Coaches

List of 23 items.

• Ikaika Jobe

  Director of Tennis, Boys Varsity I Head Coach
  RSPA Certified Elite Professional, USRSA Master Racquet Technician
  
  

  Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jobe is a 2001 Punahou graduate and two-time State High School Tennis Singles Champion. Ranked as high as #11 in the USTA national junior rankings, Jobe earned an athletic scholarship to play Division I college tennis at Saint Louis University (2001 – 2004) where he majored in Aviation Science (Professional Pilot) and was chosen as team captain his sophomore and junior years. In anticipation of playing professional tennis, Jobe transferred to Boise State University for his senior year where the team was ranked in the top 30, capturing the 2005 WAC Conference Championships and a berth into the NCAA Championships. Following college, Jobe traveled to over 20 countries while competing professionally for 3 years on the ITF and ATP tennis circuits – achieving a top 50 U.S. singles ranking, top 800 ATP singles ranking, and top 400 ATP doubles ranking. He also served as a professional hitting partner for former world #1 Justine Henin, Gael Monfils, Ivo Karlovic, and more. 
  
  

  Certified as a Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) Elite Professional, Jobe was awarded the 2021 and 2024 RSPA Hawaii “Professional of the Year” for his coaching and community contributions, as well as RSPA Hawaii’s “Player of the Year” three years in a row from 2013 – 2015. Jobe served as the President and Executive Director of the RSPA Hawaii Division from 2023 – 2025. 

  From 2009 – 2012 while attending law school, Jobe served as a Volunteer Assistant Coach for the University of Hawai‘i Men’s Tennis Team where they 3-peated as WAC Conference Champions. In 2013 he became the Girls Varsity Tennis Head Coach and in 2016 transitioned into the Boys Varsity Tennis Head Coach role.
   

  Jobe has worked at Punahou since 2013.

• Brent Hunter

  Associate Tennis Director
  RSPA Elite Professional, USTA High Performance Coach, ITPA Certified, CTPS Certified
  
  

  Born and raised in Lubbock, TX, Hunter is a 2003 graduate of Coronado High School where he holds the record for most wins in school history.  Ranked as high as #6 in the USTA Texas Division, he earned an athletic scholarship to play college tennis at Tyler Junior College (2003-2005) where he played #6 singles on a team that won the national championship in 2004.  In 2005, Hunter was an All American in doubles at TJC before transferring to the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he played from 2005 – 2007.
   
  Hunter was awarded the USPTA rookie of the year in 2008.  In 2015 he earned the USTA High Performance Coaching Certification and traveled to the USTA National Training Center for in person training as part of the criteria.  Hunter has also gone on to earn certifications in International Tennis Performance as well as Certified Tennis Performance Specialist in recent years.  

  
  Hunter previously worked at Punahou from 2007 – 2018 and returned to Punahou in January 2020.

• Ryan Vande Linde

  Head Tennis Faculty 
  RSPA Certified Instructor
  
  

  Vande Linde grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he played on the Eau Claire Memorial Varsity Boys tennis team from 2007-2010. After graduating from high school, he played Division III Tennis for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 2010-2014. Vande Linde notched 100+ wins in singles and doubles over the course of his college tennis career. He was elected team captain his junior and senior year at UW-EC, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Human Performance. 
  
  

  Following his undergraduate education, Vande Linde lived in the Philippines where he played in multiple professional level tennis tournaments. After returning to the United States, Vande Linde earned a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2017. 
  
  

  Vande Linde has been a head and assistant coach at both the high school and collegiate level. From 2014-2017, Vande Linde served as an assistant tennis coach for the UW-Eau Claire men’s and women’s tennis teams. From 2018-2022, Vande Linde was the head coach of the University of Minnesota Club Tennis Team. During this time, Vande Linde also served as the co-head coach for the Benilde-St. Margaret’s boys tennis team, as well as the head coach of the Columbia Heights’ Girls Tennis Team. 
  
  

  Vande Linde has worked at Punahou since 2022.

• Ricky Asante

  Tennis Faculty
  PTR Certified
  
  

  Born and raised in New York City, Asante started playing tennis when he was age 13. Lilo and Stitch was his favorite movie as a kid and inspired him to make the move to Hawaii. He played some ITF professional events from 2014 to 2016 and graduated from Oklahoma State University (OSU) while majoring in Sports Media and Athletic Training with a minor in photography. He participated on the OSU Men's Tennis Team from 2017 to 2020.
  
