Miller’s Wawner chooses the island life

Miller School basketball coach Fred Wawner knows the true meaning of the word “Aloha.”

The familiar greeting from those on the Big Island has a dual meaning — hello and goodbye — and the successful coach will utter both in the coming weeks.

After a decade, Wawner is saying goodbye to the Miller School program and will soon say hello to the staff at Hawaii Preparatory Academy.

Wawner, who guided the Mavericks to a 26-3 record and to their first VIS State Championship (Division II) earlier this year, is looking forward to the new opportunity.

At Miller, he built an impressive resume and leaves the upstart program with a nice portfolio. But he welcomes the challenge.

At Hawaii Prep in Kamuela, Hawaii, Wawner will be the director of student life and will continue to be involved in athletics.

“It is a unique opportunity for me professionally as well as for my family. There will obviously be some great challenges involved, but getting out of our comfort zone is a good thing. My wife, Dina, and I have been at Miller School for 10 great years,” Wawner said. “We have seen such personal growth as well as positive changes in our school over our tenure, that it’s just unbelievable. We owe the people at Miller School a ton.”

Wawner, who has also served as the director of athletics at the school for five years, has seen the program rise to another level in the past 10 years.

“For those who have been around central Virginia for a while, Miller basketball wasn’t always like this. It’s been great being a part of its construction,” said Wawner, who coached at Elk Hill in Goochland before coming to Miller. “I have had the pleasure to work with some great young men at a time that is very important in their lives. Each kid that played here during the last 10 years cares deeply for the success of Miller School. We have been successful in creating leadership and character-building opportunities for kids. I truly feel that our kids have had to work hard and work “right” and have represented Miller School very well. We have built a strong foundation with good kids. It is built to last.”

Under Wawner’s tenure, the Mavericks have captured six VIC championships, have made four trips to the state title game, six final four appearances and have earned five state player of the year honors including this year, as Marshawn Powell received the award for the second straight year.

In addition, Miller was ranked No. 1 in the Division II national top 20 poll by NPSAA.org (National Private School Athletic Association). Wawner compiled a record of 188-48 while with the program.

But nothing could be sweeter than going out on top.

“The state championship was really fun. You can’t promise kids that the end will always be like that when you try and get them to give everything they have,” said Wawner, who earned state coach of the year honors this season. “It’s nice when they do get that feeling of ultimate accomplishment. As a coach, we had some great teams and great years, but it sure is fun to win your last game.”

And Lindsay Barnes, the headmaster at Hawaii Prep, knows he is getting a gem in Wawner. The coach was Barnes’ first hire when he worked at Miller, and he is excited about the opportunity to work with him again.

“Fred is so much more than just a basketball coach,” Barnes said. “He is wise beyond his years, and he has a God-given talent for relating in the most compassionate and productive of ways to young people. Fred’s talents and contributions have positively affected literally every aspect of life at Miller School. The basketball success has been great, but the depth of Fred’s accomplishments and his legacy at Miller School far exceed basketball.

“Fast friend, insightful counselor, caring colleague, diligent mentor, defacto parent, award-winning coach, and accomplished administrator and teacher — Fred has superbly done it all. He epitomizes all that is good about independent schools.”

Although a replacement for Wawner hasn’t been announced yet, he knows the program will be in good hands.

“It’s been fun to see some of the applicants,” Wawner said. “We’re in very good shape.”

Even though Wawner will be more than 5,000 miles from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in one of the most beautiful places in the world, he will still call this place home.

“Charlottesville is my home. I played for Greg Maynard at Albemarle, where I graduated in 1991,” he said. “I have stolen everything I know about basketball from the area coaches. They are great people and teachers. Central Virginia is lucky to have the coaches it has. My parents went to Albemarle and my brother and sister went to Monticello.

“One side of our gym at Miller was always filled with my relatives.”

That is one part of the trip that will change. The town of Waimea is located in the South Kohala District of Hawaii’s Big Island. It’s the largest town in the interior of the Big Island.

The mission of Hawaii Prep is to provide exceptional learning opportunities and a diverse community honoring the traditions of Hawaii.

If history has taught us anything, Wawner will be successful at his new digs. Aloha.