Losing a coach can be disruptive to a football-loving community such as Kahuku, but fans and observers in the small North Shore town aren’t going to dwell on the sudden departure of coach Lee Leslie.
Many appreciate what he gave to the program in his year at the helm, but they also know it’s time to move forward with whoever is hired as the next coach.
Junior Ah You, a former pro football player and lifelong Kahuku resident who has remained close to the Red Raiders, is disappointed that Leslie will no longer be around.
"Family comes first," said Ah You, who runs Tita’s Grill across the street from Kahuku High and Intermediate. "It was too tough for him to relocate his family here and it’s tough to be away from family. I’m sad he wasn’t able to finish what he started. He did a lot of great things. I hope they get a new coach who can take the program to another level. If he had stayed, I think he could have done that. He taught respect and he taught the kids to say kind things. He focused on core values that are a lot more important than football and are valuable for the growth of any child."
To some, Leslie’s departure was a surprise, but not a bombshell.
"It’s not a big shock," said Carlton Ching, a business owner who also works as a starter at Kahuku Golf Course. "There were rumors that he was leaving, and it’s understandable because of his family. I was surprised when they replaced Reggie Torres (the coach before Leslie). I thought he did a good job."
Verla Moore, a member of the Laie Community Association, the chair of the Ko‘olauloa Neighborhood Board and a longtime Kahuku fan, said she and many others who got to know Leslie could sense "the vibe" recently that the coach might not be around much longer.
"He was always talking about his family and how much he missed them," she said. "We are grateful for the time he gave to Kahuku, and I think he did the honorable thing by walking away now well before the next season starts."
Moore thinks the Kahuku administration was aware that Leslie might decide to leave, and she believes that there’s a strong possibility that a contingency plan is in place.
"That would make sense," she said. "You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not feel his pain (in not being around his family).
"He resigned and we’re (in the community) OK with that. We understand. It’s Kahuku football and we’re moving on."
