University of Hawaii at Manoa Women's Softball

Coolen has amassed an 993-641-1 record.    Coolen is the third longest tenured coach at Hawaii behind only womens volleyball coach Dave Shoji (42 seasons) and sailing coach Andy Johnson (27th year). He came to the islands in 1990 as an assistant coach to Rayla Allison, who headed the Rainbow Wahine program for two seasons in 1990 and 91. Coolen is the only coach in UH softball program history to ever lead a UH softball team into post-season action. He has guided the Bows to 11 NCAA tournaments (1994, `95, `98, `99, 2001, `03, `07, '08, '10, 12, and '13); two Super Regionals (2007, 10), and one appearance to the 2010 Womens College World Series. Coolens Rainbow Wahine have captured four WAC titles (2003, '07, '10, 12); two Big West crowns (1994, 2013); and was chosen the 2010 Easton Team of the Year. Coolen has earned conference Coach of the Year honors for all six of those title-winning seasons.   Since beginning his tenure at UH in 1992, he has coached 17 All-American players who have earned 32 All-American honors (NFCA, Easton, or ESPN.com); 36 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region players who have garnered 52 awards; and a combined 63 players who have earned 124 all-conference honors in the Big West and WAC. Coolens players have also done well in the classroom with 27 players earning 52 NFCA Scholar Athlete honors and 51 players earning 94 all-conference academic honors. Coolen has also coached three CoSIDA Academic All-America playersTracy Loo (1992), Stephanie Ricketts (2012) and Kelly Majam (2013). In 2013, the 'Bows re-joined the Big West Conference after spending the previous 16 seasons as a member of the WAC. Hawaii captured the 2013 Big West title and received the league's automatic bid to their 11th NCAA Tournament. The Rainbow Wahine were led by a solid trio of All-American talent in Jessica Iwata, Kelly Majam and Kaia Parnaby as the team posted a 45-13 overall record and a league-best 20-4 record in conference games. Majam earned Big West Defensive Player of the Year honors; Coolen was voted the league's Coach of the Year; and Panraby earned NFCA and Easton All-American honors while being named the Big West's Pitcher of the Year. The 2012 edition Rainbow Wahine captured its fourth WAC regular season title with a 17-3 conference record and earned an at-large bid to their 10th NCAA tournament. UH started the season with a school-record 21-game win streak and finished the year with a 44-9 record with the highest win-percentage in school history (.830). Highlighting the season was a thrilling, come-from-behind, 10-inning, 3-1 win over then-undefeated and top-ranked California in which Ricketts, UHs senior pitcher, earned a complete-game victory and Jessica Iwata drilled a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to lift the Bows to the win. During the conference season, the Bows closed its home schedule with its first sweep over perennial power, Fresno State that was capped by Ricketts firing her sixth career no-hitter in front of a capacity-crowd in the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.   Hawaii rose as high as No. 11 in the 2012 NFCA polls and went 5-2 against teams that were ranked during season. The Rainbow Wahine ended the regular season with the No. 1-ranked pitching staff in the NCAA DI with a 1.40 team-ERA from the combination of Ricketts and junior southpaw Kaia Parnaby. Offensively, the Bows had major power surges throughout the season, outscoring their opponents 332-to-95 with 15 mercy rule wins during the year. Eight UH players were selected to the all-WAC teams, with Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, Jessica Iwata, Kelly Majam, Sarah Robinson, and Ricketts making the first team and Alex Aguirre and Kaia Parnaby named to the second team. Coolen earned his fourth WAC Coach of the Year honor while Leisha Liilii was tabbed the WAC Freshman of the Year and Ricketts collected her school record third consecutive WAC Pitcher of the Year award.   In his 1992, his first year as head coach of the Rainbow Wahine, the club recorded a school-record 34 wins. The only blemish was in 1993 as the club went 24-35, but Coolens determination and drive quickly turned the program into a national power the following season.   In 1994, the program took its spot among the nations elite as UH posted a school-mark 51 wins, the Big West Conference crown, and the programs first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. That season, the Rainbow Wahine finished one win shy of reaching the Womens Softball College World Series. In 1995, UH had another banner season, posting a 47-21 record on the diamond and again one win shy of advancing to the WCWS.   Another marquee season was 2007, when the Rainbow Wahine swept through the NCAA Regionals at UCLA to advance to the WACs and UHs first ever Super Regional in Knoxville, Tenn. The Bowsled by senior captains Tyleen Tausaga and Alana Power and All American Kate Robinsonforced the top-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols to a deciding championship game before falling just one win shy of the Womens College World Series. In 2010, Coolen guided the Rainbow Wahine through a storybook, record-breaking season that concluded with its first ever appearance in the WCWS. After beginning the season with a 21-11 non-conference record, Hawaii put everything together and hit their stride at the start of the WAC season, winning their first 18 conference games en route to a 19-1 WAC mark. The Bows captured both the WAC regular season and tournament titles then swept through the NCAA Regional at Stanford defeating UC Davis, Stanford and Texas Tech. UH, the 16 seed in the tournament, then faced top-seeded Alabama in the Tuscaloosa Super Regionals. After falling in the first game, 8-0 in five innings, UH bounced back to win the second game of the three-game series. UH jumped out to a 7-1 lead on solo home runs by Majam and Traci Yoshikawa and a grand slam by Iwata. But the Crimson Tide would rally back to eventually tie the game at 7-7 in the fifth, but Iwata came through with an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead, 8-7. In the Super Regional championship game, UH jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Jenna Rodriguezs three-run home run. Alabama would leapfrog past the Bows in the sixth, 4-3. Then, in one of the biggest moments in UH athletic history, Rodriguez launched a two-run, walk-off home run that snuck just inside the third-base foul pole, to lift UH over the heavily favored Crimson Tide in a 5-4 victory that propelled UH into the WCWS. The Bows late-game heroics didnt end in Alabama, as Yoshikawa hit a two-run home run against Missouri in the World Series opener to win, 3-2. But UH then ran into eventual championship finalists, UCLA and Arizona and were eliminatedbut not before capturing the hearts of softball fans both at home and around the nation. UH drew record crowds at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. who wanted to witness the excitement generated by UHs gritty style of play. In that same season, Hawaii shattered the previous NCAA single-season home run record with 158 home runs (previous record was 134 by Arizona 2009)led by freshman phenom, All-American Majams nation-leading 30 homers. Thirty of the teams homers came in post-season play alone. The Bows also set single-season school records in runs (488), RBI (449), doubles (92), walks (185), and hits (578). Coolen and his team finished 2010 ranked No. 7 nationallytheir highest finishing rank ever. The Rainbow Wahine reached the 50 win mark for just the third time in school history. On April 10 Coolen hit another milestonehis 700th win as head coach of the Rainbow Wahine against Boise State that capped off an undefeated eight-game WAC record-setting roadtrip in which freshman Kelly Majam also broke the school and WAC single-season home run record and Rodriguez broke the UH team home run record with the 85th of the season.   The Somerville, Mass., native graduated from Brockton High School in 1976. During his prep days, Coolen was a three-sport letterman excelling in football, baseball, and swimming. As an athlete, he participated in the 1976 State Tournament and was named his American Legion teams MVP the same season. He was inducted into the Brockton High School Hall of Fame in the fall of 2011 after his successful prep and collegiate career as an athlete and his stellar career as the head coach of Hawaii. Coolen went on to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., where he again was a three-sport athlete. He played four years each on the football and baseball teams as a receiver and pitcher, respectively. He also was a sprinter on the swimming team for two seasons. He captained the football and baseball teams his senior season of 1979-80 and led his baseball team to the Little-Three Conference title in 1980.   Coolen earned his B.A. degree in 1980 in government with an emphasis in public-policy analysis. He went on to do his post-graduate work at Boston University where he earned his M.Ed. in human movement in 1986.   From 1983-90, Coolen wore many hats. At Bentley, his duties were not only the facility and equipment managers and pool supervisor, but he also coached swimming and softball.   To this day, Coolen, in his five short seasons as head coach at Bentley, remains the all-time coaching leader in wins (72). His 1987 squad placed second in the league, the second highest finish ever by a Bentley club, while his clubs 21 wins in 1989 remains a school record.   Coolen is married to the former Nanci Morelock and they have a daughter, Demi (22), and a son, Bo (20).   

