WAIMEA — Hawaii Preparatory Academy has found their man in Albert Cummings and there’s a clear No. 1 goal for first-time head coach — bring the buzz back to Ka Makani football.
“When talking with athletic director Steve Perry, he used that word ‘buzz.’ I like that,” Cummings said. “This opportunity is a blessing and I’m looking forward to working with our players to strive for goals and attain them — on the football field and in life.”
Hawaii Prep made the hire official with an announcement Friday afternoon.
Cummings, who has been on Honokaa’s staff the past two seasons, takes over for Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 30 in October.
Cummings had recently stepped down from his position at Honokaa when Hawaii Prep started taking applications for the head coaching spot, but he didn’t want to let a good thing pass him by.
“I didn’t want to say that I didn’t even try to become a head coach,” Cummings said.
Cummings will be the only new face on the Division II level in the BIIF, but D-I squads Hilo and Waiakea will all also be under new direction next season.
The Ka Makani program is one that’s steeped in tradition, with NFL alumni like Te’o-Nesheim and Max Unger. But lately, Hawaii Prep has struggled, notching just a single league victory over the past two seasons, going winless in 2016 for the first time in nearly three decades. Hawaii Prep’s last BIIF title came in 2009.
“I understand the history at HPA. There have been winning teams — championship teams — and tons of great players,” Cummings said. “We want to turn it around, get the kids to come out and bring the pride back to this program.”
Hawaii Prep has never been known for having the deepest of rosters, with Ka Makani players earning a reputation as being some of the most gritty, sometimes playing every snap of a game. But most of the program’s recent struggles can be traced back to its numbers, which have dwindled, even forcing the team to forfeit its final game last season.
“The numbers game is always going to be a challenge. I go in understanding that,” Cummings said. “I’m up for it. I believe we will do great things.”
As far as philosophies and systems, Cummings is in a holding pattern, wanting to get an idea of what kind of personnel he will be working with before making a decision.
“We will find out what we have and decide from there what’s best for us,” he said.
Cummings was a quarterback in his prep days, graduating from Kailua in 1996. He took the dive into coaching at the Pop Warner level with the Hawaii Kai Dolphins, eventually finding a home on the JV staff at Kaiser. He worked with former head coach Rich Miano and newly named Kaiser skipper Tim Seaman, among others, during the 2013 season — the year the Cougars went on to win the D-II state title.
“That experience working with all those guys was such a blessing,” Cummings said. “Being around guys who knew their stuff and that atmosphere was incredible. I loved every bit of it. I found that I really enjoyed the opportunity to groom young men for the next level of competition.”
Shortly after, Cummings and his family moved to the Big Island, where he eventually caught on with No’eau Lindsey’s staff at Honokaa and has functioned as the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons.
With his familiarity of the BIIF, Cummings knows it’s no small task to get Ka Makani back in the championship conversation. He understands well the fight Honokaa will bring every game, while Kamehameha-Hawaii is always churning out title-contending squads, and Konawaena — although rebuilding after graduating a stacked senior class — is among the best D-II programs in the state.
“The BIIF is a wild ride,” Cummings said. “I love the dynamic of the Big Island.”
There’s no time to wait for Cummings, who found out he got the job on Friday but is already thinking about putting together a spring training session.
“It’s a blessing. It’s an opportunity that a lot of people would dream of just to be back in the game in some way, some form,” Cummings said. “I’m excited to meet my players.”