Bob Coolen

Last updated

Bob Coolen
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Hawai'i
Conference Big West
Record1,100–715–1 (.606)
Annual salary$125,000 [1]
Biographical details
Born (1958-01-24) January 24, 1958 (age 66)
Somerville, Massachusetts
Playing career
1976–1980 Wesleyan
Position(s) Pitcher, Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1985–1989 Bentley
1990–1991 Hawaii (asst.)
1992–present Hawaii
Head coaching record
Overall1,170–807–1 (.592)
Tournaments25–24 (.510) (NCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2× Big West regular season (1994, 2013)
Big West Tournament (2013)
4× WAC regular season (2003, 2007, 2010, 2012)
WAC Tournament (2010)
Awards
2× Big West coach of the year (1994, 2013)
4× WAC coach of the year (2003, 2007, 2010, 2012)

Robert Coolen (born January 24, 1958) [2] is an American softball coach who is currently the head coach of the University of Hawaii's softball program.

Contents

Personal life and education

A native of Somerville, Massachusetts, Coolen was a multi-sport athlete at Wesleyan University, where he played wide receiver on the school's football team, a pitcher on the baseball team, and a member of the swim team. He turned down an appointment from the United States Naval Academy to play at Wesleyan. [3] He graduated from Wesleyan in 1980 with a degree in government and earned a master's degree in human movement from Boston University in 1986. Coolen and his wife Nanci have two children, Demi and Bo. Bo was the associate head coach for the baseball team at Westcliff University. [4] He has since moved to Grace College as co-head coach of the softball team with his wife Sam. [5]

Coaching career

Coolen started his coaching career at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, working as the head coach of the university's softball team and swimming team. In addition to his duties as the head coach of the two teams, Coolen also served as the equipment and facilities manager. Coolen left Bentley to join Rayla Allison's coaching staff at Hawaii in 1990 as an assistant.

Hawaii

After Allison resigned to become the first full-time executive director of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Coolen was named the head coach of the Wahine softball team in 1992. [6]

Coolen and his staff led a 2010 Wahine squad that shattered the record for most home runs by a team in a single season, en route to a WAC championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. [7] Following a win in the Tuscaloosa regional over #1 seed Alabama, Hawaii advanced to the Women's College World Series, the Wahine's first and only Women's College World Series appearance to date.

Coolen earned his 1000th win on April 13, 2019, with a 5–2 win over UC Santa Barbara, joining Dave Shoji, Les Murakami, and Jim Schwitters as the only coaches to win 1,000 games in the history of the university's athletic department. [8] [9]

Coolen signed a two-year contract extension in 2023 to remain the head coach at Hawaii through the 2025 season, which is scheduled to be his final season before retirement. [1]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (Big West Conference)(1992–1996)
1992Hawai'i 34–3313–237th
1993Hawai'i 24–359–238th
1994Hawai'i 51–1425–71st NCAA Regional
1995Hawai'i 47–2121–113rd NCAA Regional
1996Hawai'i 36–2515–176th
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (Western Athletic Conference)(1997–2012)
1997Hawai'i 37–25–118–144th
1998Hawai'i 46–1522–82nd NCAA Regional
1999Hawai'i 35–2316–83rd NCAA Regional
2000Hawai'i 25–2411–92nd
2001Hawai'i 46–1816–42nd NCAA Regional
2002Hawai'i 35–2515–93rd
2003Hawai'i 40–2017–31st NCAA Regional
2004Hawai'i 28–3310–145th
2005Hawai'i 31–2112–62nd
2006Hawai'i 32–2210–73rd
2007Hawai'i 50–1316–21st NCAA Super Regional
2008Hawai'i 40–2110–73rd NCAA Regional
2009Hawai'i 30–2415–63rd
2010Hawai'i 50–1619–11st Women's College World Series
2011Hawai'i 37–1814–74th
2012Hawai'i 44–917–31st NCAA Regional
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (Big West Conference)(2013–present)
2013Hawai'i 45–1320–41st NCAA Regional
2014Hawai'i 22–287–147th
2015Hawai'i 32–2213–83rd
2016Hawai'i 24–308–137th
2017Hawai'i 26–238–137th
2018Hawai'i 23–277–14T–7th
2019Hawai'i 33–1614–72nd
2020Hawai'i 9–15 [n 1] 0–0–
2021Hawai'i 12–1911–136th
2022Hawai'i 23–1917–103rd
2023Hawai'i 30–2313–14T-5th
2024Hawai'i 20-2613–124th
Hawaii:1,100–715–1 (.606)452–311 (.592)
Total:1,170–807–1 (.592)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Notes

  1. ↑ Season not played past March 11 due to COVID-19 pandemic

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Kaneshiro, Jason (May 19, 2023). "UH softball coach Coolen gets new — final — deal through 2025". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ "UH SLAMS PAST ALUMNAE, 4-2". Hawaii Athletics. January 24, 2004. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ Reardon, Dave. "Hawaii softball: Bob Coolen still enjoying a grand old time". Hawaii Warrior World. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Baseball - 2019-2020 – Regular Season - Roster - #34 – Bo Coolen -". Westcliff Athletics. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Bo Coolen". Grace College Athletics. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Highlights from the '90s". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ Hays, Graham. "Hawaii aims for home run record". ESPN. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ "University of Hawaii softball coach Bob Coolen reaches 1,000-win club". Star-Advertiser. April 14, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  9. ↑ Carlson, Kainoa (April 11, 2019). "Coolen set to join illustrious 1,000 win club". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
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