Former Rainbow Warrior swimmer Steve Allnutt enters his second season at the helm of the Hawai‘i men's and women's swimming and diving programs after being named the head coach on Aug. 30, 2024. YEARS COACHING Hawai'i - 2nd season (2024-present) Overall - 14th season (2012-present) COACHING EXPERIENCE Hawai'i - Head Coach (2024-present) San Jose State - Assistant Coach (2022-24) San Diego State - Associate Head Coach (2018-22), Assistant Coach (2014-18) Hawai'i - Volunteer Assistant Coach (2012-14) UH COACHING HIGHLIGHTS Led the Rainbow Warriors to a second place finish and the Rainbow Wahine to a third place finish at the Big West Championships. Helped guide Karol Ostrowski to an NCAA Championship appearance, where he broke the UH program record in the 100 free. Coached freshmen Macie Wheeler and Juan Esteban Ramirez Tamayo, who each garnered Big West Diver of the Year and Freshman Diver of the Year honors. Also coached 2025 Co-Freshman Swimmer of the Year Adam Zdybel. Helped place 24 athletes to the All-Big West team and accumulated 67 total honors in his first year as head coach. Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine combined for five conference records at the Big West Championships. COACHING HIGHLIGHTS Arrives at UH with a decade of coaching experience in the Mountain West. During his two years at San Jose State, the Spartans defeated rivals Fresno State and Nevada in dual meets, both for the first time in over a decade. Also led the Spartan distance squad to a second-place team finish at the inaugural MPSF Open Water Championships, a competition that he helped start as a championship committee member. Helped lead the San Diego State women's program to four Mountain West titles (2015, 2019, 2020, 2022) in his eight years with the program. Coached three-time Mountain West Swimmer of the Year Klara Thormalm. Helped guide San Diego State to a dual meet record of 85-2 during his tenure, ending his time with the Aztecs on a 40-meet winning streak. A total of 30 Aztecs advanced to the NCAA Championships during his time with the program, highlighted by 12 entries and a 39th-place national finish in his first season at SDSU in 2014-15. Aztec swimmers combined to win 44 individual and relay Mountain West titles over his eight seasons on staff. 11 San Diego State athletes earned CSCAA All-America recognition. Helped lead SDSU to top-three conference finishes in each of his eight seasons on staff. ALMA MATER Hawai‘i, 2011 & 2014 SWIMMING CAREER Hawai‘i, 2007-11 SWIMMING HIGHLIGHTS Helped lead UH to the 2011 Conference USA title. Placed in the top five in the 400 IM, 500 free and 1650 free at the 2011 Conference USA Championships. Outside the pool, Allnutt competed in the 2011 USA Swimming National Open Water Championships, placing top 15 in the 5k event. HOMETOWN Forest Grove, Ore. PERSONAL Holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science and earned his master’s degree in kinesiology, with a focus on research in swimming biomechanics, under Dr. Jan Prins, in 2014, both degrees were at UH.

