HONOLULU – Hawai'i Pacific University has named former HPU All-American and long-time assistant coach Jarnett Lono Co-Head Coach of the Sharks softball program.
 
Executive Director of Athletics Vince Baldemor and veteran HPU Softball Head Coach Bryan Nakasone made the announcement on Wednesday.
 
"I am very pleased to have Jarnett join Coach Nakasone in leading our softball program," said Baldemor. ""She has done an outstanding job as an assistant coach and is a life-long member of the Sharks Ohana."
 
"Jarnett has worked hard in numerous positions for HPU," said Nakasone. "She's a student of the game, very level-headed. She's the perfect candidate to help us take the program forward."
 
"This is a great honor for me," said Lono. "I'm very excited for the opportunity to be the head softball coach at my alma mater and continue to push our program back toward a championship."
 
Lono has been a part of the softball program since enrolling at HPU in 1995 after earning All-State honors at Honolulu's Roosevelt High School.
 
She earned Third Team NFCA All-America at second base as a senior in HPU's first season in NCAA Division II in 1999 in leading the Sea Warriors to the very first PacWest Conference Championship. She was also a first-team All-PacWest and All-West Region performer in helping HPU lead the nation in fielding percentage.
 
Lono was also All-Hawai'i Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as a junior and senior for Head Coach Howard Okita.
 
"As a player she was a spark plug," said Nakasone. "There was no doubt she was the boss, and the team responded to her. She was able to take those qualities to the next level as a coach."
 
Lono has served various assistant coach capacities in the HPU Softball Program since 1999, and served three years as HPU's Sports Information Director and Compliance Coordinator. She was a part of the 2010 NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year when HPU won the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship.
 
Lono graduated with a bachelor's of business administration in marketing in December of 1998, and earned first team Academic All-PacWest and NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors as she started her master's degree while completing her final season of eligibility. She graduated with an MBA in marketing in June 2000.
 
This is the second time in HPU Softball history that Bryan Nakasone has been a co-head coach. Nakasone, who has coached at HPU since 1993, was co-head coach with Howard Okita from 2002-2008 before Okita stepped down in 2009.