HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A rally was held Saturday morning in support of the former head football coach at Kahuku High School.
It’s the first public appearance for Sterling Carvalho since he was abruptly fired in April.
“My players can testify, my coaches can as well and you guys know,” Carvalho told the supporters at the rally. “So thank you guys so much for believing and coming out and being in support of this.”
Carvalho spoke to the dozens of Red Raider faithful along Kamehameha Highway, many hearing from him for the first time since he was removed from his position with Kahuku football.
The rally was put together by members of the community who have long supported Carvalho.
“It was kind of last minute,” North Shore resident Mandy Mitchell told Hawaii News Now. “I mean, May is crazy, we got graduation coming up, but all of us were just really excited for the opportunity to come because we care and we support.”
“The outpouring of love and support from day one when this happened has just been unspeakable,” Carvalho said. “Unfathomable to me to even comprehend how much of an impact I had as a coach.”
Many former players also stopped by to show their solidarity with their head coach.
“Definitely, you know, he set the standard,” former Kahuku wide receiver Kainoa Carvalho said. “Coach Sterling, we played with these younger guys, and I mean just seeing them coming out definitely speaks volumes.”
In the wake of the firing, Carvalho hired attorney Michael Green, but did not file a lawsuit.
Green spoke to the public on his behalf, but Carvalho admits being away from the public eye was tough.
“Do I miss the boys? Yes, Do they miss me? Yes, I miss my coaches, but I miss not just being a coach,” Carvalho said. “I miss being a servant of the community. That’s where the passion of my coaching comes to not just help our players on the field but off the field as well.”
While Saturday’s rally showed strong support for Coach Carvalho, his position has become clear: it’s no longer about wanting his old position back at Kahuku, but rather regaining his credibility.
“Unethical practices that’s not of my nature and that’s all we want,” Carvalho said. “Just to have a clear name and for everyone to know what my community knows that’s what we want everybody to know.”
His supporters also add that it’s not about putting the blame on someone, but rather helping Carvalho move forward.
“We’re not calling for anybody’s names, or any we’re not trying to move backward. We want to move forward,” Mitchell said. “Part of that is knowing the character of this person and making sure that there’s no misinformation or rumors just spreading.”
When asked if he’d return to the Red Raider sideline, Carvalho said, “At this point it’s not about me getting my job back. It’s about me clearing my name.”