When Isaac Parker was named the head football coach at Willamette in Oregon in December, he considered it remarkable because of his age, 38, and limited time on the college level (four years).
But as the Kamehameha Schools graduate has begun to reflect on the context this spring and in talking with other coaches from Hawaii, he has learned to appreciate just how extraordinary it really is.
Parker is believed to be only the fifth Hawaii born and bred head football coach on the four-year college level in the modern era.
Think about that for a minute. Since the 1970s there has been just Larry Price (UH), Tommy Lee (Willamette and Montana Western), Ken Niumatalolo (Navy) and Norm Chow (UH), until Parker.
Where you could once count the number of college assistant coaches who had been born and raised in Hawaii on two hands and had some fingers left over, now the numbers are in the dozens and more are coming all the time.
The emergence of players of Polynesian heritage, their progression into the coaching ranks and success as coaches and recruiters has fueled the rise.
“When you look around the country now it seems like every staff has somebody who is Polynesian these days,” Lee said.
When Parker’s hiring was announced while he attended a high school all-star game, he was congratulated by former teammates and fellow local players of his vintage, “which made it really special,” he said.
In crossing paths at clinics and on the recruiting trail, they follow each others’ careers.
“It is a pretty tight group and, I think, football coaches in general are kind of a fraternity,” Parker said.
The thought at conventions and elsewhere, sometimes unspoken, is who in their growing ranks might be next to make a breakthrough.
“I believe there will be more (of them),” Niumatalolo said in a text. “There are a lot of really good local boy coaches.”
Until a couple years ago, Parker said he hardly imagined he might become one of them in ascending the college ranks. “The reality was that I wanted to be a high school coach for my entire career,” Parker said.
After graduating from Willamette, where he was a lineman and a two-time captain, Parker was an assistant coach at two high schools in the Salem, Ore., area before getting a head coaching job at McNary High.
His success along the way got him thinking about the possibilities of college and he spent four seasons at Lewis & Clark as a line coach and offensive coordinator before being hired by his alma mater.
“I just got there a lot sooner than I was thinking,” Parker said. “This has been kind of a whirlwind that it happened this quickly.”
But Parker has had little time to celebrate his good fortune. The Bearcats are scheduled to conclude spring practice this week and he knows the task ahead is not an easy one. The Bearcats have gone 6-31 over the past four seasons, including losing 18 of their last 19 games.
Rebuilding at the Division III level comes with its own challenges since schools do not award athletic scholarships and players who get aid must qualify on academic or need basis.
“I like taking on the job of rebuilding and establishing a culture,” Parker said. “I like a challenge.”
HAWAII COACHES
Modern era Hawaii-bred college football head coaches
COACH / SCHOOL / SEASONS
Larry Price Hawaii 1974-76
Tommy Lee Willamette 1974-83
Montana Western 2001-07
Ken Niumatalolo Navy 2008-current
Norm Chow Hawaii 2012-15
Isaac Parker Willamette 2019-
Source: Star-Advertiser research.