  Asante began coaching when he was age 15 and holds certifications as both a USTA and PTR coach. Since 2020, Asante has been an assistant coach for the Punahou Boys JV and Intermediate Tennis Teams and in 2022 began coaching as an assistant on the Girls Varsity II Team.
  
  When not on the tennis court, he enjoys spending time adventuring, hanging out with his dog, cooking, climbing, and doing photography. He also plays multiple musical instruments.

• Jerry Cape

  Tennis Faculty

  RSPA Certified Elite Professional, USRSA

  
  Cape was raised in Portland, OR as well as Yarnell, AZ and became inspired to learn to play tennis after watching Yannick Noah from France win the men's singles title at Roland Garros. After playing for Hawaii Pacific University he graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a degree in Travel Industry Management and later worked for Outrigger Hotels & Resorts at various properties throughout the state of Hawaii. Cape started playing competitive tennis again in 2003 and finished many years being the #1 ranked singles player in various USTA Junior Vet adult divisions. A USPTA member since 1992, Jerry has served as the Hawaii Division President and member Certification Tester for many years while winning several awards, including Professional of the Year. Cape first started working at Punahou Tennis in the summer of 1990 and is currently enjoying his fourth tenure at what he considers to be, “THE best junior tennis program in the pacific.”

• Cynthia Chan

  Tennis Faculty
  
  

  Chan is an avid tennis player.  She has assisted as a tennis referee/linesman for junior and age division tournaments.  Chan previously worked as an owner/operator of a hotel tennis facility and as a front desk supervisor for a 750 member country club in the Southern California area.

• John Dye

  Tennis Faculty
  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  Dye was raised in Beaverton, Oregon and graduated from Williams College in 1993.  His wife graduated from Punahou in 1990 and their two children currently attend Punahou.
  
  

  Since his first tournament as a teenager in 1986, Dye has played over a thousand competitive matches.  He won the USTA Nor Cal 5.0 Grand Prix in 2004, 2009, and 2010.  He has played seven USTA Team Nationals.  In 2019, he won the inaugural 4.5 Individual National Singles. He served as Head Varsity Tennis Coach for Boys and Girls at Kalani High School 2014 – 2016 and received three Coach of the Year honors. Dye joined the University of Hawaii coaching staff as Assistant Women's Tennis Coach in 2023.
  
  

  Dye has worked at Punahou since 2016 and has led numerous teams to ILH championships.

• Marc Hayashi

  Tennis Faculty
  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  Hayashi began competing in tennis tournaments at a young age and continued throughout his school years. As a freshman at Punahou School, he played on the Boys Varsity Team in 2013. He later trained at Weil Tennis Academy in California, from where he also graduated.

   

  Hayashi went on to play NCAA Division III tennis at Lewis & Clark College. During his time there, he coached at Nike Tennis Camps, working with beginner and intermediate players while assisting with high-performance training groups. He has also provided private and group instructions to students of all ages and skill levels.

   

  Hayashi is an RSPA Certified Professional and USTA Coaching Professional. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Boys Intermediate, JV, and Varsity tennis teams at Punahou School and also coaches in Punahou's after-school tennis programs.

• Jerry Hubbard

  Tennis Faculty

  RSPA Certified Elite Professional

   

  Hubbard, learned tennis from USPTA Master Pro Clarence Mabry, at the San Antonio Country Club, and was later coached by Thai national champion (and Thai Davis Cup member) Somparn Champisri, in high school. Hubbard was on the tennis team at the U. of Arizona (1972 – 1976), and became a USPTA pro in Aug. 1977.

   

  Hubbard, started teaching tennis in 1973, during the summers, and became a USPTA pro in Aug., 1977, in Honolulu. He was the pro at the Ilikai Hotel, then at Fort Shafter (for the U.S. Army) and St. Andrews Priory School, and finally at Punahou School (1980 – 1986). Hubbard became an ordained minister in 1987, but returned to coaching tennis again part-time from 2003 – 2008 at Punahou School, and returned in 2025.

   

  Hubbard, earned a BA in Speech Communication (U. of Arizona, 1976); MA in Religion (International College & Graduate School, 2002).

