After wrapping up her college playing career at Long Beach State in 2007, Panita Thanatharn moved on to the next phase of her life in earnest.
Thanatharn remained with Long Beach State in 2008, serving as the team's director of operations. It was the first step of her coaching career, where the ultimate goal was to become a head coach one day.
That day arrived in the summer of 2025, when University of Hawai‘i acting athletics director Lois Manin selected Thanatharn following a national search that was preceded by Bob Coolen's retirement.
Thanatharn, who also served as an assistant coach at UNLV from 2009 to 2010 before returning to Long Beach State from 2011 to 2025, worked quickly to restock Hawai‘i's roster upon taking the job in the summer. A handful of scrimmages in the fall gave Thanatharn and her staff a better feel for the players they have at their disposal.
With less than a month of preseason practices to work with, UH will officially begin its 2026 season on Thursday, where it will host the Bank of Hawai‘i Paradise Classic. The Rainbow Wahine will open against Seattle University on Thursday, followed by games against North Dakota and Pacific on Friday. The 'Bows will officially play under a new head coach for the first time since 1992, back when Coolen debuted. The 'Bows then close out their weekend on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader against Pacific and Seattle.
"Just super excited. Super excited for the girls and the team and our staff," Thanatharn said on Tuesday morning. "The butterflies, those are natural, but just excited. We're ready to face another opponent besides seeing ourselves."
When asked about contributors on the team, Thanatharn was mum, choosing not to name names.
"Pitching is the name of the game, and we have a really good staff right now, so you'll see all of our pitchers," she said. "I think in the past, they've been just a little bit lower on the number of pitchers and relying on the one-two, you're going to see the whole staff. And to be successful, you need an entire staff, and you will see all five of our pitchers, especially early on. But we need the whole staff to compete in that sense."
By the time first pitch arrives on Thursday arrives and goes, Thanatharn will officially have a head coaching record next to her name. It's a moment she expects to take in stride, citing her mentor in longtime Long Beach State head coach Kim Sowder.
"I've been lucky and fortunate in the past that my old mentor has given me a lot of responsibility," Thanatharn said. "It's nothing too out of the ordinary, getting too high, too low. I feel like, again, she's given me a lot of responsibility. So, it doesn't feel like anything too different, but I am just super excited."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
