The Hula Bowl’s faculty now includes one of the top defensive players in football history.

Mike Singletary, who played 12 NFL seasons as a middle linebacker and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, expressed enthusiasm about serving as a head coach in this coming Sunday’s collegiate all-star game. This might be the last football game played in 45-year-old Aloha Stadium.

“I’m excited about the kids who are going to be coming from all over the country and have a chance in front of the scouts and NFL people who are going to be there,” Singletary said in a telephone interview. “It’s going to be important that we do a good job as coaches showing what they can do in drills and things like that, and setting it up so it’s an advantage for everyone.”

Singletary will lead the ‘Aina (red) team. Jim Zorn will call the offensive plays for the ‘Aina.

Rex Ryan, former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, is the Kai (blue) team’s head coach. Ryan’s quarterback with the Jets, Mark Sanchez, is Kai’s offensive coordinator.

Ryan, who coached in last year’s revival of the Hula Bowl, arranged for Singletary to be invited as a head coach, according to Rich Miano, the game’s executive director.

“Samurai Mike” was the leader of the “46 defense,” constructed by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, that helped the Chicago Bears dominate the 1985 season en route to winning Super Bowl XX. Buddy Ryan, who died in 2016, was father to twins Rex Ryan and Baltimore Ravens inside linebackers coach Rob Ryan.

Of his bond with the elder Ryan, Singletary said: “It goes without saying, that was just a great relationship, just a tremendous friendship that we had with each other, almost like a father and son at times.”

Singletary and Rex Ryan were on the same coaching staff with the Baltimore Ravens in 2003 and 2004. Singletary mentored middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the two-time NFL defensive player of the year who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

“That was a lot of fun,” Singletary said of working with Rex Ryan. “We had a lot of things in common, particularly his dad, my friend.”

In 2009 and 2010, Singletary served as the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach.

Miano said Singletary and Ryan bring expertise and experience to the bowl.

“They make it fun for the players,” Miano said. “But they also make it professional for the players. They know what it takes to go to the NFL … This is a tremendous job interview (for the players). But it’s still football. You still want to have fun. You want to make it enjoyable for all involved. That’s what these guys will do.”

The Hula Bowl is set to kick off at 4:30 p.m. It will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network.