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Daily Smile

When you thought you were getting a smart German Shepherd but instead you got one with one brain cell...

Smile 26 6 26

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, June 26, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Friday, June 26, 2026

 When you thought you were getting a smart German Shepherd but instead you got one with one brain cell...

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Real Estate

It's official: Kaua‘i Coffee Co. will continue to operate on the Garden Isle.

The brand's parent company, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, negotiated a new 15-year agricultural  lease for the 3,100-acre farm on which Kaua‘i Coffee has been operating with property owner Brue Baukol Capital Partners, allowing operations to continue. The property is located at 870 Halewili Road in Kalāheo.

"Kaua‘i Coffee has always belonged to the people of Kaua‘i and that will never change," General Manager Brian Kubicki said in an announcement Thursday. "Our appreciation for the overwhelming outpouring of support and aloha from our community can’t be overstated. We are proud to say that our roots remain exactly where they belong, our team is entirely secure, and we are actively looking forward to bringing even more job opportunities to our local community as we grow."

According to the announcement, the new lease allows 

 to focus on a "forward-looking growth strategy" leveraged by its parent company, itself a part of the global Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group.

"Our role at MZB-USA is to serve as a strong foundational backbone for Kaua‘i Coffee, providing the national scale and robust distribution network needed to protect and amplify what makes this farm so special," Matthew Smith, president of Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, said in the announcement. "We believe completely in the local team, the community and the land. By securing this long-term lease, we’re ensuring that the local operation has the stability and support it needs to thrive and continue growing the finest coffee in America."

Additionally, the announcement notes, the new lease guarantees the "continuity of Kauai Coffee's core values," which include: 

Keeping local employees employed under the island leadership team; the stewardship of Important Agricultural Lands and maintaining the farm's global Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Non-GMO Project certifications; continuing the Fair Trade Community Development program; uninterrupted operations at one of the Garden Island's popular visitor destinations; and strategic investments in farming technology, machinery and visitor experiences that are aimed at creating new local positions.

The news comes after months of uncertainty.

WARN, or Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification, notices distributed earlier in the year signaled potential layoffs, but the original WARN dated Jan. 12 and an additional notice dated March 5 were 

"Also, as of today, we have no further information to provide you regarding the timing of any possible employee terminations as we continue to negotiate in good faith with the landowner toward a new, long-term, agricultural lease," Kubicki wrote in a letter to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations at that time.

A representative of Kaua‘i Coffee told Aloha State Daily that the company has approximately 140 employees, all of whom will be retained with the extension of the lease.

In a statement provided to ASD, Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami said, "

We are happy to hear of the lease agreement between Kaua'i Coffee and BBCP and what this means to our island's community."

"Kaua'i Coffee is not only an iconic part of our island's agricultural heritage, but also an important source of local jobs and economic opportunity," Kawakami says. "We also want to recognize and mahalo the International Longshore and Warehouse Union for their advocacy and hard work for our island's people. We appreciate the commitment shown by Kaua'i Coffee and BBCP to preserving agricultural operations, supporting local families and investing in the long-term success of our community. We look forward to seeing Kaua'i Coffee continue to thrive for generations to come."

In its own announcement Thursday, Brue Baukol Capital Partners, a Denver-based real estate investment firm that develops and acquires commercial properties, says the renewed lease "underscores a shared commitment to preserving agriculture, supporting local employment and responsibly stewarding approximately 3,100 acres designated as Important Agricultural Land."

BBCP says, too, that the lease also provides the flexibility to evaluate other agricultural opportunities on portions of the property that aren't currently being cultivated.

“Kaua‘i Coffee Co. and its employees have been exceptional stewards of these lands for the past 15 years, and we are grateful for the care, dedication, and commitment they have shown, especially throughout the past several months as we worked toward a new agreement,” 

James Priestley, vice president of Brue Baukol Capital Partners, said in that announcement.

“We are excited about the future of Kaua‘i Coffee and proud to support the continued growth of one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic agricultural brands. This agreement preserves local jobs, keeps these lands in productive agricultural use, and creates new opportunities to explore additional agricultural activities and community benefits in the years ahead.”

, Kaua‘i Coffee got its start in the early 1800s as McBryde Sugar Co., one of the first sugar farmers in Hawai‘i.

"The transformation from McBryde Sugar Co. to Kaua‘i Coffee in 1987 represents Hawai‘i's largest diversified agricultural projects in the past 50 years," the site notes.

