University of Hawai‘i-Hilo announced its next women’s volleyball coach Monday by naming a familiar face.
Hilo-native Reed Sunahara, a 1981 graduate of Hilo High who made a name for himself coaching mainland collegiate volleyball over the last three decades, was selected to be the program’s eighth coach. He is expected to start immediately.
Sunahara will replace Chris Leonard, who led the Vulcans from 2019-24.
“It’s good to be back (on the Big Island),” Sunahara said in an introductory interview. “It really has come full circle. It’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s all of the above. I’m appreciative of (UH-H) for trusting that I can lead this program, and I’m ready to start.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Reed Sunahara to our university ‘ohana,” Vulcans Director of Athletics Patrick Guillen added in a press release.”We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber and pedigree as part of our team. The fact that he is a local boy from Hilo is just icing on the cake.”
Sunahara is about as experienced as it gets when it comes to coaching the college scene. The 2018 Big Island Sports Hall of Fame inductee coached the Division-I level for West Virginia University from 2015-23, where he led the Mountaineers to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2021. He also led programs at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2014 and University of Toledo from 1995-1996.
Sunahara’s most notable tenure came at the University of Cincinnati from 2000-2011, where he led the Bearcats to a 289-109 (.726) record with eight NCAA tournament appearances and six conference titles in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2010 and 2011. He was crowned with Coach of the Year honors in 2001, 2008 and 2010.
Sunahara’s recent coaching experience came during the Pro Volleyball Federation’s first-ever season in 2024, where he had an assistant role with the Vegas Thrill. Additionally, he served as an assistant with the United States Women’s National Team from 2013-14 and USA Volleyball in 2012.
He has three children, with his oldest son — Rex — currently playing long snapper for the Cleveland Browns, and younger son — R.J. — currently serving as an assistant for Nova Southeastern men’s basketball.
Sunahara being an East Hawai‘i native makes the transition even smoother for the Vulcans. While at Hilo High in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sunahara was a three-sport phenom in volleyball, basketball and baseball. He sparked collegiate recruiting interest in basketball and volleyball, as then-UH-H men’s basketball head coach Jimmy Yagi even tried convincing him to play for the Vulcans.
But Sunahara’s heart stayed with volleyball, ultimately deciding to play at UCLA for legendary coach Al Scates — who retired in 2012 after an illustrious 50-year career of leading the Bruins to an unprecedented 1,239-290 (.812) record and 19 NCAA titles. While at UCLA, Sunahara played with decorated teammates, including Olympians Doug Partie, Dave Saunders, Ricci Luyties and current U.S. Olympic team head coach Karch Kiraly.
Sunahara credits Scates for helping start his coaching career, explaining that he was unsure of what to do with his life once graduation was approaching. His coaching career began in the mid 1980s as an assistant for the Bruins, where he helped his alma mater win three national titles in 1987, 1989 and 1993.
“(Scates) was the one that actually got me into coaching,” Sunahara said. “After I was done playing, he asked me, ‘What are you going to do?’ I said to him that I was planning to go back home. He goes, ‘Well, you should try coaching — I have a job for you.’ I was fortunate enough that he trusted me. So that’s how it all started.”
“I’ve had some really good experiences (while coaching), and (plan) to use that to make it the best (at UH-H).”
Sunahara will be taking over a younger Vulcans program that rostered zero seniors in the 2024 season. The team went 16-14 overall with an 11-9 conference record in the PacWest. Guillen pointed to Sunahara’s vast experience and deep knowledge of the game as the deciding factors in UH-H’s hiring decision.
“Coach Sunahara brings an exceptional level of coaching expertise and a proven track record of success,” Guillen said. “His strong local, national and international ties positions him well to recruit at high levels. This, along with his fundamentally sound teaching and skill development, will be the formula for building a volleyball program that our entire community will be proud of. He embodies the values we hold dear in our athletics program: excellence, integrity and a commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the court. We are confident coach Sunahara will lead our team to new heights and inspire our community with their passion and dedication.”
Sunahara noted that he is still processing the exciting news, but is fully ready to embrace the new challenge. After living on the mainland for several decades, Sunahara believed he would never return to the Big Island. He views the role as a calling from his homeland — an opportunity to give back to the volleyball scene he grew up in.
“When I left (the Big Island) after high school, I thought I would never come back,” Sunahara said. “But as I got older and went through my career, I thought it would be really cool to come back home and coach somewhere in Hawai‘i. And when this opened up, I talked with (Guillen) and thought this was the perfect fit for me. It’s home, it’s where I grew up. I left Hilo, but Hilo never left me.
“We want to do the best we can. We want to recruit the best. We want great fan support. I know Hilo fans are really good, and we want to create that interaction with the fans, players and coaches. I have a lot of family and friends that are going to come to the games. It’s an exciting time for Vulcan volleyball, and I can’t wait to start.”
