Kathleen Takaishi

Kathleen Takaishi completed her tenth season as the head coach of the Wolf Pack in 2022-23.

Takaishi led the Pack to arguably their best season in program history last year, as the team set new program records for best yearly stroke average (291.36), best 54-hole score (830, Ptarmigan Ram Classic), best 18-hole score (274, Ptarmigan Ram Classic), while also earning five top-three finishes, and three team titles.

Takaishi helped Victoria Gailey achieve one of the best individual seasons in program history, as the fifth-year senior qualified for her second consecutive NCAA Regional, in addition to being named First Team All-Mountain West for the second straight year. Gailey set program records for best yearly stroke average (71.64), lowest 18-hole score (65, Ptarmigan Ram Classic), lowest 36-hole score (133, Ptarmigan Ram Classic), lowest 54-hole score (201, Ptarmigan Ram Classic), while also winning three individual titles.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 season was shorter than usual with the team competing in just six events during the spring semester. The Pack started the season off slow but picked it up down the stretch, recording three top five finishes in its last four events. Nevada’s best finish was a third place showing at the BYU Spring Classic, in which Victoria Gailey won the individual side of the tournament at 4-under par, the first win of her collegiate career. Even though the season was shorter than usual, Gailey still managed to break her own single-season scoring record as she finished the year averaging 73.06 strokes per round to set the program record. Takaishi also saw Gailey earn All-Mountain West second team honors for the second time in her career.

The 2019-20 season was also shortened due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled spring sports across the nation. Despite the shortened season, the Wolf Pack was still able to complete all but two of its scheduled events. In its seven tournaments the Pack compiled a team scoring average of 298.71, which ranks as the second-lowest team scoring average in program history, just 0.01 strokes off from tying the record set in 2018-19. During the fall season, Takaishi helped lead her team to back-to-back third place finishes, setting a season best. On an individual level, Takaishi saw two of her sophomores post sub-75 scoring averages for the year, with Danni Ujimori leading the team at 74.04 and Victoria Gailey finishing the season at 74.47, both of which rank in the top 10 all-time.

Takaishi led the Wolf Pack to a remarkable run in the 2019 Mountain West Championship as it earned a runner-up finish. Nevada nearly overcame a 10-shot deficit entering the final round and finished just one stroke behind eventual champion San Diego State. The second place showing marked the Pack’s best finish in the conference championship since joining the Mountain West, and tied the program’s best finish overall at a conference championship. The team posted seven top 10s in its 10 events, including two top five finishes.

The Wolf Pack also set the program record for team single season stroke average in 2018-19, compiling an average of 298.70 strokes per round. That average marks the third consecutive season that the Pack has posted a team stroke average under 300. On the individual side, Takaishi helped turn Victoria Gailey into an all-conference performer in her freshman season. Gailey earned second team All-Mountain West honors after turning in a stroke average of 73.47, which also set the single season program record. It marked the first all-conference honor for Nevada in the Mountain West, and the first overall since 2008.

In her fifth season at the helm, Takaishi guided her team to four top five finishes, including a fifth place showing at the 2018 Mountain West Championship. The Wolf Pack compiled a team scoring average of 299.9, good for third-lowest in program history. Takaishi also coached Celyn Khoo to an individual scoring average of 74.03, which set the single season record at the time. Khoo was the Pack’s most consistent player during the 2017-18 season, finishing as the team’s top finisher in seven of the 10 events and racking up six top 15 finishes, including a tie for fourth in the conference championship.

Under Takaishi’s guidance, the Wolf Pack won its second tournament during her tenure at the 2017 Fresno State Classic. Nevada overcame a five-shot deficit at the start of the final round and won the event by two shots. During that tournament, the Pack placed five players inside the top 25 on the individual leaderboard. Additionally during the 2016-17 season Kaitlin Collom captured her first individual title at the 2017 Cowgirl Classic, which led to her being named the Mountain West Golfer of the Week. Takaishi’s players collected 11 top 10 finishes individually throughout the season as well and earned a sixth place finish in the conference championship.

During Takaishi’s third season at the helm, the Pack set multiple program records. The Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, one of the premier women’s events in all of college golf, was a bright spot for the Wolf Pack. Celyn Khoo’s opening round of 67 set the low individual record, only to have that bested the very next day by Michelle Duan’s round of 66. As a team, Nevada set the program’s 18-hole record with a second round team score of 278. All of that culminated into a new 54-hole program record of 850, shattering the previous record of 878, which had been set in the early 2000s.

Takaishi's second year at Nevada in 2014-15 proved to be a pivotal season in the direction of the program. The Pack, led by Nikki Prichard and Caryn Khoo, captured the team title of the Cowgirl Classic, hosted by Wyoming in Arizona. Prichard and Khoo tied for third place individually at the event. The team win was Nevada's first since 2006 and provided momentum for a strong finish in the Mountain West Championships.

The program also has achieved notable off-the-course success as well. Takaishi continues to place a consistent number of her players on the Academic All-Mountain West team. A high number of them have also been selected as Mountain West Scholar-Athletes and All-American Scholars by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association. The Wolf Pack posted a combined team GPA of 3.623 in the 2019 fall semester, which was the highest GPA among all teams in the athletics department.

Takaishi came to Nevada after a successful tenure at Portland State where she guided the Vikings to three Big Sky Championships in five and a half seasons as head coach. She was a four-year letterwinner at Oregon State, where she earned All-America honors in 1998 and competed in NCAA Regionals all four seasons.

While at Portland State, Takaishi was twice named the Big Sky Coach of the Year (2010 and 2011) and produced a Big Sky Player of the Year (2013) and a Big Sky Freshman of the Year (2011). She guided the Vikings to three championships and NCAA Regionals appearances (2008, 2010, and 2011) and twice had the Big Sky Championship individual medalist. She had 13 players named to the Big Sky All-Academic Team and 11 players who earned all-conference honors.

A native of San Bernardino, Calif., Takaishi starred at Oregon State from 1995-99. She competed in NCAA Regionals in four different seasons and advanced to the NCAA Championships as a junior in 1998 and again in 1999. She was named an NCGA All-American in 1998. In October 2015 she was inducted into her high school’s Hall of Fame at Aquinas High School in San Bernardino.

Following her collegiate career, Takaishi competed professionally for three years on the Players West Tour, US Challenge Tour and the Futures Tour. She qualified for the final stage of LPGA Q-School in 2001.

She began her coaching career as an assistant for the men's and women's teams at UC Riverside in 2002. In February of 2004, she returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach for the women's team before taking the Portland State job in February of 2008.