With more than 4 million coffee trees grown on the 3,100 acres, the site says Kaua‘i Coffee is the largest coffee grower in Hawai‘i and the U.S. It's been a part of Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group since 2011.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Kauai Coffee Visitor Center Photo Credit Dan Lane

<title>Kaua‘i Coffee Co. secures 15-year lease</title>

The brand's parent company, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, negotiated a new 15-year lease for the 3,100-acre farm on which it has been operating with property owner Brue Baukol Capital Partners. Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami shares what this means for the Garden Isle community.

Kaua‘i Coffee Co. secures 15-year lease

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

A Hawai‘i law prohibiting guns on private property has been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

 to the state’s gun control laws included the so-called “

.” Named after the folkloric belief that a vampire cannot enter a home without first being invited, the vampire rule prohibited a person from carrying a concealed firearm onto private property without the property owner’s express consent.

The bill effectively required establishments such as restaurants that serve alcohol, as well as public beaches and parks, to opt in to permitting concealed firearms.

But the Supreme Court put a stake through the heart of the vampire rule Thursday, finding it to violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

, Justice Samuel Alito described a hypothetical situation where a woman carrying a handgun in her purse attempts to run basic errands: “When she arrives, she will violate the literal terms of the Hawaiʻi law merely by pulling into the parking lot while having her handgun concealed on her person.

“She may choose to remain armed when she enters the supermarket and promptly search for someone who is authorized to provide the consent that the law demands … During all the time this search goes on, our hypothetical young woman will be violating the terms of the statute, and if that is brought to the attention of the police … she may be charged with a criminal offense or lose her license.”

This presents an intolerable burden upon the right to bear arms, wrote Alito, which is sufficient to conclude that the law violates the Second Amendment.

Arguments by the state that Hawai‘i's historic opposition to firearm possession — stemming to King Kamehameha III — fell flat, as Alito wrote that local attitudes cannot alter the fundamental rights in the Constitution.

Other arguments by the state — including a comparison to an 1865 Louisiana law that was created as part of the infamous “Black Codes” in order to disarm black citizens fallowing the abolition of slavery — were similarly found unconvincing. The Black Code comparison in particular “cannot be taken seriously,” Alito wrote, in part because that law was a “tainted artifact” aimed at depriving citizens of rights so they could be further oppressed.

The court’s verdict was not unanimous, however. Justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor — all appointed by Democratic presidents — dissented.

Jackson’s dissent, co-signed by Sotomayor, argued that “the Court’s objective is protecting guns, not consistently preserving any principle of law.” She argued that there is no constitutional right to enter private property without the owner’s consent, irrespective of whether a firearm is present at all. Therefore, a rule allowing the property owner to withhold consent on the grounds of firearms doesn’t violate the Second Amendment, she argued.

The vampire rule, Jackson wrote, simply requires gun owners to seek express consent to bring a gun onto their property, rather than assume implicit consent.

The case originated from three Maui residents — Jason and Alison Wolford and Atom Kasprzycki — who had been able to carry concealed handguns at places like restaurants without issue before the vampire rule was put in place. The trio were represented by the nonprofit Hawai‘i Firearms Coalition in filing their suit against the state.

The verdict drew plaudits from other Second Amendment groups. The Second Amendment Foundation, a national nonprofit which filed a brief in support of the plaintiffs last year, called the verdict “a victory to gun owners.”

“This law was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to disarm peaceable citizens, and we’re grateful the Supreme Court saw through the ruse,” SAF founder Alan Gottlieb said in a statement Thursday. “With this precedent-setting ruling in hand, other states that have similar laws in place should be on notice – SAF is coming after you and will not hesitate to challenge the continued disenfranchisement of our members and the public.”

But multiple Hawai‘i lawmakers condemned the decision. Sen. Mazie Hirono attributed the verdict to an “out-of-control Supreme Court majority … placing political ideology above protecting lives.” Hirono said in a statement that Hawai‘i’s strong gun control laws have given the state the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country.

Rep. Jill Tokuda said the ruling takes away “Hawai‘i's ability to determine what safety looks like in our own communities and businesses.” She compared the vampire rule to businesses’ “no shirt, no shoes, no service” rules, calling them both “basic rules … about what is allowed on their property and what is not.”

