
The school, located in the Keaau district, currently has a soccer field and the middle school gym is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Construction of a high school gym, football, softball and baseball fields, a track and swimming pool is scheduled to begin in 2003.
The school has an enrollment of 640 students in kindergarten through ninth grade and will add a new grade level each year through 2005.
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