1912-2002
Walter Wong, St. Louis coach
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Wong coached St. Louis School to a territorial and four state championships during his 25 seasons. He also coached the Crusaders to three Shrine Tournament championships between 1949 and 1953. The Shrine precluded what eventually became the state tournament.
During his reign from 1947 to 1972, Wong posted a 409-87 record, winning nine Interscholastic League of Ho-nolulu crowns. He won the inaugural Hawai'i High School Athletic Association championship in 1957 (territorial), and captured his first state crown in 1961. He became the only coach to win three consecutive state championships (1966-1968). During the Crusaders' three-year dominance, they won 86 games. Their only loss on the court during that span was a 1967 preseason game against Bishop O'Dowd in Oakland, Calif.
(Punahou matched the three straight state championships from 1979 to 1981, but accomplished the feat with three different coaches.)
Wong, who played for McKinley High in the 1930s, coached at Palama Settlement before being hired by St. Louis. He was a stickler for fundamentals, according to Mike Chow ('62), a former player.
"He knew how to motivate the players and get the best out of you," said Chow, a member of the Crusaders' 1961 state championship team. "He was hard-nosed. He was an old Palama Settlement guy. Everybody wanted to play for him."
Retired Roosevelt athletic director and former Rough Riders basketball coach Stanley Chung ('49) played on Wong's first St. Louis team in 1947 as a sophomore. Chung said when he played for Wong, it was the first time he played organized ball.
"He was my first coach," recalled Chung, adding that Wong was influential in his style of coaching.
Wong's eldest son, Walter Jr., recalled that St. Louis did not have its own gym during the 1940s, so his father had to scramble for practice sites. Walter Jr. remembered following his father to workouts at Tripler Army Medical Center, the Hawai'i Pine Gym in Iwilei and at YMCAs.
"We grew up with St. Louis basketball," Walter Jr. said.
Upon retiring from coaching, Wong continued as St. Louis athletic director before retiring in 1977, Walter Jr. said. After being involved in athletics most of his life, the elder Wong spent his retirement playing the ukulele and singing Hawaiian songs.
St. Louis holds a preseason basketball tournament in his name every year.
Wong is survived by sons Walter, Melvin and Jonathan; and daughter Sheila Flynn.
Services are Friday at Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary. Viewing is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with services to follow. Burial is at 2 p.m.
