HONOLULU – Chelsea Patton has officially been named the new head coach of Hawai'i Pacific University Women's Tennis, continuing her long-standing impact on the program with a new leadership role. Now in her 10th year at HPU, Patton brings a deep blend of coaching experience, administrative knowledge, and championship-caliber success to her new position.
Patton has been an integral part of the HPU athletics staff, previously serving as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations from 2014 to 2020, and more recently as Assistant Coach for the women's tennis program since 2022. Her efforts helped propel the Sharks to a No. 2 national ranking in 2023 and a deep postseason run, culminating in a semifinal appearance at the NCAA Division II Championships. That same season, HPU captured the PacWest Conference Championship and Patton was recognized as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Beyond the collegiate courts, Patton also served as Assistant Coach for the USA National Team at the 2023 Master'U BNP Paribas tournament in France, helping lead the American squad to a world championship title alongside the nation's top collegiate talent.
"She's earned this opportunity," said Dan Pollock, who previously oversaw both tennis programs and now transitions into a new role leading the men's team exclusively. "I'm excited to see each tennis program get their own leadership, for Chelsea to guide the women's team, and to take on a new challenge with the men's team. A big thank you to our administration here at HPU for putting our student-athlete experience as a priority and recognizing the importance of ensuring both our men's and women's tennis players receive the care and attention they deserve. Let's get to work creating programs that make our university, community, and alumni base proud to be Sharks!"
Before joining HPU, Patton coached at Whitman College (Wash.), where she guided the Blues to a No. 16 national ranking in NCAA Division III and a Northwest Conference Championship. During her time there, she coached two players to All-American honors.
Originally from Boise, Idaho, Patton was a nationally ranked junior and four-year letterwinner at Eastern Washington University. A consistent academic standout, she was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic Team all four years. She earned dual bachelor's degrees in French and Business Administration and later completed her Master of Business Administration from HPU in 2017.
With the women's program now under her direction, Patton looks to build on a foundation of excellence while continuing to elevate the experience and success of HPU Tennis.
