Edward "Eddie" Hamada was a high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 coach

Coach (sport)

In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...

, athletic director, and teacher.

Early life

Hamada attended Kaahumanu Elementary School and eventually transferred to Iolani School

Iolani School

Iolani School, located at 563 Kamoku Street in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a private coeducational college preparatory school serving over 1,800 students. Founded in 1863 by Father William R. Scott, it was the principal school of the former Anglican Church of Hawaii. It was patronized by Kamehameha IV...

, where he played football under Kenneth A. Bray

Kenneth A. Bray

Father Kenneth A. Bray was an Episcopalian priest, teacher, sportsman and coach. He founded the athletic program for Iolani School from 1932-1953, establishing the "One Team" philosophy touted by many teachers, coaches and students in Hawaii...

. Bray, who had founded Iolani's athletic program, instilled his "One Team" philosophy, which embodied discipline, teamwork, humility, and respect, in Hamada. Hamada in turn carried it on through his own way of life.

Coaching career

After graduating from Iolani, Hamada earned a teaching degree from Emporia State University

Emporia State University

Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...

, returning to Iolani to teach and coach in 1959. The following year he became head football coach, and in 1963 he became the school's athletic director. Under Hamada's coaching, Iolani won three ILH

Interscholastic League of Honolulu

The Interscholastic League of Honolulu or ILH is an athletic conference composed of private secondary schools in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The ILH comprises 26 private schools with over 7500 students participating in 22 different sports including cross country, track and field, swimming and diving,...

 football championships, in 1968, 1972, and 1980. In 1988, Hamada retired from coaching. Three years later, in 1991, he retired as athletic director. That same year, Iolani named its athletic field after him. Many students credited Hamada as being a guiding influence in their lives, giving him the nickname "Mr. Iolani."

Death

Hamada died of natural causes at his home on January 3, 2010. He was so well-known throughout the local community that when a photographic portrait of him was taken to a printer to be enlarged for the funeral, the business owner, who had no known Iolani connection, waived the fee upon recognizing Hamada's name.
Nearly 2,000 people attended Hamada's memorial service, drawing people from across the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Attendees included former Iolani alumni as well as coaches and players from other schools across the state.