Coolen
his Heels? Not this Coach
 Standing
in a warm alcove through nearly four hours of debate and official business—including
approval of Head Football Coach June Jones’s contract extension—Bob
Coolen stoically waited for his brief moment in the Board of Regents
spotlight June 20.
Whether
his patience stemmed from a basic understanding of the democratic process
(he did major in government at Wesleyan University) or a philosophical
acceptance of the prestige hierarchy in athletics (he lettered in the "minor" sport
of swimming), Coolen stood and waited to accept a BOR commendation recognizing
his team’s outstanding season.
Here’s what many among the administrators, faculty members and reporters
present in the room didn’t know about the tall man with the reddish hair
and sunburned neck standing in the corner, appearing calm despite a reputation
for being hyper (in an organized sort of way) and a clock ticking toward departure
time for a family vacation with his wife, Nanci, and two children—
- The
Rainbow Wahine Softball Team’s third head coach is also it’s
winningest, with a record of 456-278-1, including a UH record 51
wins in 1994, when the team captured the big West Conference crown.
- The
Wahine were 2003 WAC champions and Coolen was named All-WAC Coach
of the Year. The team’s 40-20 season record pushed Coolen into
the top 30 NCAA Division I college softball caches in wins.
- Since
joining the Wahine in 1990 and becoming head coach two years later,
Coolen has taken the team to six NCAA tournaments and coached 61
all-league and 20 all-American players.
The Masachussets
native was a high school most valuable player and captained the Wesleyan
football and baseball teams. He earned a master’s degree in human
movement from Boston University and coached for five seasons at Bentley,
where his all-time and season win records still stand.
Read more about Coolen
on the Manoa
ahtletics site.
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SCOOPS
Recent
Kapi‘olani CC paraplegal alum Abraham Flores
Jr. recieved the New Century Scholar Award. Flores was an officer
in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, volunteered at St. Francis Medical Center
and the Hawai‘i Courts and interned at a local law firm while working
full-time and attending school.
Manoa
students Naomi Hamlin, a graduate student
in cell and molecular biology, and Randy Yamada,
a senior in electrical engineering, are spending the summer in Quantico,
Va., as FBI honors interns.
June
2003
Archive
Faculty and Staff Awards
2002
Tenure &
Promotion List
Distinguished Alumni Awardees
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