Aloha State Daily reached out to the Hawai‘i Firearms Coalition, the Hawai‘i Defense Foundation, the Hawai‘i Rifle Association, and Sen. Glenn Wakai, co-introducer of the 2023 bill that established the vampire rule, for further comment.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Court Building 16x9

<title>U.S. Supreme Court stakes Hawai‘i's 'vampire' gun law</title>

A 2023 law prohibiting bringing concealed firearms onto private property without the owner's explicit consent has been deemed unconstitutional.

U.S. Supreme Court stakes Hawai‘i's 'vampire' gun law

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

“Something new, below BLA, is hatching soon,” Bar Leather Apron posted on 

This isn’t fowl play: BirdyGo!, the new concept from the team behind Bar Leather Apron and MĀZE, is now open. BirdyGo! is located right downstairs from Bar Leather Apron (the former spot of Burgers on Bishop) in Topa Financial Center.

The business is in its soft opening and its hours are posted on Instagram. It will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from June 25 to 27.  

BirdyGo! is currently only open for takeout, but we’re told a dine-in area will be coming soon. There are tables around the corner, though, where customers can sit and enjoy their food.

The menu currently features fried chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, cauliflower nuggets and fries. No pre-orders are currently accepted; orders are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Of course, the fried chicken sandwiches are the star of the show.

“Fried chicken has always been a huge part of my life,” 

. “Throughout my career, it’s been one of those things I’ve constantly made for people I care about — special staff meals, birthdays, celebrations, late nights, after party events where we just wanted to cook something fun and comforting.

“I’ve wanted to open a fried chicken shop for a long time now,” he wrote. “I’ve done a couple pop-ups and events, but finally, I’m excited to share my passion with everyone.”

The fried chicken sandwich features the business’s signature fried chicken thigh dipped in house chili oil with BirdyGo! sauce, pickles and cabbage slaw. Customers can choose their spice level — no spice, mild, medium, hot or super hot. The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy inside.

“(It’s) Nashville hot chicken meets Korean ramyun seasoning,” Chung explains in his 

. “The chicken gets dipped in a scallion chili oil (with a hint of duck fat) inspired by ginger scallion sauce, then dusted with a seasoning blend inspired by Korean ramyun packets. Spicy, savory, a little nostalgic, and something I’m really excited about. The pickles and slaw are extra tart to cut the richness.”

Two- ($8.50) and four-piece ($15.50) chicken tenders are also available. Adding the signature BirdyGo! sauce or paniolo ranch ($1 each) is recommended. The Birdy Go! sauce is like a creamy, zesty Thousand Island.

Sandwiches are served a la carte, but customers can opt for BirdyGo! fries ($6.50) or crinkle-cut fries ($5). The BirdyGo! fries feature a ramyun seasoning and roasted garlic.

BirdyGo! also features two drink options—its iced tea and lemonade of the day ($6 each). During our visit, a smoky tea — lapsang souchong, lemon and mandarin — and yuzuade were offered. The latter is a tart-yet-refreshing combo of yuzu, red shiso, ume and soda.

Stay updated with the business by following along on 

“This project is meant to be fun, something casual,” 

. “It’s something we can keep evolving and improving every single day. And we will have plenty of fun items for everyone to enjoy.”

The Downtown Honolulu business offers $2 flat rate parking at Topa Financial Center for BirdyGo! customers.

Open 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (or until sold out) June 25 to 27

Birdy Go fried chicken sandwich 062526

<title>BirdyGo! offers fried chicken sandwiches in Downtown Honolulu</title>

The new concept from the Bar Leather Apron and MĀZE is located downstairs from Bar Leather Apron in Topa Financial Center. The business is in its soft opening and features fried chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, seasoned fries and cauliflower nuggets.

BirdyGo! offers fried chicken sandwiches in Downtown Honolulu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Twenty years ago, Joshua Walker graduated from Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach, Va., and embarked on a new journey. 

The standout outside hitter hopped on a plane, making a 10-hour trek to the Islands to enroll at the University of Hawai‘i and play for its men's volleyball team. 

Walker didn't know it at the time, but the school and state would go on to become a major part of his life. It was at UH that Walker met and married his college sweetheart, Tehane, an ‘Aiea High School graduate and former captain of the UH soccer team. Joshua and Tehane Walker currently have five children together.

