Former University of Hawaii and University of California defensive lineman, Albert “Abu” Maafala was named head football coach at Kamehameha, athletic director Glennie Adams announced in a statement Monday.

The hiring was first reported on HawaiiPrepWorld.com on Saturday.

In addition, the 2002 Kamehameha graduate was named athletic relations associate.

Maafala comes to the Kapalama campus after coaching in the collegiate ranks, including five years as an assistant coach at West Liberty University in West Virginia. While at WLU, Maafala was special teams coordinator and linebackers, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends/H-backs coach.

“My family and I are extremely blessed and humbled for the chance to return not only to Hawaii, but to Kamehameha Kapalama as well,” Maafala said in a press release. “This school is special to me because Pauahi’s legacy has forever changed the trajectory of my life. My wife and I look forward to being active participants in that same journey for our current and future student-athletes.”

In 2013 and 2014, Maafala was selected to participate in the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship, a program designed to target promising minority coaches across the country to increase the number of full-time minority coaches in the NFL. He spent both preseasons on a coaching internship in training camp with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

Maafala started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville, where he coached from 2008 to 2010 and worked on the defensive side of the ball under Steve Kragthorpe and Charlie Strong, currently the head coach at Texas.

“We are excited about Albert joining our staff as our Athletics Relations Associate and Head Coach of our football program,” Adams added. “His excitement to fulfill the kuleana associated with both positions will benefit all student-athletes at Kamehameha. His passion for the game of football will undoubtedly rub off on our players.”

The Kalihi native played two years at UH before transferring to Cal, where he played 24 games with 16 starts over two seasons.

Maafala earned his American studies degree from Cal and a master’s in exercise physiology from Louisville.

He replaces Doug Cosbie, who stepped down from the positions in January.