• Anna Kern

  Tennis Faculty, Girls Varsity I Assistant
  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  Kern is a former 3 time state champion from Corvallis, OR, going undefeated for three years on the high school level. She went on to play for Claremont Mudd Scripps for one year, the current national champions in Division III. In this year she earned ITA All-American and was on the SCIAC All-Academic team. She then transferred to play Division I at University of Hawai‘i and is currently playing there. Anna is also a certified yoga instructor and teaches yoga as well as tennis. Anna has worked in the after school tennis program and coached the 2021 Girls’ Intermediate, JV, and Varsity teams. Anna continues to work in the Punahou Summer Tennis program.

  Kern has worked at Punahou since 2021.

   

  Anna been working at Punahou since 2021.

• Pam Kim

  Tennis Faculty 
  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  California is where Pam grew up and began playing tennis. She played 4 years of  Varsity Tennis in High School. She was ranked 17 in the CIF Sectionals in Southern California in the Girls 18 and played in the USTA National 18s Hardcourt Championships.

   

  Pam attended UCLA and played singles and doubles on the Division l Women’s Tennis Team and graduated with a B.A Degree in History. Pam also taught at Glenn Bassett/Billy Martin’s (UCLA Coaches) Summer Tennis Camp and coached the Varsity Girls’ Tennis team at the private school, Marymount High School, in Los Angeles, California.

   

  Upon arrival to Hawai‘i, Pam taught youth and adult tennis classes with the USTA Hawaii Chapter and then joined the Punahou School Tennis Program while acquiring a Hawai‘i State Teaching Credential. She Co-Head coached the Girls’ Intermediate and JV Tennis Teams and taught private lessons. Additionally, Pam has coached in the Afterschool programs, Saturday Playdays, Summer programs and the Friends of Punahou Tennis.

• Johnee Kop

  Tennis Faculty, Girls JV Head Coach, Boys Intermediate Head Coach, Boys Varsity II Head Coach
  RSPA Certified Elite Professional
  
  Kop was born and raised on Oahu. He started playing tennis in his 20’s and in the early 90’s moved to LA and played for Santa Monica College. In 1997, Kop was awarded the USTA Hawaii Division Men’s  30 Singles “Player of the Year”. Santa Monica College named him “Athlete of the Year” and HTL (A League) gave him the “Undefeated Player of the Year” award.  He also won the 1998 Oahu Open Championship in singles and doubles. Most recently, while in China, he won the 2003 National Amateur Championship in Beijing.
  
  

  In 1996, Kop became a USPTA Certified Elite Professional. He was a former USTA Hawaii Team Coach for the Boys and Girls 16s National Tournament and Team Captain for Kailua Racquet Club Adult-League Team Tennis. In 1998, Kop moved to Beijing. During his 20-year stay in China, Kop worked as a full-time touring coach for Jessica Yang, China’s Girls 12s and 14s National Champion from 2003-2005 and also worked with Rosie Cheng who was New Zealand’s #1, 12year player. He was the Nike/Junior Team China Coach in 2005 (Spain Tour) and 2006 (France Tour). Before moving back to Hawaii in 2018, he was the Director of Tennis at Western Academy of Beijing taking his Varsity Team to #1 in China and #2 in Asia.
  
  

  Kop also is a triathlete, completing his first full IRONMAN in Taiwan in 2017.
  
  

  Kop has worked at Punahou since 2018.

• Joel Kusinerz

  Tennis Faculty

  RSPA Certified Professional

   

  Kusinerz, born and raised in France, was a top 20 national junior player from age 14 to 17. 

   

  Kusinerz earned an athletic scholarship to play NAIA college tennis at Auburn University of Montgomery in Alabama, where his undefeated record at the number 3 and 4 singles positions helped the team secure the 2006 national title. That year, his performances in both singles and doubles, finishing the year ranked  #1 in the country with partner Daniel Plasa, earned him All American and Player of the year recognitions. 

   

  Kusinzerz transferred and graduated from NCAA Division 1 program Saint Mary's College of California (SMC) in Moraga, California, where he captained the team and competed at the #1 singles and doubles positions. After defeating the #6 ranked player in the country, and posting a 25-5 singles record, he achieved a career-high national ranking of No. 62, marking a historic milestone for Gaels tennis. 

   

  After graduating from SMC with back to back Bachelor in Accounting and MBA in business and sports management, he interned for USTA NorCal, where he mentored top tennis athletes at the national, international, and Division I collegiate levels, including Cici Bellis, who held the No. 1 world ranking in the under-14 division. 

   

  As a developmental coach at the prestigious California Tennis Club (CTC)  in San Francisco, Kusinerz guided players aged 8 to 18 in their preparation for collegiate tennis and competed for CTC’s Open and 5.5 teams, Kusinerz helped the club win both their first Open National USTA title, and 5.5 National USTA Title. 

