Saint Louis AD Los Banos steps down

Timing is everything on the wrestling mat.

For Saint Louis athletic director Todd Los Banos, the time is right to pass the torch. Los Banos announced his resignation yesterday, effective at the end of the school year.

"For me, personally, I'd like to thank Saint Louis for the 12 years as a coach and teacher. It's been good working with them and, especially, the student-athletes," he said yesterday.

Los Banos will return to The Children's House, a Montessori school in Pearl City founded by his mother, Mary. An executive position awaits Los Banos at the school. He was a teacher and principal there for a decade before coming to Saint Louis.

At Saint Louis' Kalaepohaku campus, he taught and coached wrestling for seven years, guiding the Crusaders to state wrestling titles in 2001 and '02. He took over the AD job in 2003 after Cal Lee went to the University of Hawaii.

"I left (The Children's House) to do some things in coaching and be back with the high school kids teaching. We had some great years here with wrestling," he said, recalling outstanding grapplers such as Travis Lee, Jonathan Spiker and Brandon Low.

"Another dream of mine was to be an athletic director. We've done a lot with facilities, so it's a good time to pass the baton," he said.

In his stint as athletic director, a baseball infield was built, bleachers for the football field were installed, a track was built, and locker rooms and restrooms are being renovated.

Football coach Delbert Tengan will miss Los Banos.

"It's a great opportunity for him. It's a huge loss for us at Saint Louis," Tengan said.

One of Los Banos' first hires was Tengan.

"He was the guy who coaxed me to come back and coach football. We have a great relationship. When he asked me to come back, if it had been anybody else, it would've been no," Tengan said.

Going back to The Children's House -- and leaving the long hours of an AD -- will allow Los Banos to spend more time with his wife and children, a 10th-grade daughter and a sixth-grade son.

"I want to be a parent now. I want to enjoy that, but part of my life has always been athletics, so it's not like I'll forget everything," he said. "It's the right thing to do now."

Prior to coaching at Saint Louis, Los Banos was an assistant at Iolani for 14 years. He guided Iolani to a state championship in 1990 while then-head coach Carl Schroers was on sabbatical.

"He's done so much," Tengan added. "I've had the fortune of having only two bosses here, Cal Lee and Todd, and I was spoiled. Two great people."

The school is accepting applications for the position and hopes to have a replacement by next month.