In June 2025, Panita Thanatharn was selected as the fourth head coach of the University of Hawai'i softball program.   Thanatharn has spent 16 seasons in two stints at Long Beach State (2008, '11-25), where she served as associate head coach since 2016. She began her coaching career with The Beach in 2008 as director of operations/assistant coach before joining UNLV's coaching staff as assistant coach for two seasons (2009-10). She returned to Long Beach State in 2011 and has served as the primary recruiter and hitting coach as well as handling all administrative duties and the conditioning program for the team.   Under Thanatharn's guidance, the Beach posted the 10 highest batting averages in program history, including a .320 mark in 2021 which ranked No. 15 nationally. The Beach ranked 20th in 2018 with a .306 average and set single-season records for hits (486) and doubles (91). In 2013, the team hit a program-best 53 home runs led by Darian Tautalafua, who set Big West career records for home runs and RBI and program career marks for runs scored and walks. In 18 seasons as an assistant coach, Thanatharn has been a part of nine NCAA Regional teams – eight with LBSU and one with UNLV – and five Big West championship teams (2008, '12, '14, '21, '23). During her time with LBSU, the Beach never finished conference play lower than fourth place. She helped coach 16 all-region players, including All-Americans Brooke Turner and Taylor Rowland as well as Big West Player of the Year Shayna Kimbrough and three Big West Freshmen of the Year.   Thanatharn worked and played under two legendary coaches – Pete Manarino at UNLV and Kim Sowder at LBSU. Manarino is the Beach's all-time winningest coach with 843 wins while Sowder is second with 579.   A four-year letterwinner for the Beach (2002, '05-07), Thanatharn earned the school's Todd Hart Courage Award in 2003 and was honorable mention all-Big West in 2007. She still holds the school record for most hits in a game with five against Siena in 2007. Following her senior season, she was one of 20 finalists for the Lowe's Senior Class Award, presented annually to a senior softball player who excels both on and off the field.   Thanatharn double-majored from LBSU in exercise science and sport psychology and coaching in 2006 and received a master's in kinesiology with an option in sports management from LBSU in 2008.     WHAT THEY'RE SAYING…   Pete Manarino, Former Long Beach State & UNLV Head Coach "I have nothing but positive things to say about Panita. Not only did she play for me at Long Beach State but she was one of my assistant coaches at UNLV for a couple of years. Panita is the type of person who is so likeable and has a great personality. She's such a good coach and recruiter. She brought in so many great players during her time at UNLV. As a player, she was a team leader and her work ethic was unbelievable. I'm excited to see what she does at UH. It's a great fit for not only her, but for the university, athletic department and the softball program."   Kim Sowder, Former Long Beach State Head Coach "I'm so happy and excited for Panita to have the opportunity to be the next head coach for the University of Hawai'i softball program. Panita has been by my side for 15 years at LBSU and has played a key role in the success of our program's strong culture and competitive excellence on and off the field. She is family to me and one of the best human beings I know. I couldn't have asked for a more loyal, caring, knowledgeable, and valuable assistant. Her genuine love for student-athletes, her work ethic, attention to detail and competitive fire will be felt immediately. She is an outstanding servant leader, and a tremendous hire for UH Softball."   Jo Evans, UC Santa Barbara Head Coach, NFCA Hall of Fame Coach "I'm excited for Panita to have the opportunity to be the head coach at Hawai'i. She has paid her dues as a loyal, dedicated, and hardworking assistant at Long Beach State. She has a great work ethic, pays attention to detail, highly organized, and establishes great relationships with her players. She does a great job running the offense from the 3rd base coaching box and has been part of several Big West Championships. Hawai'i is getting a high quality, high character person to run their Softball program."    