After earning AVCA All-America honors with the Rainbow Warriors, Walker traveled across the globe in a professional career that came to an end in 2016 after joining 

Walker's transition from playing to coaching was seamless, the promise he showed as a young coach evident in winning the 2019 AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year. In 2022, Walker spread his wings and joined the women's volleyball staff at Baylor University and was elevated to associate head coach in 2023. 

 on April 29, a surprise vacancy for the UH women's volleyball head coach position was created. A national search spearheaded by UH athletics director 

 lasted over a month, but in the end, Elliott says he was "absolutely thrilled" in offering Walker a five-year contract to become the new Rainbow Wahine head coach. 

Walker, who is currently in the midst of hectic summer that involved coaching the U.S. women's national youth team, was only able to make it back to O‘ahu as the program's new head coach in recent days. 

Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Walker about his new gig, the journey leading up to it, and what's next for him and the Rainbow Wahine. 

You graduated high school 20 years ago and embarked on your journey to Hawai‘i. If someone asked you back then where you saw yourself in 20 years, what do you think 18-year-old Joshua Walker would have said? 

 He would have said he'd probably still be involved with sports. Everybody in my life, my family, has been teachers, preachers, law enforcement, and military. I kind of fell into the teacher pot. That's what I feel like I do in coaching. It's not just about coaching volleyball, though. It's about teaching, and I'm helping them learn how to be great people and be adults. Looking back, I'd probably say I'd be involved in some kind of teaching or some kind of mentoring.

How did you find your way to the University of Hawai‘i during the recruiting process? 

I just had a lot of great coaches, a lot of great people that looked out for me throughout my career. I wasn't playing volleyball that long. I started playing more seriously when I got to high school, but I was state Player of the Year by my junior year, and my coaches kind of helped facilitate me getting on some people's radars that maybe I wasn't on originally. I wanted to go to George Mason, but God had other plans. It came down to a 10-hour flight to Hawai‘i or a 10-hour drive up to Penn State, and I chose the flight. It's just one of those things where a lot of people were looking out for me, and I heard about the fan base. 

The 2006 season was a pretty good season for the men's team as well, but I knew there were some people that were leaving, so I felt that was an opportunity to potentially go on court sooner than later, too. And Penn State had players like (AVCA Player of the Year and two-time Olympian) Matt Anderson that were on the roster. (Hawai‘i) was a good opportunity for me to potentially go on court a little bit sooner, and I just heard about the fanbase, so I felt I could be a player that would thrive in environments where I knew people cared about volleyball as much as I did.

If you could put your UH men's volleyball assistant coaching hat on for a second — when you were coaching under Charlie Wade, do you think you would have recruited Class of 2006 Joshua Walker?

Yes, I would have, because the thing that you kind of look for that you can't necessarily describe or be able to explain is how they are on the court and how they are off the court. The accolades have to be there, yeah, but if you're touching 11'8" (11 feet, eight inches on a vertical jump) and you can hit, it's probably someone that is going to get recruited. That being said, it would have been for sure harder for me (given the caliber of players the Rainbow Warriors have recruited under Wade) to think, OK, well, 'He's got to do this or this to even have a chance to be on the court,'  but yeah, for sure it was one of those things where I think Charlie for sure would have tried to still recruit me.

How would you sum up the experience of playing pro volleyball and getting to travel the world? 

I played pro in Abu Dhabi, Greece, Denmark and Finland. The team that I was on in Abu Dhabi, we went to Egypt, went to Lebanon. In between summers, I ended up going to play in Japan for a tournament. Then I played in Greece for Panathinaikos, which is a legendary club in Europe. A lot of people in general know what Panathinaikos is and the rivalry they have with Olympiacos, so that was pretty cool being a part of that rivalry. Denmark was unique because that was the first time I chose where I really wanted to go. I didn't really go through an agent or anything because I wanted a place where I was gonna be happy and have a good season. I ended up getting MVP there, won a couple championships there, so that was just really fun. Finland was probably the best combination of everything, from quality of life off the court, how good the league was overall, there were seven or eight other Americans that were in the league at the time, so every time we were playing another team, there was someone I knew. It was just a really great experience, being able to play and travel all over the world because of volleyball.

When did you decide to become intentional about wanting to become a coach, and what was that process like?

