University of Hawaii at Hilo Men's Basketball

Kaniela Aiona become the Hawai‘i Hilo men's basketball program's sixth head coach in May 2020. The Big Island native returned home after having served five seasons as head coach at Menlo College. HAWAI‘I HILO MEN'S BASKETBALL RECORD (Tap to Expand/Collapse) AIONA VULCANS MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON TEAM RECORD NOTES 2020-21 10-2 Overall 10-2 PacWest  (No. 1 Hawai‘i Pod) Shortened COVID Spring Season » PacWest Defender of the Year » PacWest Newcomer of the Year » (4) All-PacWest Team Selections 2021-22 14-13 Overall 10-9 PacWest (No. 6) » PacWest Championships Quarterfinals » PacWest Freshman of the Year » (3) All-PacWest Team Selections 2022-23 17-9 Overall 13-7 PacWest (No. 4) » PacWest Championsips Quarterfinals » PacWest Defender of the Year » PacWest Newcomer of the Year » (3) All-PacWest Team Selections 2023-24 19-12 Overall 12-8 PacWest (No. T4) » PacWest Championships Semifinals » Hawai‘i Hilo Win No. 50 (Dec. 19 vs San Francisco State) » (2) All-PacWest Team Selections 2024-25 19-13 Overall 11-9 PacWest » PacWest Championsips Semifinals » PacWest Defender of the Year » (2) All-PacWest Team Selections 2025-26 0-7 Overall 0-3 PacWest 6 Seasons 79-56 Overall 57-38 PacWest - Championships 6 Major Awards YEAR-BY-YEAR (Tap to Expand/Collapse) 2022-23: COACHING CAREER » Program All-Time Rank No. 4: 70+ Wins (Jan. 11, 2025 vs Biola) » 2023-23 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award » Program Career Win No. 50 (Dec. 19, 2023 vs San Francisco State) » 2021-22 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award VULCANS ACCOLADES » (14) All-PacWest Team Selections » 2024-25 PacWest Conference Defender of the Year: Nadjrick Peat » 2023-24 Hawai‘i Hilo Imua Vulcan Award: Kalique Mitchell » 2022-23 PacWest Conference Defender of the Year: Nadjrick Peat » 2020-21 PacWest Conference Defender of the Year: Jordan Graves PLAYING CAREER » 2024 Webster Athletics Hall of Fame » Played four years for the Webster University Gorloks, averaging double-digit scoring figures (2001-2005) » Honors: All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Team (x2), Webster Athletics President's Award, SLIAC Winter All-Academic Team (x2) » Played freshman season for current Hawai‘i Hilo women's basketball head coach David Kaneshiro ALMA MATER » Honoka‘a High School (Hawai‘i) 2001 » Webster University (Missouri) 2005 - B.A. Advertising and Marketing Communications » Central Methodist University (Missouri) 2008 - M.A. Education PERSONAL » Hometown: Waimea, Hawai‘i » Has two children with his wife CAREER 2020-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (79-53) 2014-2020: Menlo College (72-71) 2013-2015: Saint Leo University (Assistant) 2011-2013: Benedictine University (Assistant) 2008-2010: Lake Forest College (Assistant) 2006-2008: Central Methodist (Assistant) 2005-2006: Webster University (Assistant) MEDIA » Jimmy Yagi Vulcans camps returns to Hilo community (July 22, 2022) - KHON2 News » Resurgence fueled by first-year head coach Kaniela Aiona (March 2, 2021) - KHON2 News