Kyle Koterba brings 35 years of men's fastpitch softball experience to the University of Hawai?i program, having competed at the highest levels of the game as both a player and manager. His career includes multiple state and international championships, a top-four finish at the ISC World Tournament, and a top-five finish at the Men's Open ASA National Championship as player/manager for the Black Knights out of Fargo, North Dakota. Throughout his career, he had the opportunity to play with and against the best players of this era from around the world, learning what it takes to be an elite fastpitch player. Kyle spent his first 20 years primarily at third base before transitioning to pitcher, and devoted several years to organizing local and regional fastpitch leagues and tournaments. Away from softball, Kyle is a professional electrical engineer with over 20 years of experience designing electrical infrastructure projects throughout the country and around the world.  

Lauren Sale enters her second season as the Hawai‘i Assistant Swim Coach after joining the program in the fall of 2024. COACHING EXPERIENCE West Florida & Northern Arizona, Graduate Assistant Sports Performance Coach Boise State, Sports Performance Coach and Associate Director of Sports Performance (2022-2024) South Carolina, Volunteer Coach and Lead Age Group Coach CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Helped lead Rainbow Warriors to a runner-up finish at the 2025 Big West Championships ALMA MATER Boise State, 2020 SWIMMING CAREER Boise State (2017-2019) SWIMMING HIGHLIGHTS Finished second in 200 back (2:01.95) and fourth in 100 back (57.01) at the 2020 Mountain West Championships. Helped lead Boise State to the 2018 Mountain West Championship. Competed at the 2019 Pacific Games representing Samoa, earning gold in the 200 back and 200 IM. First swimmer to win gold medal for Samoa in the Pacific Games (2019). Holds Samoan record times in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM. HOMETOWN Westminster, Colo. PERSONAL Graduated with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, 2020

Former Rainbow Warrior Swimmer Tim Gallagher enters his second season as the Hawai‘i Assistant Swim Coach after joining the program in the fall of 2024. COACHING EXPERIENCE Aulea Swim Club (2021-2024) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Helped lead Rainbow Wahine to a runner-up finish at the 2025 Big West Championships. ALMA MATER Hawai‘i, 2024 SWIMMING CAREER Hawai‘i, 2019, 2021-2023 SWIMMING HIGHLIGHTS Set three UH Top 10 times in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM in his senior season. Earned 15 All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors, inclduing nine first team selections. Part of the winning 800 free relay and 400 medley relay teams that set meet records at the 2024 MPSF Championships (Feb. 21-24). Qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 backstroke at the SMU Invitational Long Course Time Trials with a time of 2:01.31. Posted a time of 55.58 in the 100 back and 2:01.57 in the 200 back at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. A part of two school record-setting relay teams at the 2023 MPSF Championships (400 free relay, 800 free relay). HOMETOWN Poulsbo, Wash.