 I initially did not (want to stop playing) at first because my daughter was being born and I had an opportunity to go back overseas. A position (under Wade) opened up here. I told Charlie, OK, we can try it out for a year. If I like it, great. If I don't, then I know I can go back and play pro. When I got into it, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. After the first year, I was completely hooked. I knew there's so many different things we could do that's going to help us be more successful. I knew how to relate to the guys here since I had just relatively been through it, and they were coming off (an NCAA Tournament appearance. ... The team had some good pieces that were leaving, and the team that I was able to be there with, guys like Kolby (Kanetake), Siki (

), and those players, they were great for me, just to kind of have an experience, like, OK, I can help these guys accomplish their goals here and what they want to do. I think that just kind of bled into the next year, and in 2018 we had a good season, a disappointing ending (UH did not receive an anticipated at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament). But if we don't have that '18 season, we don't have the '19 season in which we blew a bunch of records out of the water. If you don't have the '19 season, you're not able to have the '20 season. If you don't have the '20 season, you're not able to finish the job in '21 and then couple that with a relatively new group in '22 (and a repeat national championship). So, every year just kind of built off of itself.

Did you go to a lot of Wahine volleyball matches when you were a UH student? 

 Yeah, for sure. ... Absolutely. Went to the games, supported them. Some of my best friends still to this day are Wahine volleyball alumni. To me, it's just kind of a full circle moment. When I'm out recruiting or just seeing these players that have gotten in different aspects of their life or still connected to volleyball, still being able to stay in contact with them and just how excited they are that I get the opportunity to come back and coach. I have a great relationship with 

was a former Rainbow Wahine as well. They're just all over the place and all very supportive. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to give back but also to have my friends just be proud of their university.

 When you were sitting in those crowds, if someone told you that you'd be running the show one day, how do you think you would have reacted?

I'd be like, 'OK, I don't know what you're talking about right now, I'm just here to get better at volleyball.' It's not something that really crossed my mind. You just feel like God really has his hand on my life, and I can't pick out the situations and the opportunities that have come up because I couldn't plan this out myself. I just know somebody else has their hand all over it, and that being said, I feel like I'm prepared for this moment. ... At the time, I was just focused on doing the best I could, being the best teammate I could be, being the best son I could be, being the best brother I could be, and now that's kind of blossomed to 20 years later and getting an opportunity to be the head coach.

Oh, gosh. I knew of her because the soccer team was pretty good when I was here, as well. Obviously, UH athletics was pretty dominant when I was here. Football was doing great, making the Sugar Bowls and all that. It was a great time just to be at UH in general. My wife, I knew of her just because she was on a great soccer team and a good soccer player. I didn't really get out to Waipi‘o (Soccer Complex, home of UH soccer) that much. ... I actually made it out to watch one of the games. I knew a bunch of players, but it wasn't until she had already graduated. Even though we're the same age, she was a better athlete, and she was smarter than me. She had graduated and she didn't redshirt. She was working at Duke's. We had a recruit (on a visit), and we went down to Duke's, and she was one of the hostesses. Our eyes just met, our eyes locked, and it was one of those things I can't explain. It was that moment, and then we just kind of followed up with each other, we got each other's contacts, and that's kind of how it got started. That being said, I was going into my junior year, and volleyball was pretty high on my priority list. We had this joke early that we would see each other 1.5 times a week because of our schedules. She was getting a master's at Chaminade at the time, so any time we got to see each other, it was great, and we enjoyed being around each other. But outside of that we both had other things we were focusing on."

 When you think about the journey you two have been on over your career, how special is it to be able to come home to Hawaiʻi with her? 

It's one of those things where it's like, OK, you marry a local girl, you're not gonna leave (laughs). She's always been super supportive of me and my career and everything that I've wanted to do, and obviously, a big priority was just making sure my family's quality of life is great. To me, having a chance to go to the women's side wasn't necessarily just because there's more opportunity, it's also a chance to experience something different. 

A lot of women in my life have given back to me and have been very influential between my mom, my sister, who helped me get into the sport. My first coach, 

, as well. There's just a lot of great women in my life that poured into me, and it was a chance for me to get to the women's side and pour it back into them, and that opportunity came up. ... So, I'm like, I might as well get some experience on the women's side, just in case something happens, and that was kind of the mindset leaving. I might have a chance to come back, but Hawai‘i will always be home, it's just whether it's my workplace again.

 When you were an assistant coach with the men's team, you were often seen playing with your kids after the matches. What does having them be a part of the journey mean to you and how has that balance been?