Steve Kinder joined the University of Hawaii at Hilo Athletic Department after coaching for over 30 years at Humboldt State University. He is an assistant coach on the Vulcan men's basketball staff and also serves on the administrative side in Corporate and Community Relations. During his time at Humboldt State (now Cal Poly Humboldt), the Lumberjacks qualified for 12 NCAA tournaments, won 10 conference championships, and Kinder was named NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year (Smokey Gaines Award), the NCAA West Region Coach of the Year and the CCAA Coach of the Year.  Kinder was a standout player, assistant coach and head coach at HSU. He spent the past ten seasons (2010-20) as the leader of the Lumberjack program. In 2011, Humboldt State went 26-4 under his watch, winning the CCAA title and advancing to the NCAA tournament. The Lumberjacks won three CCAA titles during his ten seasons as head coach and qualified for the NCAA tournament four times.  Kinder guided the Lumberjacks to 6 postseason CCAA tournament appearances in his ten years as head coach. The Lumberjacks were ranked twice in the NCAA top 10 while Kinder was leading the program. Four times, they won 20 games or more. Prior to that, Kinder was an assistant under Tom Woods for 21 seasons during a run of great HSU success. The 'Jacks won seven CCAA titles during that tenure. They were ranked No. 1 preseason in 2004 and reached NCAA Final Four that year.  Kinder was the recruiting coordinator during his stint as an assistant coach. He landed seven All-Americans for the Lumberjacks. Kinder also won a conference title as a player at HSU, graduating in 1985 with a degree in Kinesiology and a California Teaching Credential. He earned his masters from Humboldt State in 1988. Kinder was an instructor of Kinesiology at Humboldt State University, faculty responsibilities teaching graduate level academic courses, undergraduate physical education activity courses, and a very popular recreation class, “Fishing the Northwest.” Kinder was inducted into the Humboldt State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020.  A San Diego native, Kinder was a standout athlete at Escondido High School and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2013.  As a student athlete, Kinder won a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference basketball championship at MiraCosta College and reached the California State Final Four Championship game in a historic run for the Spartans. Kinder was named “Athlete of the Year” at MCC, 1983. Kinder also competed in track and field at the collegiate level. He qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships with a throw of 223’10” that was a record second best in Humboldt State history.  He was the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Javelin champion and finished third at the California Community College Athletic Association Track and Field championships.   COACHING CAREER » 2020 Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics Hall of Fame » 2015-16 CCAA Tournament Champion (Cal Poly Humboldt) » 2011-12 CCAA Tournament Champion (Cal Poly Humboldt) » 2010-11 Clarence Gaines National Coach of the Year (Cal Poly Humboldt) » 2010-11 NABC West Region Coach of the Year (Cal Poly Humboldt) » 2010-11 CCAA Coach of the Year (Cal Poly Humboldt) » 2010-11 CCAA Regular Season Champion (Cal Poly Humboldt) » 2003-04 NCAA Championship Semifinalist (Cal Poly Humboldt) PLAYING CAREER » 2013 Escondido High School Athletics Hall of Fame » Two-sport athlete in basketball and track & field (javelin) at Cal Poly Humboldt (1983-1985) » 1985 NCAC/CCAA Champion (Cal Poly Humboldt Men's Basketball) ALMA MATER » Escondido High School (California) » Mira Costa College (California) » California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt 1985 - B.S. Physical Education » California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt 1988 - M.A. Kinesiology PERSONAL » Hometown: San Diego, California » Has three children CAREER 2020-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Assistant) 2010-2020: Cal Poly Humboldt 1990-2010: Cal Poly Humboldt (Assistant) 1989-1990: Oceanside High School (Boys HC) 1986-1988: Cal Poly Humboldt (Graduate Assistant) Previous: U.S. International University (Assistant) MEDIA » Ex-Escondido standout Kinder thrives at Humboldt State (Sept. 2, 2016) - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Anthony Haskett returned to his alma mater in July 2025 to join the Vulcans Men's Basketball coaching staff in head coach Kaniela Aiona's sixth season. After wrapping up his collegiate playing career at Hawai‘i Hilo (2019-2022), Haskett spent three seasons at Las Positas College (California) in assistant and associate head coach roles helping the Hawks achieve a 62-29 record, a 20-game win streak, an appearance in the 3C2A State Championships Elite 8 and earning a No. 1 ranking in the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association poll. Hawks' head coach James Giacomazzi was named 2024-25 CCCMBCA NorCal Coach of the Year. Along with helping 14 student-athletes advance to four-year institutions, Haskett helped produce two CCCMBCA All-State Team selections and 10 All-Coast-North Team honorees. He also served on the CCCMBCA Executive Coaching Board and directed Las Positas Nike Youth Basketball Camps while coaching with the prestigious Oakland Soldiers on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit — twice selected to coach at the Nike Elite 100 Camp in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the nation's premier exposure events for high school underclassmen. The Walnut Creek native spent his first two collegiate seasons playing under former Vulcan Steve Coccimiglio at Diablo Valley College (California) before spending three seasons at Hawai‘i Hilo playing for coaches GE Coleman and Kaniela Aiona. Haskett was a regular on student-athlete academic award lists and earned two bachelor's degrees (Communication + Kinesiology & Exercise Sciences) at UH Hilo while later earning a master of science in Exercise Science & Health Promotion at Pennsylvania Western University. PLAYING CAREER » Three seasons on the Vulcans Men's Basketball team (2019-2022) » 2021-22 Hawai‘i Hilo Men's Basketball Scholar Athlete » (2x) Academic All-PacWest Team » (2x) NABC Honors Court » (2x) D2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award » Two seasons at Diablo Valley College (California) playing for former Vulcan Steve Coccimiglio ALMA MATER » Las Lomas High School (California) » Diablo Valley College (California) » University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 2022 - B.A. Communication » University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 2022 - B.A. Kinesiology & Exercise Sciences » Pennsylvania Western University - M.S. Exercise Science & Health Promotion PERSONAL » Hometown: Walnut Creek, California CAREER 2025-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Assistant) 2022-2025: Las Positas College (Associate HC) 2024-2025: Oakland Soldiers Nike EYBL (Head Coach)

Donn Kansako enters his ninth season as a Vulcan assistant in 2020-21, which includes his second stint working with head coach David Kaneshiro. Kansako worked with the Vulcan program from 2010-15 as an assistant coach. He has also coached locally with the boys programs at Waiakea High School (200-04) and St. Joseph's (1999-00, 1996-99). His first coaching job was at Laupahoehoe High School during the 1989-90 season. The Hilo High School graduate was born and raised in Honomu, and graduated from the UH Hilo College of Agriculture with a degree in Tropical Horticulture. He currently works for the State of Hawai`i in the Department of Agriculture, Plant Quarantine Inspector.