Kalani High School girls basketball coach Darold Imanaka has been replaced after three successful seasons which saw a sharp rise in victory totals and community support.

Kalani athletic director Gregory Van Cantfort announced yesterday that George Weeks has been hired to replace Imanaka, who guided the Falcons to the Division II state championship in 2006 and a Division I state tournament berth this past season.

Imanaka, however, is challenging Van Cantfort's hiring process and has enlisted attorney Eric Seitz to represent him. Seitz told The Advertiser he plans to pursue legal action against Van Cantfort soon; Seitz also is representing former Kaua'i High School football coach Keli'i Morgado in a similar case.

Van Cantfort declined to comment on Seitz's plans.

Last month, Van Cantfort announced openings for coaching positions in every sport. He told The Advertiser yesterday that all coaches work under one-year contracts, and that opening up the positions and making current coaches re-apply was "part of the process of casual hires," the designation which he said coaches fall under.

Van Cantfort said all positions were first offered to members of Kalani's faculty and staff, then were open to the public if nobody on staff applied.

He said Imanaka did not re-apply. Imanaka deferred official comment, pending the legal action soon to be taken.

In Imanaka's first season, he guided the Falcons to the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's White Conference championship and a Division II state semifinal appearance. In 2006, Kalani won the DII state title. And this past season, the Falcons were promoted to Division I and advanced to the state quarterfinals.

Under Imanaka, a 1971 Kalani graduate, the Falcons also saw a resurgence in fan support.

"For me, I have great respect for Darold Imanaka and I think he did a phenomenal job with the Kalani program," said Weeks, an 'Iolani graduate who was the boys basketball coach at Menlo (Atherton, Calif.) High School for five years. "I hope to continue the tradition that he began."

Weeks guided Menlo to a Private School Athletic League championship in 2001 and the California Interscholastic Federation Central Coast Section quarterfinals in 2002.

Also yesterday, Van Cantfort announced that Nathan Davis was hired as boys basketball coach, replacing Richard Miyasaka. Davis teaches social studies at Kalani and is a former varsity assistant and JV head coach at Roosevelt.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.