Wanting to return to coaching at a higher level, Kealakehe's Sam Papali'i said he will be leaving his post as varsity football coach at the West Hawai'i school after this season.

Papali'i, 49, is in his fifth season as coach of the defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I champions. In four seasons, he compiled a 30-13-1 record and coached the 7-year-old program to its first league crown and state tournament appearance last season.

"I'd like to pursue some options," Papali'i said. "I'd like to get back into college coaching or maybe even higher. I have a lot of contacts in college and the NFL."

Before joining Kealakehe in 2001, Papali'i spent 19 seasons as an assistant at Hawai'i, Arizona, Utah, Iowa State and UNLV. While at those schools, he actively recruited Hawai'i athletes.

He said being the head coach at Kealakehe allowed him to learn all aspects of the game.

"Having become a head coach, I became a student of the game," he said. "It's not just X's and O's, but I had to learn everything about offense, defense and special teams. I was my own offensive and defensive coordinator and special teams (coach). It made me a better coach."

He said the timing is about right for him to move, which will likely take him back to the Mainland. His son Sam is a senior defensive back/quarterback for the Waveriders and another son, Max, is a junior running back.

"My dream was to coach my sons," he said. "It's been a great ride coaching at Kealakehe High School. Coaching is what I do. It's my passion. And my wife said it's 'OK.' "

Papali'i's Kealakehe teams had winning seasons each year. Twice his teams had the best record after the regular season, only to be eliminated in the league final. Last year, the Waveriders were second after regular-season play, but won the BIIF tournament to advance to the state tournament.

The Waveriders open the BIIF season Saturday by hosting Konawaena at about 7 p.m.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.