Tupu Alualu is no longer the head coach of the Saint Louis football team.
In a letter addressed to the Saint Louis community sent out on Monday morning, school president and CEO Glenn Medeiros announced the change. Leonard Lau will immediately take over as interim head coach.
"After careful consideration, we have made the decision to move our football program in a new direction. We wish Tupu all the best in his future endeavors," Medeiros wrote in the letter.
Alualu, a 1990 Saint Louis alumnus, was a former standout running back for the Crusaders who went on to play collegiately for Oregon and Hawai‘i. He also served as the running backs coach for Saint Louis before being selected as the school's new head football coach in 2024.
In his first season, Alualu led the Crusaders to the 2024 HHSAA Open Division title with a 17-10 victory over Kahuku in the state title game.
Saint Louis went 5-3 in 2025, a shocking loss to Punahou preventing them a spot in the state tournament.
Through four games in 2026, the Crusaders are 0-4, with losses to Kahuku and Mililani, as well as national powerhouses IMG Academy of Florida and Sierra Canyon of Florida. Saint Louis will play another national powerhouse on Saturday, taking on California's St. John Bosco, the current No. 9 team in MaxPreps' national rankings.
Despite Saint Louis' current record, there has been no indication from the school that Alualu's release was related to the team's on-field performance.
Lau steps into the interim role after serving as the team's offensive coordinator. He was also Punahou's interim head coach in 2020, though a high school football season was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following its contest against St. John Bosco, Saint Louis will take on its ILH schedule, which consists of two matchups each against Punahou and Kamehameha.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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