Akiu attended Kalaheo High School in Kailua, Honolulu County, Hawaii.
[12] Akiu coached the Windward Tigers Pop Warner Midgets to a 95–5 record.
[13] Akiu was the head football coach at Kalaheo High School from 2000 to 2002, accumulating an 11–14 record.
[2][13] He resigned in March 2003 due to time constraints in relation to his job as a stevedore.
[14][15] On September 1, 1985, Akiu Sr. helped apprehend a burglar who had broken into a hotel room he shared with teammate Willie Drewrey.