Lee had to convince
Tengan to take job

The new coach says the community's
support swayed him

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By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

It took a bit of persistence, but the St. Louis football program finally got its man.

The school officially announced Delbert Tengan's promotion to head football coach yesterday morning, ending the search for Cal Lee's successor as leader of the state's most successful high school program over the past two decades.

"It's satisfying in the sense that you have someone who you feel deserves it and you have someone you know will do a good job," said Lee, the St. Louis athletic director. "It's just a great feeling because I have all the confidence in what he knows and what he can do and what he will do."

Tengan, an assistant coach at St. Louis for 14 years, accepted the post after first declining it last month. At the time, he cited concerns over handling head coaching responsibilities for both the varsity football and basketball teams.

Lee said he received applications from eight coaches after Tengan removed his name from consideration. But he asked Tengan to reconsider after meeting with St. Louis president Fr. Allen DeLong.

"We both felt Delbert should be the guy to take over the program," Lee said.

After thinking it over a second time, Tengan accepted the job.

"Anytime you make a big decision, whether it's buying a house or buying a car, you always ask yourself if you're doing the right thing," Tengan said. "And I had a lot of calls from students as well as players, faculty members and alumni asking me to reconsider and give it a shot. I took all those things to account, got on my knees and prayed a little and changed my mind."

Tengan said he would not have asked for another chance if Lee had not approached him about reconsidering his initial decision.

"An opportunity like this doesn't fall into your lap very often, let alone twice," Tengan said. "I think it's definitely a great opportunity and the second time it fell into my lap I'd be a fool not to grab it."

Tengan began his career at St. Louis as an athletic trainer in 1983 and started coaching defensive backs in 1987. He was promoted to defensive coordinator four years ago. He will also remain the school's Division I varsity basketball coach as well as a physical education teacher.

He takes over a St. Louis football program that went 241-32-5 during Lee's 21-year tenure as head coach. The Crusaders are the 16-time defending Interscholastic League of Honolulu champions and have won 15 Prep Bowl or state championships.

Tengan has already contacted the rest of the team's assistant coaches and said the entire staff will return next season. More than half of the coaching staff has been with the program for at least a decade.

Tengan will retain his role as defensive coordinator. Vince Passas, who has coached at St. Louis for 22 years, will remain the offensive coordinator.

"What I'm hoping for is when people come to watch St. Louis next year they will not see too much of a difference from when Cal was coaching the team," Tengan said. "We're going to keep the same system on offense and defense and try to keep the continuity going. It's been successful all these years and there's no reason we should change."

Tengan said he will also rely on Lee's guidance in making the transition to head coach.

"People ask me how involved Cal is going to be and I say he's the greatest resource we have on the St. Louis campus," Tengan said. "And I'd be foolhardy not to use that resource. I'll definitely be using Cal as much as I can in whatever capacity I'm able to.

"I'm not really trying to make a mark for myself. My main concern is that the St. Louis football program continues the excellence it has shown in the past."

Tengan inherits a team that returns nine starters (four on offense, five on defense), including four all-state selections: wide receiver Jason Rivers, defensive lineman Tolifili Liufau and defensive backs Timo Paepule and Jonah Lakatani.

"The cupboard's definitely not bare," Tengan said. "How hard we work from now until the season is going to determine how successful we'll be."

In addition to defending its ILH crown, the Crusaders are scheduled to face De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) on Sept. 21. The Spartans own a 125-game winning streak and were last year's consensus national champion.

"It's very intriguing to have a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the perennial national champions, and I can't think of a staff that's more deserving of a shot at this opportunity," Tengan said.

Preparations for next season begin with spring practice in early May and the ILH summer pass league in July.

"You also have to feel good that the kids know who the coach will be and they will start to focus on what they have to do to prepare to get better," Lee said.

Tengan said being the head coach of two varsity teams shouldn't be much different from what he did the last three years when he pulled double duty as football defensive coordinator and head basketball coach. He said his assistant coaches will oversee basketball practice until the end of football season.

"You ask any other multi-sport player. You play as hard as you can while your season is in progress and once that's done you move on to the next one," he said. "That's the same way I'm going to approach coaching. I'm going to work my hardest to make sure we maintain the St. Louis tradition in football, and once football is over then I'll turn my efforts over to the basketball program."

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