STAR-ADVERTISER / 2002
Castle High Football Head Coach Nelson Maeda.
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After 20 years as Castle’s head football coach, Nelson Maeda was let go by the school on Tuesday.
Maeda confirmed Thursday afternoon that he is no longer the coach of the Knights and that it was the choice of the Castle administration. Calls to Castle athletic director Laynie Sueyasu and the school’s athletic department were not returned.
“It was not a mutual decision,” Maeda said. “It came unexpectedly and at a late stage. It’s been seven weeks since our season ended. We were finalizing our plans for next season’s scrimmages and pass league and for offseason workouts.
“I guess there was a feeling here at Castle that we should be winning more. Hopefully for Castle,whoever they hire as the new coach can accomplish that.”
Maeda is employed as a counselor at the school.
“Before it was counselor by day and coach after school,” he said. “Now, it’s just counselor by day. I’m going to take a step back and relax a bit. The hammer dropped. It was kind of shocking.”
Maeda went 91-103 at Castle. The Knights finished 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the OIA Red this past season, which ended with a 49-7 loss to Moanalua in the first round of the league playoffs.
Castle’s four wins were its most in a single season since 2010.
Maeda, who is Castle’s winningest head coach. led the Knights to the 2002 OIA championship and the state title game, where they lost 34-15 to Saint Louis.
He was the ’02 state coach of the year by both newspapers and won four OIA coach of the year honors.
Maeda was also the head coach at Kailua in 1980 and 1981 and has 96 career victories.
Castle is already seeking applicants for its vacant coaching position.
