Bob Coolen

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.

Bob Coolen
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamHawai'i
ConferenceBig West
Record1,080–689–1 (.610)
Annual salary$125,000[1]
Biographical details
Born (1958-01-24) January 24, 1958
Somerville, Massachusetts
Playing career
1976–1980Wesleyan
Position(s)Pitcher, Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1985–1989Bentley
1990–1991Hawaii (asst.)
1992–presentHawaii
Head coaching record
Overall1,150–781–1 (.595)
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)

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
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (Big West Conference) (1992–1996)
1992 Hawai'i 34–3313–237th
1993 Hawai'i 24–359–238th
1994 Hawai'i 51–1425–71stNCAA Regional
1995 Hawai'i 47–2121–113rdNCAA Regional
1996 Hawai'i 36–2515–176th
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (Western Athletic Conference) (1997–2012)
1997 Hawai'i 37–25–118–144th
1998 Hawai'i 46–1522–82ndNCAA Regional
1999 Hawai'i 35–2316–83rdNCAA Regional
2000 Hawai'i 25–2411–92nd
2001 Hawai'i 46–1816–42ndNCAA Regional
2002 Hawai'i 35–2515–93rd
2003 Hawai'i 40–2017–31stNCAA Regional
2004 Hawai'i 28–3310–145th
2005 Hawai'i 31–2112–62nd
2006 Hawai'i 32–2210–73rd
2007 Hawai'i 50–1316–21stNCAA Super Regional
2008 Hawai'i 40–2110–73rdNCAA Regional
2009 Hawai'i 30–2415–63rd
2010 Hawai'i 50–1619–11stWomen's College World Series
2011 Hawai'i 37–1814–74th
2012 Hawai'i 44–917–31stNCAA Regional
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (Big West Conference) (2013–present)
2013 Hawai'i 45–1320–41stNCAA Regional
2014 Hawai'i 22–287–147th
2015 Hawai'i 32–2213–83rd
2016 Hawai'i 24–308–137th
2017 Hawai'i 26–238–137th
2018 Hawai'i 23–277–14T–7th
2019 Hawai'i 33–1614–72nd
2020 Hawai'i 9–15[n 1]0–0–
2021 Hawai'i 12–1911–136th
2022 Hawai'i 23–1917–103rd
2023 Hawai'i 30–2313–14T-5th
Hawaii: 1,080–689–1 (.610)439–299 (.595)
Total:1,150–781–1 (.595)

      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

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