Gould finished her stellar career with a .306 batting average, 126 runs scored, 208 hitts, and 101 RBI. She was voted the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2005, an NFCA All-West Region first team outfielder as a senior, and a WAC scholar-athlete in 2008.   The Ewa Beach native is a 2004 graduate of Kamehameha Schools where she was a highly recruited catcher. Gould was a member of the 2002 state championship team which also produced fellow UH teammates Brandi Peiler and Kate Robinson. Gould was an all-state selection her sophomore, junior and senior seasons for the Kamehameha.   Gould earned her bachelor of science degree in family resources in December 2008. She has as one daughter, Kaleilehua.  

Mariah Ramirez was hired as part of softball head coach Panita Thanatharn's inaugural coaching staff in the Summer of 2025. Ramirez comes to Hawai'i after serving eight seasons as the Long Beach State pitching coach where she coached alongside Thanatharn from 2018-2025. Ramirez helped lead The Beach to a pair of Big West titles in 2021 and '23 and three NCAA Regional appearances (2018, '21, and '23). This past season, Ramirez helped LBSU lead the Big West with a team ERA of 3.47. Prior to her stint at Long Beach State, Ramirez was an assistant coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills from 2015-17   Ramirez played all four years at Utah from 2012-'15. She was a member of the Utes' pitching staff for four seasons while on offense, she saw time as a solid hitter. Ramirez earned second team NFCA All-Region honors as a junior and served as the Utes' NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Council Member during her time at Utah. Coach Mariah resides in Honolulu with husband, Colin Jones. COACHING EXPERIENCE Hawai'i – 2025-present Long Beach State – Pitching Coach  - Eight Seasons (2018-25) Cal State Dominguez Hills - Assistant Coach - Two Seasons (2015-17)   ALMA MATER Utah, 2015    PLAYING CAREER Utah 2012-15   HOMETOWN Hawaiian Gardens, Calif.  

Assistant coach Alyssa Gonzalez was hired as parto f head coach Panita Thanatharn's inaugural coaching staff in the Fall of 2025. Coach "Gonzo" began her collegiate career as a player at Ole Miss. As a true freshman, she played in 56 games with 43 starts splitting time between being the designated player and playing first base. She hit .280 with five doubles, four home runs and 32 RBI.   Gonzalez played her final three seasons at Long Beach State, where she is the career record holder with a .366 batting average. She amassed 74 runs scored, 126 hits, 22 doubles two triples, 13 home runs, 89 RBI and a career slugging percentage of .554. She was a true utility player, playing in the outfield, at first base and as the DP. As a senior, she recorded the Beach's single-season batting average record hitting .409 in 2021. Gonzalez was a two-time NFCA All-Region honoree and two-time All-Big West awardee.   Following her stellar collegiate career, Gonzalez has spent the last four years honing her coaching skills. She has served as the camp director for the Premier Girls Fastpitch program where she provided leadership and operational oversight for nationwide softball camps. She has spent the last two seasons as a coach with the BSC Bengals club team and last year was the La Habra High School head coach. EXPERIENCE Hawai'i – Assistant Coach - First season (2025-present) Premier Girls Fastpitch - Camp Director (2022-25) BSC Bengals - Coach (2023-25) La Habra High School - Head Coach (2024-25)   ALMA MATER Long Beach State, 2021    PLAYING CAREER Ole Miss, 2017 Long Beach State 2018-21   HOMETOWN Chino, Calif.    

Brandon Blaisdell enters his fourth season as the Hawai‘i diving coach after joining the program in the summer of 2022.  COACHING EXPERIENCE Hawai‘i, diving coach (2022-Present) Boise State, head diving coach (2015-2020) Minnesota, volunteer diving coach (2010-2013) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 2024-25 Big West Men's Diving Coach of the Year and Co-Women's Diving Coach of the Year 2023-24 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Men's and Women's Diving Coach of the Year Helped Macie Wheeler become first Rainbow Wahine to claim Big West titles in 1-meter, 3-meter and platform since 2016. Guided Rainbow Wahine and Rainbow Warriors to individual titles in all six diving events at the 2025 Big West Championships. Contributed to three conference team titles with UH Guided Mackaby Pennington to a pair of MPSF individual titles in the men's 1 and 3-meter competitions. Helped Isabelle Lombardi take home the MPSF 1-meter competition titles in 2023 and 2024. Contributed to two conference team titles with Boise State. Coached the first ever NCAA qualifier for the Broncos, while leading 15 divers to NCAA Zones. Won two women’s team titles at Minnesota. Coached NCAA champion Kelci Bryant, and eight other All-Americans with the Gophers.  Led four divers to Big Ten individual titles in one-meter and three-meter. HOMETOWN Prior Lake, Minn. EDUCATION University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, B.S., Biological Sciences, 2010