   

  Upon moving to Hawaii in 2017, Kusinerz served as the University of Hawaii Assistant Men’s Coach to John Nelson, and later became the Head Men’s Coach at the University of Hawaii, where he coached local standout Andre Ilagan to a national ranking of No. 11, and All American recognitions. 

   

  Currently, Kusinerz is the Head Coach and Program Head for Boys' Tennis at Kamehameha Schools. He is dedicated to inspiring students to become true students of the game, using the process of mastering tennis to help them grow into the best versions of themselves.

   

  Kusinerz has worked at Punahou since January 2026.

• Manuel Loera

  Tennis Faculty

  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  Loera, a Barstow, California native, discovered his passion for tennis later in life, but defied the odds by joining the men’s tennis team at The University of Hawaii at Hilo from 2021-2023, a Division II school. Throughout his college journey, Loera's skills on the court earned him both the MVP Award and the Pono Vulcan Award. In 2023, he proudly graduated from the University of Hawaii at Hilo with a degree in Kinesiology. 
  
  

  Throughout his college years, Loera extended his impact beyond the court by coaching kids of all ages and skill levels, ranging from beginners to collegiate players.  He is a certified USPTA professional and his multifaceted journey reflects a remarkable blend of late-blooming talent, academic excellence, and a passion for mentoring budding athletes.

• Chris Ma

  Tennis Faculty
  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  A 1997 Punahou graduate, Ma was a 3-time HHSAA State Singles and Doubles Champion.  He played 4 years of NCAA Division I Tennis at University of California - Irvine where he earned the All Big-West Conference Awards in Singles and Doubles, serving as Captain and MVP his Senior year.  He also was a recipient of the 2001 ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
  
  

  Following his time at UCI, Ma worked in Finance in Hawaii before moving to Singapore for 7 years.  While working in Singapore, he also earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration at the National University of Singapore. Ma then spent 3 years working in Hong Kong, before moving back to Hawaii. Ma has been with Punahou since 2015, working in all capacities but primarily in the Boys' Varsity coaching role. Ma has 2 daughters, and enjoys spending time with them and playing tennis.
  
  

  Ma has been with Punahou since 2015.

• Roarke McLean

  Tennis Faculty 
  PTR Certified
  
  

  McLean was a BIIF (Big Island Interscholastic Federation) doubles champion in 2006. McLean played competitively while at the University of Oregon from 2006 – 2009. He previously coached at The Oahu Club working with the JTT (Junior Team Tennis) program, Junior Under 10 program, and teaching private lessons. 
  
  

  At Punahou, McLean coaches within the after school program, summer tennis program, and conducts private lessons.
  
  

  McLean has worked at Punahou since 2021.

• Ben Nelson

  Tennis Faculty 

   

  Born in Bangkok, Thailand and raised in the Bay Area in Petaluma, California, he began playing tennis at the age of 13. He competed throughout high school and continued his playing career at Santa Barbara City College before graduating from Grand Canyon University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Design. He spent several years living in Maui, where he coached tennis and competed in USTA league play. Most recently, he participated in the USTA North Bay Sectionals in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He has been at Punahou since 2025, continuing his passion for tennis both on and off the court.  

• Jason Oliver

  Tennis Faculty, Girls Varsity I Head Coach
  
  A 1993 graduate of Punahou, Oliver was introduced to tennis at the age of 13 and learned to play the game without any real formal instruction.  He went on to play at the University of Redlands (NCAA Div. III), where he helped the program to three Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and national 5th place team finishes in 1994, 1996 and 1997, and a 6th place team finish in 1995.  During his career at Redlands he earned First-Team All-Conference honors in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and was also selected to compete in the NCAA individual championships in singles and doubles in 1995, 1996 and 1997.  In 1996 he reached the quarterfinals of the singles and doubles tournaments, receiving All-American honors for both.  He played in the top singles and doubles position his senior year and served as team captain. 
  
  As a coach, he has served in all facets of Punahou’s tennis program since 1993 including but not limited to summer school, JTT, after school tennis, high performance, and interscholastic programs.  His coaching tree consists of mentors who were themselves direct disciples of some of the pillars of the game.  A non-exhaustive list of the teachers who have fundamentally shaped his coaching philosophies includes:  Bernard Gusman (Peter Burwash); Jim Ducey (Jim Verdieck, John Wooden); Kim Wittenberg (Vic Braden, Jim Verdieck); Michael Racuya (Peter Isaak); and Betsy Purpura (Hattie Somerville).
  
