Prep coaching legend returns to entirely different landscape

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Saint Louis School admitted brothers Tommy and Ron Lee, but not their younger sibling, Cal.

It would not be the last the school saw of Cal, however.

In 1972 the school hired the Kalani graduate as its head football coach, only to fire him at the two-win season’s end.

And, still, he came back to the Kalaepohaku doorstep a decade later to try again.

That enduring resilience and steadfast resolve figure to come in handy as Cal returns for his third and most challenging stint as the Crusaders’ coach. This time the considerable task that awaits him is following a local legend — himself.

Twelve seasons after he last coached a game there, the 67-year-old Lee is back at the place he made into the state’s most dominating football power. Between 1982 and 2001, he took the Crusaders on a 238-25-4 rampage — including a 55-game winning streak (1985-90) — and stocked the trophy case with 18 ILH championships, 14 Oahu Prep Bowl titles and the inaugural state championship.

"He’s one of the all-time greats in Hawaii football coaching," UH coach Norm Chow said.

Along the way Saint Louis became a must-visit stop for college recruiters, turning out pros Olin Kreutz, Dominic Raiola and Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala, among others. At one point four consecutive Crusader quarterbacks started major college games.

Four head coaches, two of them in repeat efforts, followed the former national coach of the year at Saint Louis without a losing record. Two, Delbert Tengan (2002) and Darnell Arceneaux (2010), won state titles.

But none was able to sustain the glory of the Crusader dynasty, and you have to wonder if, given the changes in the landscape over the intervening 12 years, anybody can.

The Crusaders’ dominance prodded other schools to pick up the pace and also brought rule changes and realignment. The days of 113-player rosters may be done.

Punahou, which has won or been runner-up in the past three state title games, is the reigning power, and the public school OIA has formidable Division I programs in Mililani, Kahuku and rising Kaiser.

Saint Louis, too, has changed. In Lee’s last season there the enrollment was 833. The count for grades six through 12 in 2013 was 540. And the school has gone through trying financial times.

Jason Gesser, who led Washington State to the 2003 Rose Bowl, said "I’m personally very excited to see Coach Lee returning to the Crusader sidelines. I have no doubt he will restore what he built before as long as he has the support he needs from the administration and they give him time to build the foundation the right way…Welcome back."

Ron Lee says his brother’s return isn’t just about hoisting championship trophies again. "Cal loves football and the competition, but he loves Saint Louis and I think he still feels like he still has something to teach the young men there."

Not resting on your laurels, for one.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820