Tupu Alualu is the new head football coach at Saint Louis.

The longtime assistant takes over the program following the Ron Lee era. Saint Louis released the longtime coach in December.

Alualu is a former Saint Louis player who went on to play at Oregon. He coached the Kalani Falcons Pop Warner program for years, and was an assistant coach at Saint Louis for 14 years.

“As the new leader of our historic football program, he is committed to upholding the values of a Saint Louis man by inspiring our students to be champions on and off the field,” Saint Louis School President Glenn Medeiros said in a press release Friday.

Saint Louis was 4-5 last season, going 2-2 in the ILH regular season. The Crusaders beat Kamehameha, but lost to Punahou in the league championship game.

Saint Louis has 21 HHSAA or Oahu Prep Bowl championships. The Crusaders last won the state title in 2019. Since then, Kahuku has won three crowns in a row.

Lee spent three seasons as head coach at Saint Louis after taking over for his brother, Cal Lee, during the pandemic. Ron finished 14-14 during that stretch and is 68-53-2 in his 12 seasons as a high school head coach. He spent nine seasons from 1972 to 1980 as the head coach at Kaiser and guided the Cougars to a win in the Prep Bowl in 1979 over Kamehameha.