Former UH Hilo tennis player and Hilo native Kallen Mizuguchi has been named the Vulcans' men's and women's interim tennis coach for 2019.

Mizuguchi played for the Vulcans from 2011-15. He played on court one in doubles, earning Third Team All-Pacific West Conference honors as a senior. He also played No. 2 singles for the Vulcans.

Mizuguchi has remained active in Hilo tennis circles, helping to coach youth and adults with fellow former Vulcan Randy Kunimoto. A UH Hilo graduate in Business, he works as an insurance agent in Hilo.

"It's nice to be back at University of Hawaii at Hilo," Mizuguchi said. "I had great experiences here as a student-athlete and I am looking forward to being on the other side of things as a head coach. I enjoy working with the student-athletes, faculty, and community members who have always supported the university."
 
Mizuguchi has plenty of help from members of the active Hilo tennis community.
 
"Having a stellar coaching staff and support team with Kula Oda, Randy Kunimoto, Robin Takahashi, Flavio Nucci, and many more makes it more exciting," Mizuguchi added. "We will work on giving these student-athletes a great experience on and off the court."
 
Oda is a former Vulcan tennis coach and is now the associate athletic director at UHH. Kunimoto and Nucci are former UH Hilo players and members of the Vulcan Athletic Hall of Fame, and Takahashi is a former UHH professor and volunteer assistant coach.
 
Born and raised in Hilo, Mizuguchi played at Waiakea High School. He was ranked in the top three for the 18-and-under division in the state. He participated in numerous national tournaments and the Junior Davis Cup. He won the age group Hawaii State Championships in 2010.

"We are pleased to have Kallen Mizuguchi step up and serve as our interim men's and women's tennis coach," said UH Hilo athletic director Patrick Guillen. "Kallen is a former Vulcan tennis player, is from Hilo and knows what it takes to hit the ground running.  There is no doubt in my mind he will do a fine job for us.  I know the players have already responded well and embraced him.

"Also, I am grateful for our wonderful tennis "hui" that has also stepped up to assist us in this time of transition. All have come forward offering their assistance in one way or another to help fill the void.  It is highly unusual to lose a coach two weeks before the start of the season, but I have to say it has been inspiring to see how the community has responded and answered the call.  The beneficiaries will be our student-athletes who now have decades of coaching experience from talented individuals to assist the program.  I am excited for the season."
 
The Vulcan men's team is listed No. 10 in the Oracle/ITA Division II Men's Tennis Rankings, which also puts them at No. 1 among west region teams. The Vulcans went 17-3 last year and won a match at the NCAA national tournament. The UH Hilo women were 8-10 a year ago.
 
Both teams will play matches this weekend at the Holua Tennis Center in Kona. The Vulcan women kick things off with a Friday (10 a.m.) encounter with Holy Names, and the men play the Hawks as well on Saturday at 9 a.m. Chaminade, UC San Diego and Hawai`i Pacific are also on the schedule.