HONOLULU - University of Hawai'i softball head coach, Bob Coolen, announced a couple of promotions and a new addition to his 2010 coaching staff. Longtime assistant coach, Dee Wisneski has been named the program's first ever associate head coach; Kaulana Williams is the new assistant coach; and Dickie Titcomb will now serve as the volunteer coach.
Associate Head Coach Dee Wisneski
Wisneski has been one of the core elements for the Rainbow Wahine softball program since 1997. She has been an assistant for the past 13 years after serving as a student assistant for one season. She has helped to develop several of UH's most notable infielders during that time, including All-Americans Joyce Lum, Stacey Porter, Tyleen Tausaga, Kate Robinson, and Clare Warwick. Wisneski also oversees the team's academic progress and success.
Wisneski played shortstop all four years of her collegiate career at Hawai'i. She helped lead the 'Bows to its first ever conference title in 1994 in the Big West. She also was co-captain on the program's first two NCAA tournament appearances in 1994 and '95. Wisneski started 132 straight games for the 'Bows during that time in her junior and senior seasons.
A highly heralded prep star out of Waimea High School on Kaua'i, Wisneski earned all-state and all-conference honors in softball, volleyball, and basketball. She was named The Honolulu Advertiser High School Female Athlete of the year as a senior and was inducted into the prestigious Hawai'i High School Hall of Honor in 1991.
“Dee has a wealth of experience as a player and a coach. She has kept our team on track both on the field and academically, and she will continue working with our infielders," says Coolen. "Her knowledge of the game and our program is second to none. She knows the level of excellence it takes to succeed amongst the elite teams in DI softball after helping lead UH as a player and then as a coach to all eight of our NCAA tournament appearances.”
Assistant Coach Kaulana Williams:
One of the most decorated players in UH softball history, Kaulana Williams (formerly Gould) increases her role on the staff from being a student manager last season to assistant coach in 2010. “Coach Lans” will replace Kristi Yoshizawa as the team's assistant. Williams, a former outfielder/catcher is the only Rainbow Wahine ever to be named a first team all-conference player all four years. She helped to lead UH to two of its most successful seasons—2007 and '08—during which time the team went to two NCAA Regionals and its first ever Super Regional in 2007.
Williams finished her stellar career with a .306 batting average, 126 runs scored, 208 hitts, and 101 RBI. She was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2005, an NFCA All-West Region first team outfielder as a senior, and a WAC scholar-athlete in 2008.
The Ewa Beach native is a 2004 graduate of Kamehameha Schools where she was a highly touted catcher for the 2002 state championship team. Williams was an all-state selection her sophomore, junior and senior seasons as a Warrior.
Williams earned her Bachelor of science degree in family resources in December 2008 and is currently working towards her master's degree in special education. She is married to former Warrior football player and current football video coordinator, Chris Williams.
“Kaulana has a great feel for the game and a high softball IQ," says head coach Bob Coolen. "As a four-year player in our program, and a member of the staff last year, Kaulana allows us to keep the philosophical continuity of the program going. She understands the level of excellence we expect out of our players and team. Coach Lans will step right in working primarily with the outfielders as well as our hitters.”
Volunteer coach Titcomb joins the UH coaching staff after serving over 22 years as a successful assistant and head coach for several levels of community youth and high school softball and baseball teams. His coaching career began in 1987 with the Halawa Little League, where he coached Minor, Major, and Big League teams until 2002. As an assistant he helped guide the Hawaii District IV Big League squad to the World Series four years.
He has helped coach several high school softball and baseball teams during his career. Titcomb worked within the Kamehameha Schools softball program from 2001-2007 both as a junior varsity head coach and as an assistant on the varsity team. He was a member of the coaching staff that led the 2004 Warriors to the Division I state title. Later, he also helped guide the PAC-5 varsity softball team to a Division II championship crown in 2008 as an assistant. Titcomb has also been a JV head coach for both St. Louis School and Roosevelt High School in 2001 and '03 respectively, and from 2004-'05 he was a volunteer coach for the Hawai'i Pacific University softball team.
A strong supporter of community athletics, Titcomb has been the president of the Halawa Athletic Booster Club since 1993 while simultaneously sevrving as the director, manager, and head coach of the 16-under/18-under Hawai'i Pearls Softball Club since 2001. He has had great success with the Pearls, leading them to six state titles. He has taken the elite travel squad to the Colorado Fireworks tournament several years and has been instrumental in having over 60 of his players recruited to various collegiate teams across the country.
Titcomb is a graduate of Farrington High School where he was a running back and linebacker on the football team and a pitcher and outfielder for the Governors' baseball team. Today, he owns RME Contractors Hawaii, Inc. He is married to his wife, Dale, and has three children and three grandchildren. His youngest daughter, Richie-Anne Titcomb, was a four-year Rainbow Wahine letterwinner who just finished her softball career in 2009. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, traveling, camping and spending time with family and friends.
“Dickie has been very successful in developing strong hitters and skill players,” said Coolen. “He has been a good recruiter of local talent at the Junior Olympic level prior to coming up to the collegiate level where he will assist with the development of our current players. He will work with Coach Dee and the infielders as well as our hitters along with Coach Lans.”
The Rainbow Wahine open the 2010 season with the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic, Feb. 11-13. Participating in the tourney is McNeese State, Texas A&M-CC, and Pac-10 Power, Stanford.
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