Chelsea Patton returns to lead the HPU women's tennis program, continuing a tenure with the Sharks that has spanned more than a decade as an administrator and coach.
In her first season as head coach, Patton led HPU to a 16-6 record and an NCAA West Regional berth, and was named both PacWest Women's Tennis Coach of the Year and the 2026 ITA/Dunlop West Region Coach of the Year.
Patton's impact on HPU tennis began well before becoming head coach. She returned to the court as an assistant women's tennis coach in 2022 after previously serving Hawai'i Pacific Athletics as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations from 2014-2020
In 2023, Patton was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association West Region Assistant Coach of the Year after helping guide the Sharks to a national ranking as high as No. 2 in NCAA Division II. HPU captured the PacWest Conference Championship that spring before advancing to the NCAA Championships, where the Sharks reached the national semifinals.
Later that year, Patton represented the United States as an assistant coach for the USA National Team at the Master’U BNP Paribas in France. Working with some of the top American collegiate tennis players in the country, Patton helped guide Team USA to the international championship.
Before joining HPU, Patton coached at Whitman College in Washington, helping lead the Blues to a No. 16 national ranking in NCAA Division III and a Northwest Conference championship in 2014. During her time at Whitman, she also helped coach two student-athletes to All-America honors.
A native of Boise, Idaho, Patton was a nationally ranked junior tennis player before competing collegiately at Eastern Washington University. A four-year letterwinner for the Eagles, she earned Big Sky Conference All-Academic recognition in each of her four seasons.
Patton graduated from Eastern Washington in 2013 with bachelor’s degrees in French and Business Administration. She later earned her Master of Business Administration from Hawai‘i Pacific University in May 2017.
Beyond competition, Patton has continued to make an impact as a leader and advocate for women in athletics. She was recognized by HPU Athletics as part of its Wahine in Numbers initiative, celebrating women working, leading and creating opportunities throughout the sports industry.
In her free time, Patton enjoys spending time at Kailua Beach with her two rescue dogs, Koko and Meli.
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