Waialua athletic director Darnell Areneaux wasn’t sure he was going to be able to find a coach to replace the outgoing Lincoln Barit.
But he got his man, despite a long wait without any incoming applications.
Gary Wirtz, an assistant under Barit, is the new hire, Arceneaux told BedrockSportsHawaii.com.
Wirtz is a former Army Ranger and Green Beret and spent time on active duty in Iraq. He is also a former tight end and linebacker for Marion-Franklin High in Columbus, Ohio.
Gary Wirtz is the new Waialua football coach.
(Image credit: Darnell Arceneaux).
Since leaving the Army in 2012, Wirtz graduated from UH West Oahu and is now a teacher at Campbell.
“I was an assistant for coach Lincoln in 2018 and worked with him until a couple of weeks ago when he decided to retire,” Wirtz, 40, told Bedrock Sports Hawaii via cell phone Thursday. “I was like, ‘Now what do we do?’ Darnell called and I still wanted to coach and I felt that being the head coach with everything I’ve been through in life, I can handle it. I’m ready. I asked Lincoln how he felt about it and he said go for it, so I went for it.”
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Wirtz’s wife is from Hawaii. They met at Schofield, where he was stationed. They have two sons.
“I love Waialua,” said Wirtz, who has also coached JV baseball and youth baseball and youth football in Waialua. “I love the culture, the community, and not being a local, they treat me as if I am. Coach Lincoln built such a culture here and you don’t replace him because you can’t fit his shoes,. You get a new pair of shoes and start a new journey. I would like to continue the legacy he built.”
For the first time as the head coach Thursday, Wirtz met his Bulldogs squad, which went 5-6 overall and 4-4 in OIA Division II in 2019.
“We had about 17 boys there, and half I’ve coached previously,” he said. “It felt good and they’re all excited after missing out on football (because of the COVID-19 cancellations) last year. They’re hungry and ready to get playing. We’re accustomed to eventually getting 40 players out. And I noticed that the guys who showed up today were giving handshakes and hugs and asking where some of the other guys were and that they were going to call them and let them know the new coach is here.”
