Eddie Klaneski has stepped down as athletic director and football coach at Damien.

School President Dr. Kyle Atabay confirmed the news Friday morning.

“I can say that he turned in a resignation letter earlier this week. (Wednesday), I believe he spoke with his coaches, as well as his football team, about his decision to do so,” Atabay said. “In cooperation with him, we announced to our faculty and staff about his departure.”

The former Monarch player did not return calls for comment.

Klaneski’s Monarchs have been highly competitive in Divisions I and II since his emergence as head coach in 2011. Damien reached the D-I state final in ’17, losing to Hilo.

He leaves as the only football coach in school history to post a winning record (47-43) during his tenure.

“We are definitely going to miss him,” Atabay said. “He admits this was a really hard decision for himself. We’re just really grateful for the many years of service he gave to Damien as an employee, but we all get to that point in our lives where we make a decision.”

Klaneski, a 1993 graduate of Damien, will be involved in a different way.

“I don’t think we’re seeing the last of him because he’s an alumni and he’s tied to us. He’s talked about staying involved as an alum in fundraising events and other capacities,” Atabay said. “I think we’ll still be seeing him a lot.”

The Monarchs are still practicing fall sports, not subject to the state Department of Education’s recent postponement of the season. Damien will likely name an interim head coach before the private-school Interscholastic League of Honolulu begins playing games.