Despite authoring a run of success that included three consecutive Open Division state championships, Sterling Carvalho has been removed as head coach of the Kahuku football program.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Billy Hull first reported late Tuesday night that Carvalho, the Red Raiders’ six-season leader, was the subject of an email dated March 31 sent to parents of student-athletes by Kahuku principal Donna Lindsey.

“This letter is to inform you that effective immediately, Coach Sterling Carvalho will no longer be serving as the head coach of the KHIS Football Program,” Lindsey wrote. “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.”

There was no immediate word on the specific reasoning for his removal.

Carvalho, a Kauai native, went 59-18 in his six seasons with the varsity starting in 2018 after leading the school’s JV program.

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Spectrum News on Wednesday.

Kahuku won three straight Open titles coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2021 to 2023, reclaiming glory from its chief rival, Saint Louis, which had won the previous four. The Red Raiders fell short of a fourth with a 17-10 loss to Saint Louis in the 2024 Open final.

Under Carvalho, Kahuku consistently aspired to be considered among the nation’s elite. The Red Raiders traveled to the continent to play against power programs like St. John Bosco (Calif.), Mater Dei (Calif.) and Bishop Gorman (Nev.), and secured once-unfathomable home dates against the same schools.

Kahuku knocked off defending national champion and then-No. 3 ranked St. John Bosco on the North Shore, 30-23 on Sept. 16, 2023, in one of the biggest prep wins ever for a Hawaii school.

In 2024, Carvalho added two players from the mainland late in the season who became starters in the postseason — quarterback Matai Fuiava and offensive lineman Jacob Maiava.

Spanning its run of state titles, Kahuku registered 32 straight wins against Hawaii opponents.

Kahuku has a reputation for going through head coaches at a rapid rate, often despite a high degree of on-field success. Makoa Freitas served as interim head coach in 2017; Vavae Tata lasted two years, 2015 and 2016; and Lee Leslie left after the 2014 season, when he came in to succeed Reggie Torres.

Kanoa Leahey, co-host of the Let’s Talk Sports radio show with Hull on ESPN Honolulu, noted Wednesday morning that he attended a Kahuku football fundraiser golf tournament at Turtle Bay last week and that Carvalho was still in place at the time.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.