Feature Friday: head volleyball coach Kekailoa Palea

Indianola, Iowa -- Simpson head volleyball coach Kekailoa "KK" Palea will begin his first season with the Storm this fall after being named the ninth coach in program history in July. 

In what city/state did you grow up in?

• Kent, Washington

What college(s) did you attend?

• Art institute of Seattle and Graceland University

Favorite professional sports team(s)?

• NFL – Seattle Seahawks / MLS – Seattle Sounders / Formula 1 Racing – Mercedes Petronas

Favorite athlete?

• Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan and Marshawn Lynch

Items you can't live without?

• Laptop, sketchbook and cheeseburgers

Favorite vacation spot?

• Fiji

Favorite spot on campus?

• Not sure yet, but searching for one, right now it may be my office.

Favorite thing about Simpson?

• The people and the community around it.

Family?

• My wife of four years, Candice and our eight-month-old son, Kainalu.

What would you be doing if you were not coaching?

• Designing shoes for Nike or my own t-shirt brand, or being a motivational speaker.

Best athletic moment?

• Winning the adult open nationals and receiving tournament MVP honors.

Who would play you in a movie?

• Steve R. McQueen or Bruno Mars

One thing people don't know about you?

• Competed in the the World Outrigger Championships in Fiji when I was 16.

Hobbies outside of coaching?

• Collecting and designing athletic shoes, cooking, graphic design and illustration

Role model(s) and why?

• My parents are my biggest role models as they have taught me a lot about being the best me that I can be, and have always supported me and been there whenever I needed it.
• My wife as she is one of the most driven individuals I know and has taught me how to continue to push myself. She has shown me to always continue to better myself in everything I do.
• Herb Brooks, head coach for the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team. From a coaching aspect, he devised a plan to be great and implemented his philosophy. He believed it 100% and taught his players to believe that something that seemed impossible could be achieved.