Bob Coolen is my favorite University of Hawaii head coach in nearly 45 years of writing about UH sports. And his 2010 squad that went to the Women’s College World Series is my favorite team (I was a freshman at a college on the continent when the 1980 baseball team went to the World Series or it might be a tie).
A big part of it for me with Coolen — who on Friday and Saturday coached the final home games in a 34-year tenure — is his combination of sincerity and a colorful way of saying things. Another is that he’s always willing to help sports journalism students. He even spent two hours with them Friday, which was one of the busiest and most emotional days of his career. Alumnae, family and hundreds of other supporters gathered at what someday should officially be named Bob Coolen Stadium for “Bob Coolen Night” on Friday, and then Saturday’s senior night doubleheader against UC San Diego.
At one point, it looked like Coolen might get ejected on his night for arguing with an umpire.
Coolen estimates he has been tossed from 15 games in his 36 total years as a UH softball coach. But the number that was celebrated Friday was much higher — the 1,200 victories as a head coach, with players from 1992, his first year as head coach, presenting him with a gift commemorating a plateau only four other active coaches have reached.
Getting into it with umpires is nothing new or uncomfortable for Coolen, and when he was hired as an assistant by gentlewoman head coach Rayla Allison in 1990, it was designated (unofficially at least) as part of his job.
“Most were when I was the assistant,” said Coolen, who met Allison when he was a pitcher at Bentley College, and she would catch for him in offseason workout sessions. “She wanted me to yell at the umps because I was louder.”
When he replaced Allison, Coolen kept the role, and for the most part has kept his cool enough to make his point with the arbiters in blue without getting tossed and having to deal with a disciplinary report or possible suspension.
On Friday he got into it with home plate ump Bobby Martinez, who irritated many of the 700-plus at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium with his slow draw on ball and strike calls.
“I started walking toward home to make some changes, and I couldn’t believe the length (of time it took Martinez to call a strike),” he said.
Some vociferous back-and-forth led to this, Coolen said:
“He told me, ‘I already warned you. You need to show some respect.’”
“I told him, ‘You need to be a better umpire.’”
The game itself was frustrating for UH, as the Wahine lost 4-1 to the Tritons.
But the evening was full of celebration, as dozens of former players and other supporters congregated or appeared via video to pay tribute to “Coach Bob.”
Kelly Majam Elms, the star of the 2010 College World Series team, was also honored as a member of the newest class of the school’s Sports Circle of Honor. One of Coolen’s mentors and assistant coaches, John Nakamura, is also a class of 2025 inductee.
Coolen said all the hoopla affected the team’s play.
“I was a distraction,” he said. “There were a lot of things tonight.”
Coolen said he expected five times as much distraction Saturday, for the regular-season-ending doubleheader with the Tritons. That’s because in addition to it being Coolen’s last home game, UH honored seniors Chloe Borges, Addison Kostrencich, Isabella Martinez, Alyssa Nakagawa and Liliana Thomas.
“That’s why I’m grateful we already clinched our spot in the Big West Tournament (starting Wednesday),” Coolen said.
UH swept the Tritons on Saturday — 7-4 in the opener and 4-3 in the second — to finish the regular season at 31-18.
Various versions of Coolen’s actual desire to retire exist, but one point of agreement is that a last hurrah at the first Big West Tournament is fitting … or who knows, maybe this team can go further? Is a first NCAA regional since 2013 in the cards?
Crazier things have happened, like the bottom-seeded team in the 2010 NCAA Super Regionals beating the top-seeded team on a walk-off home run to get to the Women’s College World Series.
Jenna Rodriguez will forever be remembered for her first-pitch blast over the left-field fence with two outs in the seventh and Majam on board, giving UH a 5-4 victory and its only World Series appearance. They won a game before losing two at the double-elimination tournament.
The Wahine established an NCAA record with 158 home runs in 66 games. UH fielded a lineup where the nine batters averaged nearly 17 home runs.
Back then, Hawaii played in the WAC, and Coolen said altitude helped, and the Wahine wielded some juicy (but still legal) bats.
Since it was a best-of-three series, a coin toss determined the home team for the decisive game after UH evened it at 1-apiece.
“It was ironic how we were allowed to have a walk-off in Alabama. It was because of her,” Coolen said Friday, as he nodded toward Kara Nishimura, who handles softball for UH sports media relations.
At the time, a coin toss determined the home team if a third game was needed. Coolen sent Nishimura to them because he claims bad luck in coin tosses.
“Lucky tails never fails,” said Nishimura, who also took the time to visit with students Friday.
Nishimura is a calm and consummate professional, and she told the class about the press box rule about no cheering.
But she’s also a human being, whose green blood boiled as Alabama folks within earshot of her discussed where they would lodge and eat in Oklahoma City at the WCWS.
“I was getting super mad because we’re still at bat. When Jenna hit the ball I jumped up, screamed a little, knocked my chair over,” she said. “(The stadium) was super loud. Until that ball was hit. Then it was super quiet, except for the two little rows with 40 fans from Hawaii.”
Players come and go (and many come back, to make Hawaii home), but Nishimura is a mainstay. Even more so is first assistant Dee Wisneski, who was a star shortstop from Waimea High on Kauai, and helped the Wahine to their first conference championship in 1994. After her playing career, she was a student assistant in 1996, assistant coach for 15 years and associate coach since the World Series year, 2010.
“I already had my meeting with the committee,” said Wisneski, of the application process to hopefully replace her former coach and boss. “Just waiting to see what they decide.”
Coolen said Wisneski has his full endorsement. It seems like a no-brainer from here … and many other endorsers.
“My real wife and my work wife,” Coolen said Friday, as he posed for photos with Nanci Coolen and Wisneski, and then with hordes of players, past and present.
Bob Coolen has publicly expressed displeasure and many mixed emotions about some aspects of his last contract. He wished he had an option to continue on if he’d chosen to do so. But, for whatever reason, that’s not the way the final deal was designed.
But he does see the positives.
“I have a grandson (Colt) who is almost 2 years old. I missed a lot of family stuff when I was coaching, when I was younger. My wife did a lot of the raising part of my son (Bo) and daughter (Demi).”
First, though, there is at least one more tournament.
“I’m looking forward to watching softball games without a stomachache,” Nanci said.
