Tom Kaʻulukukui
American football player and coach (1913–2007)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas Kaʻauwai Kaʻulukukui (January 22, 1913 – March 9, 2007) was an American football player and coach.[1] He served as the head coach at the University of Hawaiʻi in 1941, as co-head coach with Eugene Gill, and from 1946 to 1950.[2] From 1956 to 1959 he served as head coach of ʻIolani preparatory school in Honolulu.[1]
Honolulu, Hawaii Territory, U.S.
Kailua, Hawaii, U.S.
Kaʻulukukui in 1982 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 22, 1913 Honolulu, Hawaii Territory, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 2007 (aged 94) Kailua, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1934–1937 | Hawaii |
| Position | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1941 | Hawaii |
| 1946–1950 | Hawaii[a] |
| 1956–1959 | ʻIolani |
| Baseball | |
| 1941 | Hawaii |
| 1947–1949 | Hawaii |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1949–1951 | Hawaii |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | Football: 42–19–3 |
| Bowls | 3–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| Hawaii Rainbow Warriors No. 32 retired | |
Biography
Kaʻulukukui was a standout college athlete who earned 17 letters in five sports and was the University of Hawaii's first All-American football player. He was nicknamed "Grass Shack" by legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice.[1] His number, #32, is only one of two numbers to have ever been retired by the Hawaii football program. He was inducted into the University of Hawai'i Sports Circle of Honor in 1981 and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in 2021.[3][4]
During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to joining the Army, he was in a work battalion with Japanese-Americans who were not permitted to volunteer for the military. After his coaching stint at Hawaii ended, Kaʻulukukui ran an insurance agency before being appointed as federal marshal for the District of Hawaii in 1959.[5] Kaʻulukukui was also a trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for 12 years and was chairman in 1989.[3][6]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Rainbows (Independent) (1941) | |||||||||
| 1941 | Hawaii | 8–1 | |||||||
| Hawaii Rainbows (Independent) (1946–1950) | |||||||||
| 1946 | Hawaii | 8–2 | W Pineapple | ||||||
| 1947 | Hawaii | 8–5 | W Pineapple | ||||||
| 1948 | Hawaii | 7–4–1 | L Pineapple | ||||||
| 1949 | Hawaii | 6–3 | L Pineapple | ||||||
| 1950 | Hawaii | 5–4–2 | W Pineapple | ||||||
| Hawaii: | 42–19–3 | ||||||||
| Total: | 42–19–3 | ||||||||
Notes
- Co-head coach with Eugene Gill