Matsumoto says the timing is right

After 15 years at the helm, Daniel Matsumoto has called it a day.

The Waianae Seariders football coach is stepping down, he confirmed on Friday night.

"Now I’ve got to figure out what to do with my free time," Matsumoto, 53 joked.

Matsumoto has some ideas about enjoying that free time, but admits it’ll be nothing like coaching Waianae football.

"Coaching is such a privilege and honor at Waianae. It’s time to let someone else enjoy that," he said. "The special players we’ve had. It’s been fun all the way."

Matsumoto, who will remain at the school as a counselor, entered the head coaching ranks after 10 years as a junior varsity assistant and head coach, and four more as a varsity assistant. He followed the reigns of Leo Taaca, Harry Mitsui and the legendary Larry Ginoza.

Nobody has coached against Matsumoto longer than Wendell Say, who has been at Aiea for 35 years, including 23 as head coach.

"I talked to him this week," Say said. "He said he’s stepping down and that surprised me. He told me he decided to give it up. He said the time was right."

Matsumoto went 92-70 and led the Seariders to the HHSAA state final in 2010, a 36-13 loss to Saint Louis.

His 92 wins ranked fourth among active OIA coaches behind Say, Darren Hernandez of Kapolei and Randall Okimoto of Farrington.

In 2014, Waianae went 5-4, falling to Farrington in the OIA Red quarterfinal round.

Cho done at McKinley

Joe Cho will not return as McKinley’s football coach next year, Tigers athletic director Bob Morikuni confirmed Thursday.

Cho coached the Tigers for five years and went 18-26. He had one winning season — 6-4 in 2011, when McKinley was in the OIA White (Division II).

The Tigers have been in OIA Division I since then and went 0-7 last fall.

Cho is currently the girls basketball coach at Kamehameha.

McKinley is in the process of finding a replacement for Cho, who graduated from the school in 1972 and was an all-star linebacker.

"He needed time to focus on his job as the Kamehameha girls basketball coach," Morikuni said. "We are grateful for all he has done for McKinley."

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The Star-Advertiser’s Nick Abramo contributed to this report.