Everybody says balance, balance, balance. One of the questions I had early in my coaching career was how do I balance this? It's really not a balance, it's when I'm doing my job, I'm 100% focused on that, and then when I'm doing family stuff, I'm 100% focused on that. So, I don't balance it out. When I'm done working and I know it's family time, I make sure that I'm spending time with my family when the game is over. They love going to sporting events which helps. It's very great that they like doing that. They're in it as much as I am. They love volleyball as much as I do. They love sports as much as I do. ... I'm just very appreciative for my family, for them helping the environment, and helping them fall in love with volleyball as much as I have.

What was your reaction when Robyn Ah Mow stepped down? When did you consider going for this job in the aftermath?

Going into May, I was doing USA stuff. I had two weeks where there's stuff I have to do, but not over the top where I'm going to be super busy. All of a sudden my phone starts going off, and I'm like, what is going on? Everybody's saying, Robyn's stepping down and you should apply, that kind of stuff. I'm like, OK, I'll think about it. I was in a great situation at Baylor, so I didn't feel like I needed to leave, but it had to be for the right opportunity. Even though it is a great opportunity to be the head coach of Wahine volleyball, things have to line up, it has to make sense. I had to talk to people that I'm really close to, had to pray about it, all those things. If I'm taking the job now, how will it look like the very first day I'm on the job? Depending on when that happens and what the priorities need to be, and all those kind of things. It didn't take long for me to kind of go through the process, because that's what you do as an assistant coach. 

If a job opens up that you're interested in, you're going to apply. It's just one of those things, which, realistically, the path for you to be on the same page with all the people involved in the process and those logistics, it doesn't always work out clearly. It's one of those things where, I knew I would be prepared for a yes. I'd be prepared for a no. Being in coaching, you get told no a lot, and then you get a few yeses, and you hope those yeses make the difference.

Now that you've got to be a head coach for a few weeks, how has the experience been so far?

It's been busy. There's been a lot of stuff to get done. Last Monday (June 15) was a huge one, one of the biggest recruiting days of the year. Getting things organized for that takes a lot of time, but I think we did a good job considering how fast we had to turn things around, and try to get focused on, OK, who actually wants to come and can help right away, and then just meeting with the current team, which was great. Having time to meet with all of them individually was great, and definitely want to do that again before everybody gets back on campus, just to once again kind of get to know them and make sure we're on the same page as far what their dreams and what their goals are. ... The focus is on the team. Obviously coming off of a rough situation losing their coach, but we're gonna make sure we do things to make sure we define what winning is, and that we can have a successful season going forward. 

As it relates to the changes in college sports, how do you feel about the resources you have here compared to a place like Baylor?

 You'd be surprised. The things that we have here is what you need to be a high-level athlete. I went through here and went through the university, and I had the resources I needed. The biggest difference I feel between a power school and a Group of Five school is just the amount of people that you have working. You can have more people, that doesn't mean you're necessarily going to have higher quality people either, and yes, there's going to be a difference in facilities. You're at those schools, they're always talking about what the other school has and what the other school has, and in the end, you can be on a team and want to start. You can be honest, you can be a starter and want to be All-Conference, All-American. If you're competitive and you want to win, you're always going to want more, so you can't dumb that down. 

Yes, at the University of Hawai‘i, we want more. We want to have the nicest things, but in the end, you have what you need to be successful, and in the end, if you have that, let's go. Let's go and use it. So, the resources for volleyball in particular are pretty comparable across everybody across the nation, so that's what I'm excited about. The reason why we've been successful is because people know how much people care about Hawai‘i volleyball. I know whatever resources or things that we need, there is a way to get it, especially if I'm doing my job as coach.

 So, maybe you didn't imagine yourself in this seat 20 years ago. How about 20 years from now, how do you think you'll look back at this time in your life and your family's life? 

 I do not know. Once again, I'm so focused on what's happening right now and then maybe within five years what it could look like. But I just know from seeing what it takes to get a program to where it needs to be, the goal is to be able to win national championships again. It takes time, so to me, it'd be great in 20 years from now we're talking about, man, we're national champions, and this is the path that it took to get there, and all the lives that you helped influence and helped impact on the way that's led to that moment. I think that would be nice in 20 years to think about, to reflect on that part, but got a lot to get to and a long way to go.

Daily Smile: Friday, June 26, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, June 26, 2026

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