  Oliver has worked at Punahou since 1993.

• Roberta Russo

  Tennis Faculty, Girls Varsity II Head Coach
  RSPA Certified Professional
  
  

  Born and raised in Italy, Russo began playing tennis at age 5 and started competing internationally in her teens. After graduating from college with a Sports Management degree, Russo taught at various tennis facilities in Europe such as in Naples, Italy and the Sanchez Casal Academy in Spain.  Russo moved to Hawaii in 2015 and began working in the Punahou after school tennis program. She previously served as the Girls Varsity Tennis Assistant Coach (2017-2020) and since 2021 currently serves as the Head Coach of the Girls Varsity II Tennis program. 
  
  

  Russo is a FIT (Italian Tennis Federation), ITF (International Tennis Federation) and USPTA  certified coach. She has previously directed wheelchair tennis programs and is currently Director of Tennis at the Four Seasons at Ko-olina.
  
  

  Russo has worked at Punahou since 2015.

• Gary Salazar

  Tennis Faculty
  RSPA Elite Professional, USTA High Performance Coach, iTPA
  Certified Performance Coach
  
  Born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, Gary began playing tennis at the age of six and competing at eight. It was during these formative years that his love for the game of tennis was born. Being fortunate to learn under top coaches in the So Cal area, they helped him grow to be a highly ranked junior in the USTA Southern California division; while attending Edison High School he went undefeated in singles his senior year.
  
  From there Gary went on to play Division I college tennis at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied Biology. After college, he competed professionally on the Pro Penn satellite circuit. He later achieved a No. 8 national ranking in the Men’s Open division. Following his playing career, Gary transitioned into coaching in Southern California, serving as Head Coach for both the boys and girls tennis programs at Corona del Mar High School, while also working as Head Teaching Pro of Junior Development at the John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach.
  
  Many years later in 2016, he moved to Idaho where he served as Head Coach at Rocky Mountain High School, guiding the team to the 2022 State Championship and being named Idaho State Coach of the Year. He also served as Director of the Treasure Valley Tennis Academy, in Eagle Idaho – where he was able to share and pass on his love and knowledge of the game and his passion of developing the next generation of American tennis players.

• Scout Shutter

  Tennis Faculty, Girls Varsity I Assistant Coach
  RSPA Certified Instructor
  
  

  Shutter graduated from Punahou in 2013 after playing on the Punahou Girls Varsity Tennis team for four years. Following high school, she played Division I College Tennis at California State University Northridge on a 4-year scholarship. Shutter has coached a number of Nike Tennis Camps and was the Girls Varsity Tennis Assistant Coach during the 2019 – 2020 school year. In addition to coaching at Punahou, Shutter has coached in a number of Nike Tennis Camps with kids of all ages as well as coached private and small group lessons.
   
  Shutter has worked at Punahou since 2018.

• Kristi Van Diver

  Tennis Faculty
  RSPA Certified Instructor
  
  

  Kristi Van Diver is an RSPA Certified Instructor and former NCAA Division II collegiate athlete.

   

  She began playing tennis at 15 and went undefeated through her high school career at Ripon Christian High School, earning Southern League Singles Champion and League MVP. She continued at Modesto Junior College, helping her team reach a #1 Northern California ranking and #2 statewide finish, before competing at California State University, Stanislaus, where the program reached a Top 50 national ranking.

   

  Kristi was named a 2017 ITA Scholar-Athlete for excellence in both academics and collegiate competition. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, ranking in the top 1% of her class.

   

  She currently serves as an assistant coach for Intermediate and Varsity Girls Tennis, bringing a composed, detail-oriented, and supportive approach to player development within competitive training environments.

   

  Kristi has worked at Punahou since 2022.

• Fred Wong

  Tennis Faculty 
  USPTA Certified Instructor
  
  

  Wong is passionate about working with young children and helping them build skills and confidence through athletics. He is a former soccer coach at Maryknoll and certified soccer referee, as well as a USTA certified tennis referee. Wong’s hobbies include deep sea fishing, Music, ukulele, guitar, bass, choirs. In his past life he was part of the Fifth Army Rifle Team, a certified NAUI Diver, Marathon Runner, Commodity Broker, Private Pilot, and the Rocky Mountain National Ski Patrol. 
  
  

  Wong has worked at Punahou since 2009.