For generations of Honolulu residents, there was only one "Coach." Larry Price, the Honolulu-born coach, broadcaster and educator whose voice and presence became woven into daily island life, died March 27, 2026, his family said. The Price ohana shared that he "passed peacefully" and has asked for privacy while they grieve. In a city that knew him from the locker room to the lecture hall to the morning commute, his absence will be felt in classrooms, locker rooms and across the airwaves.
From Manoa Player to Head Coach
Born and raised in Kaaawa and a standout at Roosevelt High, Price anchored the defensive line at the University of Hawaiʻi from 1961 to 1964, serving as a three-time team captain. He later moved to the sidelines, coaching UH volleyball from 1969 to 1972 before taking over as the school’s head football coach from 1974 to 1976. That run included the program’s transition into NCAA Division I and made him the first Division I head football coach who was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, according to the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education.
A Familiar Voice on Morning Commutes
After his coaching days, Price traded the sideline headset for a radio mic and became a fixture on KSSK, teaming with Michael W. Perry for more than three decades. Together, they helped carry information and a sense of calm to listeners across the islands during storms and other emergencies. Off the air, Price had trained in several martial arts, held a judo black belt and been a heavyweight boxing champion while serving in the U.S. Army, details that added to the larger-than-life persona listeners heard every morning, as reported by Hawaii News Now. Perry told the outlet that the pair were "terrible for about six months" before their timing finally clicked, and he remembered Price as a team player who lifted others up.
Honors, 'Katoosh,' and Community Impact
Price went on to collect some of the state’s top recognitions. He was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 1994 and received the University of Hawaiʻi Founders Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, the college notes. He was later honored by the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame; when he was inducted in 2022, he called it "a tremendous honor" and said the recognition underscored his commitment to scholarships and youth programs, according to Hawaii News Now. Teammates, students and listeners have pointed to his scholarship work and youth programs as a lasting part of his legacy in the islands.
The Price ohana did not announce any public services, and arrangements were not immediately available. Friends, former players, colleagues and listeners are expected to share tributes in the coming days as the community remembers a figure who helped define both sports and radio in Hawaiʻi for generations.
