Torres joins Punahou staff

Reggie Torres has found a new home.

He is now the offensive line coach at Punahou, the defending state football champion.

That’s what decades as a head coach — with two state titles on his resume — can do.

Torres was Kahuku’s head football coach — as well as wrestling and judo coach — since 2006 before new administration at the school opted to hire a new coach this spring. Torres was one of the finalists and was attending a workshop hosted by Under Armour on the mainland when the news broke about new Kahuku coach Lee Leslie. The only other Hawaii coach at the workshop was Punahou’s Kale Ane.

"He heard what happened and asked me. He gave me time to think about it," said Torres, who made his decision last week. "My wife was in agreement."

Torres was at UH football practice on Saturday morning, taking notes as he watched offensive line coach Chris Naeole work. The work at Punahou begins for Torres with spring football in May.

"I’ve started to brush up on the schemes they use," he said of Punahou’s mix of run-and-shoot and power formations. "It’s a great opportunity for me to work with a great staff."

After decades as a coach in red and white, Torres will soon be in buff and blue. The only thing Torres likes about not being a head coach is taking a chore off his wife’s hands.

"Now she doesn’t have to do the laundry after games," he said, noting that the washing machine at Kahuku has been broken for a couple of years.

Torres heard from nine other OIA schools after being let go by his alma mater.

"At least (at Punahou), we won’t be facing Kahuku unless it’s the state playoffs. I don’t want to face those kids. My heart is still there with them," he said.

Punahou is not a bad place to land.

"They have great administrative support, great academics," he said. "It’s an awesome place."

While some of Torres’ former staff are staying put on the North Shore — some have not been offered positions by the new regime — others are ready to start in new locations. Assistant coach Darren Johnson, who was also the head boys basketball coach, will be an assistant at Kapolei.