Gene Okamura

Hailey Sweet / Hawai‘i Hilo Sports Information

Spencer Honda / Hawai‘i Hilo Sports Information

Anthony Akau / Hawai‘i Hilo Sports Information

Spencer Honda / Hawai‘i Hilo Sports Information

Title

Women's Soccer Head Coach
Since

June 2016
Email

geneo@hawaii.edu
Phone

808-932-7166

Gene Okamura has spent more than a decade coaching at his alma mater after starting as an assistant coach in 2013.

In 2016, Okamura was named head coach of both the Vulcans men's and women's soccer programs before moving to coaching only the women's team starting in 2018.

The Hilo native also split time coaching with Hawai‘i Rush Big Island Soccer Club and the Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i girls and boys soccer varsity teams, winning a Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Boys Division II State Championship in 2022 and a girls state championship runner-up finish in 2016.

As a student-athlete, Okamura was one of the first three players recruited to play for the Hawai‘i Hilo men's soccer team in its inaugural season.

HAWAI‘I HILO WOMEN'S SOCCER RECORD
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OKAMURA VULCANS WOMEN'S SOCCER

SEASON	TEAM RECORD	NOTES
2016	5-7-4 Overall 3-6-4 PacWest (No. T10)
2017	7-9-1 Overall 4-8-1 PacWest (No. 11)
2018	10-4-2 Overall 7-3-1 PacWest (No. T2)	» (7) All-PacWest Team Selections
2019	6-7-4 Overall 5-4-2 PacWest (No. 5)	» (1) All-PacWest Team Selection
2020-21	0-0-4 Overall 0-0-4 PacWest (No. 2 Hawai‘i Pod)	Shortened COVID Spring Season » (4) All-PacWest Team Selections
2021	11-4-0 Overall 8-1-0 PacWest (No. 1)	» NCAA West Regional First Round » PacWest Conference Co-Champions » PacWest Coach of the Year » United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American » PacWest Female Scholar Athlete of the Year » PacWest WSOC Scholar Athlete of the Year » PacWest Player of the Year » PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year » PacWest Newcomer of the Year » (7) All-PacWest Team Selections
2022	13-1-3 Overall 8-0-2 PacWest (No. 1)	» NCAA West Regional Second Round (Host) » PacWest Conference Champions » PacWest Coach of the Year » United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year » 50th Career Win (Oct. 22 vs Biola) » No. 14 Final National Ranking » United Soccer Coaches All-American (x2) » D2 CCA All-American » United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year » United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American (x2) » CSC Academic All-American » PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year » PacWest Newcomer of the Year » (9) All-PacWest Team Selections
2023	10-2-3 Overall 6-2-2 PacWest (No. 3)	» United Soccer Coaches All-American » United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American » D2 CCA All-West Region Player of the Year » PacWest Player of the Year » PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year » PacWest Newcomer of the Year » (8) All-PacWest Team Selections
2024	13-3-3 Overall 9-1-1 PacWest (No. 2)	» NCAA West Regional Second Round » PacWest Championships Runner-Up » PacWest Player of the Year » PacWest Newcomer of the Year » (8) All-PacWest Team Selections
2025	8-3-6 Overall 6-1-3 PacWest (No. 2)	» PacWest Championships Semifinals » PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year » (5) All-PacWest Team Selections
10 Seasons	84-40-30 Overall 56-26-20 PacWest	2 Championships 26 Major Awards

HAWAI‘I HILO MEN'S SOCCER RECORD
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OKAMURA VULCANS MEN'S SOCCER

SEASON	TEAM RECORD	NOTES
2016	2-14-0 Overall 2-11-0 PacWest (No. 14)
2017	1-14-2 Overall 0-11-2 PacWest (No. T13)
2 Seasons	3-28-2 Overall 2-22-2 PacWest	- Championships - Major Awards

YEAR-BY-YEAR
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2022: Vulcans went unbeaten in the regular season and repeated as Pacific West Conference Champions, this time winning the title outright and earning back-to-back PacWest Coach of the Year awards. Later, named United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year. Reached career win No. 50 with a 3-0 victory over Biola (Oct. 22). Hawai‘i Hilo earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship West Regional and hosted the First and Second Rounds at the brand-new turf Vulcan Soccer Field.

Daelenn Tokunaga was named United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year in addition to earning spots on the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team and D2 Conference Commissioners Association All-America Third Team ... Fifth-year forward Grace VerHage was named to the College Sports Communications Academic All-America Second Team as well as PacWest Newcomer of the Year ... Fifth year Jodi Lillie was named United Soccer Coaches Third Team Scholar All-American ... Freshman Lolo Retsky was named a D2 CCA Third Team All-American as well as PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year as a total of nine players earned All-PacWest Team honors.

