Longtime Hilo area basketball coach Wayne Kaneshiro begins his 11th season on the sideline at UH Hilo as an assistant coach for his son Dave.
Wayne Kaneshiro's time at UH Hilo, which began in Dave's rookie season, is just a drop in the bucket compared to his overall coaching career.
He began in 1970 at Molokai High as an assistant basketball coach, head junior varsity coach, golf coach and athletics director (1970-74). From 1976-81 he was at Honokaa High School as the head basketball and baseball coach. At Molokai and Honokaa, he also taught business education courses.
In 1981 he moved to Hilo where he spent the next two-plus decades teaching at Hilo HS. He spent 23 years as an assistant to boys basketball coach Larry Manlinguis, helping the Vikings win a pair of state titles. He also spent nine years as the girls basketball coach, two years as the girls golf coach (winning the inaugural state title), six years as the assistant girls volleyball coach and one year as head boys hoops coach.Â
Additionally, Kaneshiro was on the coaching staff of the second-ever Vulcan Basketball Camp with Jimmy Yagi, Ramon Goya and Herb Livsey in 1972.Â
Kaneshiro spent 30 years with the Hawaii Department of Education, teaching business education and computer technology. He is married to wife Millie, and they are the proud parents of Dave and Clayton, and grandchildren Maya, Ian, Zoe and Takeo. They live in Hilo.
