In a community where football is king, baseball coach Ralph Onzuka also made an impression in Wai'anae.

Onzuka, who coached at Wai'anae High for 11 years, died July 31. He was 78.

"I remember him being a solid rock," said Wai'anae baseball coach Kekoa Kaluhiokalani, who starred for Onzuka's 1990 O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship team. "He was a person I could talk to any time, someone who was compassionate to the kids on our side, the Leeward side."

Onzuka coached the Seariders from 1987 to 1997, leading them to the 1990 OIA title and runner-up in the state tournament that season.

He was born in Hanapepe, Kaua'i, and graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute and Willamette University in Oregon, his wife, Sumie Onzuka said. He was a teacher and counselor at a number of schools along the Wai'anae Coast. Also, although described as "soft spoken" by Wai'anae athletic director and his former assistant coach Glenn Tokunaga, Onzuka had served as public address announcer at Raymond Torii Stadium during football season.

"He wore a lot of hats," Kaluhiokalani said.

Onzuka could relate to the youth of Wai'anae because he had lived in the community most of his life, Tokunaga said.

"He understands how the community is, how the kids are and he used their strength, their toughness and their physical abilities in a way that made them understand (his messages)," Tokunaga said. "He tried to motivate them to be better (people) when they graduated from high school. He had a lot of compassion for the kids because he lived in Wai'anae for so long."

Onzuka is survived by his wife, Sumie; sons Randal, Rodney and Robb; daughter, Stacy; four grandchildren; brother, Robert; and sister Ayame Nishikawa.

Visitation is 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Mililani Mortuary Mauka Chapel with service at 5:30 p.m.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.