Hale steps down as Saint Louis basketball coach
Aug. 30—Dan Hale has stepped down as basketball coach at Saint Louis, six months after leading the Crusaders to their second consecutive state championship.
"I am a Crusader for life in my heart. I went to battle with those guys and we went and got it," Hale said.
Longtime assistant coach Mark Revuelto confirmed that he will be the new head coach.
"At the end, it's an opportunity for everybody. For me. A great opportunity for Mark," said Hale, who will return to his alma mater, Punahou, in an administrative position.
Revuelto met with school president Glenn Medeiros on Tuesday morning.
"It's official. They asked me this morning. I'm feeling all kinds (of emotions)," Revuelto said on Tuesday afternoon. "Excited. Sad. Kind of mad. I'm excited that I get to, this is a dream job to come here and coach at my alma mater. I get to coach (son) Shancin,. I get to put my own imprint on Saint Louis basketball. Yet, by the same token, I wanted Coach Dan to finish with Shancin, to be here at least until Shancin graduates."
Revuelto was surprised. Everything changed in the span of a few hours Monday.
"It's a better situation for him and his family, so we can't be anything but be happy for him," Revuelto said. "He has a lot of knowledge about basketball and everything. Learning from him daily. Of course, the X's and O's, I'm always willing to learn from anybody. The fact of having him around, it was a blast. I'll ask him about anything. Being around him made me a better man, the last four years of knowing him. I see things from a different point of view."
Hale, 60, got fulfillment in each of his roles at Kalaepohaku — counselor, overseeing athletic events, associate athletic director, coach.
"It's a great opportunity for Mark. I'm super happy for him. This thing just happened and it's an opportunity that came up. Everything lined up. For me, it was going to happen at some point. It would've been nice to defend the state championship again. It's a great team and great guys. Their cupboard is full."
Now, he gets to focus on just one job at his alma mater — overseeing athletic events as an associate administrator at his alma mater, Punahou. The multiple roles and long hours at Saint Louis took a toll and he needed change.
"Leaving was a little sooner than I planned, but you have to jump on those. The work-life balance, that's the whole thing. Last year was really tough for me. Really rewarding, but really tough. Maybe if I was 10 years younger.
That was a grind, turning around and being a full-time counselor in the day, also managing events. It was a lot," Hale said. "It's good to get back to Punahou. I loved being at Saint Louis. It was a great experience for me. I'm just happy that Mark is going to have this opportunity because he's the right guy. The boys are in good hands. If they weren't, I'd be a little bit nervous about it."
Hale particularly enjoyed watching student-athletes grow.
"I love coaching. Big Jordan (Posiulai), I love that kid. The development that kid has done, one of the best big men in the state. Pupu (Sepulona)'s growth and maturity. I would've loved to be part of that in the future," Hale said.
Revuelto is a Saint Louis graduate, a former player. He coached on Hale's staff for the entirety of his four years. Revuelto's oldest son, Shoncin, was the point guard on the 2022 state championship team, an All-Defensive selection. Another son, Shancin Revuelto, was the PG for the '23 state-title squad and an All-State selection.
Revuelto and the staff were instrumental in helping Hale run basketball leagues year-round at Saint Louis. It remains a vital ingredient in Saint Louis' development of young players, learning Hale's disciplined, efficient system.
"Right after I talked to Mr. Medeiros. He wanted to see me in person and offer me the job in person," Revuelto said. "Then I walked over to the school and sat down and talked to Coach Dan. He's excited for me. He's telling me that I'm ready."
Hale remains in his position as a counselor and co-athletic director at the school until he joins the staff at Punahou on Sept. 11.
As a player, he sparked Punahou to three state titles — under three different head coaches — before playing at Hawaii and Chaminade. He later coached at Moanalua, where he was named OIA Coach of the Year in '03.
Hale coached the Buffanblu to a state crown in 2007 and a runner-up finish in '08. He then moved to Virginia to be closer to his father, Ralph, and coached at George C. Marshall High School for a decade, winning a district championship in '13.
After returning from Virginia, he was hired at Saint Louis in 2019, overseeing operations at the new Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.
In the 2020-21 season, his second at Saint Louis, the program stayed intact and played 13 exhibition games, going unbeaten against a slate of mostly club teams.
In '21-'22, the Crusaders won their first state title since '86. Two-sport standout Aiva Arquette was named All-State Player of the Year.
Last season, Hale guided a very young team to the state title. Sepulona, a sophomore, was named All-State Player of the Year as the Crusaders finished 27-7.
The year-round leagues, training and practices have created a unique basketball culture at a school that was once defined almost exclusively by its football dynasty.
He was Star-Advertiser All-State Coach of the Year in each of Saint Louis' title runs. Their last unofficial game was on Sunday against a team from Fukuoka, Japan. The Crusaders will travel there in November to play, without Hale.
