Lee leaving legacy of success behind
| • | St. Louis' coach Cal Lee offered UH football job |
| • | Move up to next level right for Lee |
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Accolades pour in for departing Lee |
| • | Graphic of Cal Lee's St. Louis win-loss record |
Advertiser Staff
Whatever the reason — a job offer from the University of Hawai'i, frustration over restraints in rules, seeking new challenges, or simply, "it's time," — Cal Lee's departure from the St. Louis sidelines after this season will end the most remarkable era in Hawai'i high school football.
It would be like replacing John Wooden, says Crusader assistant Delbert Tengan, whose name surfaced most frequently yesterday as the most likely to lead the Crusaders in 2002.
Lee, 54, confirmed yesterday that he will resign at the end of this season, his 21st in a career that has seen unprecedented success in Hawai'i and brought national acclaim.
Lee's teams have won 15 official or unofficial state championships in the last 18 years and have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.
It was reported that a role on the University of Hawai'i football coaching staff will be available to him (see story, A1).
Tengan, 40, defensive coordinator at St. Louis and an assistant to Lee for 14 years, laughed each time reporters asked him if he was a candidate to succeed his boss.
"That will be a tough spot to be in," Tengan said. "It would be like replacing John Wooden." After Wooden retired in 1975 after 27 years and 10 NCAA basketball championships at UCLA, the Bruins went through four coaches in nine years trying to fill his shoes.
"Cal's shoes are size 15 (state titles), mine are zero," Tengan said.
Lee said he decided to announce his resignation now, instead at the end of the season, to facilitate a better transition to his replacement.
"You don't just want to bail out," he said. "I think this year we'll see if there's someone that can come in and fill in and continue the way it's been going."
He said there are persons on his current staff who "are more than capable, who could take over and St. Louis would not miss a beat."
Hiring a successor
But the initial response from top assistants was that they don't want to be in the head-coaching hot seat.
Offensive coordinator Vince Passas, who has coached with Lee since both were assistants to Ron Lee, Cal's brother, at Kaiser in 1977-80, said "no, not really" when asked of his interest in the head job.
"It takes a special person to be the head coach, and especially filling Cal's shoes," Passas said.
Said Tengan: "At this point, I'm not interested; but I won't close the door and say I won't take the job.
"There's a lot of things I would have to weigh; it's such a huge job. Right now, my main concern is this season. I'm not going to worry about what's down the road."
Tengan favored finding a new coach within the staff.
"Ideally, you want someone who's been in the program to continue what's going on," he said. "Right now, nothing's broken."
Tengan also has been head basketball coach at St. Louis the past two years and has taken the Crusaders to the state tournament both seasons.
No turning back
While Lee may have used some college coaching offers in the past to improve his situation at St. Louis, he insisted his resignation is "the real deal" and that he is "100 percent" certain.
Lee said he had been thinking about when he should quit for a long time, "even in 1990, when my son graduated, it seemed like a good time. Every year it's a question."
Now, he said, seems like "it's the right time."
"When you think about something so long, you feel a lot better when you finally make the decision," he said.
He announced his decision to his coaching staff and St. Louis administrators on Friday upon his return from a Mainland trip but had not told the players yet.
"I don't think anybody can talk him out of it," Tengan said. "I don't think he'll be like those boxers who keep coming back."
Junior quarterback Bobby George found out yesterday, when St. Louis played its first game in the summer touch-tackle Pass League.
"We just gotta deal with it," he said. "We have to come together as a team and work harder."
George started watching St. Louis play when he was 7 and leaves his 'Ewa Beach home every school day at 6 a.m. so he can be part of the Lee heritage.
Lee's heritage in 20 years at St. Louis (two losing seasons, one in 1972 and the other in 1982) includes:
• 231 victories, 31 defeats, 4 ties (87.6 winning percentage);
• 14 O'ahu Prep Bowl championships, one state championship (the state championship tournament was first held two years ago);
• 17 Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships;
• 55-game winning streak from 1985-90;
• 14-1-1 record against out-of state teams.
Tengan compared Lee's effect on St. Louis football to that of NBA basketball coach Phil Jackson.
"People say he's got all the talent in the world, but it takes more than talent," Tengan said. "Look at the Lakers, they had Shaq and Kobe but they didn't win until Phil got there. Michael Jordan (and the Bulls) didn't win until Phil Jackson got there."
"Cal does a lot to help the players perform ...
"I hope when he leaves, we don't end up like the Bulls."
Staying as AD
Lee said he expected to remain at St. Louis as athletic director. If the next coach asks him for advice, "I'll be glad to," he said, but he will not run the team from the athletic director's office. "I'm not going to be coaching if I'm retired."
As St. Louis' successes have mounted, the Crusaders have become a magnet for controversy in recent years.
In 1998, when they were ranked in the top 10 nationally, the St. Louis administration suspended the team and coaching staff for a few days and forfeited a game after media reports of some players trashing a hotel room and hiring a stripper to dance during a road trip to Las Vegas. It was their only loss that season.
As Crusader point-totals climbed and championships piled up, fans and coaches of some other teams complained about St. Louis' stockpiling players, stealing top prospects from public schools, and running up scores.
ILH legislates rules on team
The Interscholastic League of Honolulu's principals began trying to legislate against St. Louis.
The practice of allowing students to be held back a year in the private schools, in effect "red-shirted," and compete in their fifth year was rescinded.
Transfers from public schools were ordered to stay out of sports for a year.
A running clock was instituted in the second half of runaway games.
Effective this season, teams will be limited to suiting up 65 players for league games. St. Louis usually had more than 100 on the field since the league gave up junior varsity football and all sophomores were moved to the varsity.
Most recently, rival Damien announced it would not play St. Louis this season for fear of injuries. It lost a game to the Crusaders 84-0 last year, even with the running clock.
The rule changes galled Lee, who claimed they hurt innocent student-athletes.
Asked yesterday if those were a factor in his decision to quit, Lee said, "I don't want to go into that."
Passas thinks "it's part of the reason. I could see some type of frustration."
Tengan said, "He's accomplished as much as he can in Hawai'i (high school football). For him to move on and to attain another goal is a big thing for him."
Said 79-year-old dentist and 1938 St. Louis grad Dr. Johnson Lau, who has fitted mouth pieces for Crusader football payers for more than 50 years:
"In modern day football, there's only one Cal Lee and his record substantiates his impressiveness.
"He's irreplaceable."
