Gene Okamura has spent nearly a decade coaching at his alma mater after starting as an assistant coach in 2013.

In 2016, Okamura was named head coach of both the Vulcans men's and women's soccer programs before moving to coaching only the women's team starting in 2018.

The Hawai‘i-native has also split his time coaching with Hawai‘i Rush Big Island Soccer Club and the Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i girls and boys soccer teams, winning a Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Boys Division II State Championship in 2022 with a girls state championships runner-up finish in 2016.

As a student-athlete, Okamura was one of the first three players recruited to play for the Hawai‘i Hilo men's soccer team in its inaugural season.

HAWAI‘I HILO WOMEN'S SOCCER RECORD

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HAWAI‘I HILO WOMEN'S SOCCER RECORD

SEASON

TEAM RECORD

NOTES

2016

5-7-4 Overall

3-6-4 PacWest

2017

7-9-1 Overall

4-8-1 PacWest

2018

10-4-2 Overall

7-3-1 PacWest

2019

6-7-4 Overall

5-4-2 PacWest

2020-21

0-0-4 Overall

0-0-4 PacWest

Shortened COVID Spring Season

2021

11-4-0 Overall

8-1-0 PacWest (No. 1)

NCAA West Region First Round

PacWest Conference Co-Champions

PacWest Conference Coach of the Year

United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-American

PacWest Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year

PacWest Conference WSOC Scholar Athlete of the Year

PacWest Conference Player of the Year

PacWest Conference Goalkeeper of the Year

PacWest Conference Newcomer of the Year

2022

13-1-3 Overall

8-0-2 PacWest (No. 1)

NCAA West Region Second Round (Host)

PacWest Conference Champions

PacWest Conference Coach of the Year

United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year

50th Career Win (Oct. 22 vs Biola)

No. 14 Final National Ranking

United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year

United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-American

United Soccer Coaches Third Team Scholar All-American

United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American

United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American

D2 CCA Third Team All-American

CSC Second Team Academic All-American

PacWest Conference Goalkeeper of the Year

PacWest Conference Newcomer of the Year

2023

10-2-3 Overall

6-2-2 PacWest (No. 3)

D2 CCA All-West Region Player of the Year

PacWest Conference Player of the Year

PacWest Conference Goalkeeper of the Year

PacWest Conference Newcomer of the Year

8 Seasons

62-34-22 Overall

41-24-16 PacWest

2 Championships

22 Major Awards

HAWAI‘I HILO MEN'S SOCCER RECORD

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HAWAI‘I HILO MEN'S SOCCER RECORD

SEASON

TEAM RECORD

NOTES

2016

2-14-0 Overall

2-11-0 PacWest

2017

1-14-2 Overall

0-11-2 PacWest

2 Seasons

3-28-2 Overall

2-22-2 PacWest

0 Championships

0 Major Awards

YEAR-BY-YEAR

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2022: Vulcans went unbeaten in the regular season and repeated as Pacific West Conference Champions, this time winning the title outright and earning back-to-back PacWest Coach of the Year awards. Later, named United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year. Reached career win No. 50 with a 3-0 victory over Biola (Oct. 22). Hawai‘i Hilo earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship West Regional and hosted the First and Second Rounds at the brand-new turf Vulcan Soccer Field.

Daelenn Tokunaga was named United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year in addition to earning spots on the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team and D2 Conference Commissioners Association All-America Third Team ... Fifth-year forward Grace VerHage was named to the College Sports Communications Academic All-America Second Team as well as PacWest Newcomer of the Year ... Fifth year Jodi Lillie was named United Soccer Coaches Third Team Scholar All-American ... Freshman Lolo Retsky was named a D2 CCA Third Team All-American as well as PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year as a total of nine players earned All-PacWest Team honors.

2021: Vulcans claimed a share of the PacWest Championship as co-champs after finishing tied atop the regular season standings. A 1-0 overtime win over Point Loma Nazarene in the regular season earned the head-to-head tiebreaker and automatic qualifier bid in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships postseason for the first time ... Okamura was selected as conference Coach of the Year.

COACHING CAREER

» 2022 United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year

» 2022 PacWest Conference Coach of the Year

» 2022 PacWest Conference Champions

» Career Win No. 50 vs Biola (Oct. 22, 2022)

» 2021-22 HHSAA Boys Division II State Champions (Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i)

» 2021 PacWest Conference Coach of the Year

» 2021 PacWest Conference Co-Champions

PLAYING CAREER

» Played four years on the Vulcans Men's Soccer team as part of the program's first recruiting class (2006-2010)

» 2007 All-PacWest Honorable Mention

» Competed in soccer and football at Waiakea High School

ALMA MATER

» Waiakea High School (Hawai‘i) 2006

» University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 2010 - B.A. Administration of Justice

PERSONAL

» Hometown: Hilo, Hawai‘i

CERTIFICATIONS

» U.S. Soccer Federation C License

CAREER (MEN'S: 3-28-2)

2016-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Women's HC)

2016-2017: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Men's HC: 3-28-2)

2020-2022: Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i (Boys Varsity HC)

2014-2016: Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i (Girls Varsity HC)

2013-2015: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Assistant)

MEDIA

» UH Hilo alumnus Okamura, from student-athlete to award-winning coach (Dec. 5, 2022) - UH Hilo Stories

» Women's soccer prepares for second straight NCAA tournament appearance (Nov. 6, 2022) - Spectrum News Hawaii

» UH Hilo ranks 7th in nation; highest ranking in history of Vulcan program (Oct. 3, 2022) - UH Hilo Stories

» Nationally ranked UH Hilo opens conference play with victory (Sept. 26, 2022) - KHON2 News