About six years ago, me and my family were eating at Tucano’s. My son was wearing his BYU hat.

While escorting my son around the salad bar area, he was young and really energetic at the time, a big Polynesian man loading his plate full of the pickled qual eggs was ALSO wearing a BYU hat.

As we passed each other, my son said to the man, “Cool Hat!” The man then smiled, raised his hand, extended his pinky and thumb fingers outward from a closed fist, and rotated it back and forth. This means “love” in Hawaiian. He then quietly went back and sat down to eat with his family.

That man at Tucanos that day? Coach Kalani Sitake.


Ever since that day, me and my family have never cared how many wins or losses Coach Sitake gets. He will always be #1 to us for his humility, and kindness.