2021: Vulcans claimed a share of the PacWest Championship as co-champs after finishing tied atop the regular season standings. A 1-0 overtime win over Point Loma in the regular season earned the head-to-head tiebreaker and automatic qualifier bid in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships postseason for the first time ... Okamura was selected as conference Coach of the Year.

COACHING CAREER
» 2024-25 Hawai‘i Hilo Ramon Goya Academic Team of the Year
» 35-Game Win Streak (Oct. 3, 2021 - Oct. 21, 2024)
» 2022-23 Hawai‘i Hilo Ramon Goya Academic Team of the Year
» 2022 United Soccer Coaches Final Ranking: No. 14
» 2022 United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year
» 2022 PacWest Conference Coach of the Year
» 2022 PacWest Conference Champions
» Career Win No. 50 (Oct. 22, 2022 vs Biola)
» 2021-22 Hawai‘i Hilo Ramon Goya Academic Team of the Year
» 2021 PacWest Conference Coach of the Year
» 2021 PacWest Conference Co-Champions

VULCANS ACCOLADES
» (49) All-PacWest Team Selections
» 2025 PacWest Conference Goalkeeper of the Year: Lydia Keller
» 2024-25 Hawai‘i Hilo Female Athlete of the Year: Teani Arakawa
» 2024-25 Hawai‘i Hilo Imua Vulcan Award: Phoebe Barnes
» 2024-25 Hawai‘i Hilo Sakai and Harue Wakakuwa Female Scholar-Athlete: Filippa Graneld
» 2024 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team Forward: Teani Arakawa
» 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team Forward: Teani Arakawa
» 2024 D2 CCA All-America Third Team Forward: Teani Arakawa
» 2024 CSC Academic All-America Second Team Forward: Teani Arakawa
» 2024 D2 CCA West Region Player of the Year: Teani Arakawa
» 2024 PacWest Conference Player of the Year: Teani Arakawa
» 2023-24 Hawai‘i Hilo Sakai and Harue Wakakuwa Female Scholar-Athlete: Filippa Graneld
» 2023 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team Forward: Teani Arakawa
» 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team Forward: Teani Arakawa
» 2023 D2 CCA West Region Player of the Year: Teani Arakawa
» 2023 PacWest Conference Player of the Year: Teani Arakawa
» 2022-23 Hawai‘i Hilo Female Athlete of the Year: Jodi Lillie
» 2022 United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2022 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Third Team Defender: Jodi Lillie
» 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team Midfielder: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2022 D2 CCA All-America Third Team Midfielder: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2022 D2 CCA All-America Third Team Goalkeeper: Lolo Retsky
» 2022 PacWest Conference Goalkeeper of the Year: Lolo Retsky
» 2021-22 PacWest Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2021-22 Hawai‘i Hilo Female Athlete of the Year: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2021 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team Forward: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2021 PacWest Conference Player of the Year: Daelenn Tokunaga
» 2021 PacWest Conference Goalkeeper of the Year: Viviana Poli

PLAYING CAREER
» Played four years on the Vulcans Men's Soccer team as part of the program's first recruiting class (2006-2010)
» Helped post back-to-back double-digit win seasons in 2008 and 2009
» 2007 All-PacWest Honorable Mention
» Competed in soccer and football at Waiakea High School

ALMA MATER
» Waiakea High School (Hawai‘i) 2006
» University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 2010 - B.A. Administration of Justice

PERSONAL
» Hometown: Hilo, Hawai‘i

CERTIFICATIONS
» U.S. Soccer Federation C License

CAREER (MEN'S: 3-28-2 / WOMEN'S: 84-40-30)
2016-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Women's: 84-40-30)
2016-2017: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Men's: 3-28-2)
2020-2022: Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i (Boys Varsity)
2014-2016: Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i (Girls Varsity)
2013-2015: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Assistant)

MEDIA
» UH Hilo alumnus Okamura, from student-athlete to award-winning coach (Dec. 5, 2022) - UH Hilo Stories
» Women's soccer prepares for second straight NCAA tournament appearance (Nov. 6, 2022) - Spectrum News Hawaii
» UH Hilo ranks 7th in nation; highest ranking in history of Vulcan program (Oct. 3, 2022) - UH Hilo Stories
» Nationally ranked UH Hilo opens conference play with victory (Sept. 26, 2022) - KHON2 News