STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER / 2023 Kahuku head coach Sterling Carvalho celebrated as time expired as the Red Raiders beat the Mililani Trojans 21-19 to win the HHSAA Open Division State Championship at Clarence T. C. Ching Complex on Nov. 24, 2023.
STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER / 2023 Kahuku head coach Sterling Carvalho celebrated as time expired as the Red Raiders beat the Mililani Trojans 21-19 to win the HHSAA Open Division State Championship at Clarence T. C. Ching Complex on Nov. 24, 2023.
The release of Sterling Carvalho as football coach at Kahuku is a head-scratcher for many.
After seven seasons with three Open Division state championships, the school released him as head coach in a letter from principal Donna Lindsey to parents of football players dated Monday. Rumors swirled about complaints filed by parents with the DOE.
Sterling Carvalho had not returned text messages from the Star-Advertiser as of Wednesday. But his twin brother, special teams coach Stewart Carvalho, spoke in his support.
“For me and him, we never go on social media. Talking with him, we want to set the record straight, there’s nothing illegal or criminal or anything he did that warranted the dismissal, ” Stewart Carvalho said. “What he won’t do is give in to parents complaining about the way coaches coach. He will support his coaches 100 %.”
The brothers, 49, believe they have been consistent, Stewart said.
“The biggest thing for him is having values, having standards and the most important thing is leading young men to become better people. Leaving the program better than when he started, ” he said.
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Sterling Carvalho led Kahuku to a new level with heavy off-season skills training and national Pylon competition, implementing some of the key ingredients that elevated programs like Saint Louis into dynastic territory.
In the letter obtained by the Star-Advertiser on Tuesday night, Lindsey wrote : “Effective immediately, Coach Sterling Carvalho will no longer be serving as the head coach of the KHIS Football Program. Plans are in place to ensure continued support and stability for our student-athletes and the Football Program. An interim head coach will be assigned while we begin the process of selecting a new head coach.”
Two complaints were filed with the Hawaii State Ethics Commission by families of two players in different years while Carvalho was coach, a source told the Star-Advertiser. The source requested anonymity because of their longtime ties to the community.
Specifics about the complaints were still unclear and unavailable late Wednesday, but neither complaint compelled the school to immediately release Carvalho, who is also a teacher at the school.
When reached on Wednesday via text, Lindsey referred questions to the DOE communications branch, where a voice message left late Wednesday was not yet returned.
Stewart Carvalho alluded to playing time issues being a cause of the complaints.
“He took the higher road, ” Stewart Carvalho said. “He said, ‘If (the administration ) would rather believe the parents than us, then I’m done.’ He said that every year and that finally happened. He won’t throw someone under the bus. There’s no favoritism. We never play that game. They’re not supporting him. They’re believing the accusations. He’s fine with it. He’s at peace.”
Kahuku went 59-18 in six seasons with Sterling Carvalho as head coach, winning state championships in 2021, ’22 and’23 to become the only Red Raiders coach ...
