Mitsunaga Promoted to Associate Head Coach
Aug 06, 2026 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Rinko Mitsunaga, who has helped elevate Kansas State women's golf as an assistant coach the past three seasons, has been promoted to associate head coach, head coach Stew Burke announced Thursday.
Mitsunaga has been instrumental in helping K-State women's golf reach the postseason each of the last two seasons, including the 2025 campaign in which the Wildcats advanced to the National Championship for the first time in program history.
"Coach Rinko brings an incredible passion, dedication and commitment to elevating our program and developing our student-athletes," Burke said. "She challenges me every day to be the best head coach I can be, and her impact on our culture and standards has been invaluable. I am thrilled that she has chosen to remain a Wildcat and continue investing in what we are building at K-State. She has been instrumental in our program's success and the growth and development of our players since arriving in Manhattan."
K-State's regional berths in 2025 and 2026 represent two of the seven trips to the postseason in program history. She has helped Burke preside over the top three team scoring averages in program history, including a school-record mark of 288.13 in 2024-25. The Wildcats have claimed 21 of the top 25 team rounds in program history – including each of the top nine – during her tenure in addition to 18 of the top 25 team 54-hole scores in school history – including each of the top seven marks.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue building something special at K-State, a place that has truly become home," Mitsunaga said. "Thank you to Gene Taylor, Casey Scott, and especially Coach Stew for their trust, mentorship and belief in me. I am honored to continue serving our student-athletes and helping our program reach new heights together."
Since her arrival, the Wildcats have recorded four team championships, 14 top-three finishes and 20 top-five showings.
On the individual front, Mitsunaga has helped tutor the top two players in school history in terms of career scoring average in Carla Bernat (70.44) and Noa van Beek (74.08). Additionally, she has helped guide players that have claimed eight of the program's top-10 marks in single-season scoring average, which includes the top four marks in Bernat (70.08 in 2024-25 and 70.90 in 2023-24), Kelsey Chen (71.94 in 2025-26) and Nanami Nakashima (72.46 in 2025-26).
Mitsunaga has also helped K-State players record 10 individual championships. Highlighting the group is Bernat, who won five times as a Wildcat in addition to the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur, an event in which Mitsunaga served as her caddie. Bernat also won the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional, which came on the heels of Sophie Bert winning an individual title at the Big 12 Championship, the first in program history. This past season, three different Wildcats won individual championships in three-straight events, which was also a first in school history.
"Coach Rinko is exceptionally well respected throughout the coaching community, and I have no doubt she will one day be an outstanding head coach leading a successful program of her own," Burke said. "For now, though, we are incredibly fortunate that she has chosen to continue leading K-State alongside me, and I couldn't be more excited about what the future holds for our program."
Mitsunaga came to K-State after working two seasons as an assistant coach at Tulane, her first time working in collegiate golf. Previously, Mitsunaga served as the Player Services Coordinator for the LPGA Symetra Tour.
Mitsunaga shined as a student-athlete at Georgia, helping the Bulldogs earn 11 team victories while also claiming an individual title in the 2016 Georgia Lady Bulldog Individual Championship. During her collegiate career, she put together seven top-10 finishes and 23 top-20 placings from 2015 to 2019. She earned 2015 All-SEC Freshman honors and 2016 Honorable Mention All-America accolades from Golfweek.
As an amateur golfer, Mitsunaga played in the U.S. Women's Open in both 2012 and 2016, while she won the 2019 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship, 2015 USGA U.S. Women's Four-Ball Championship and the 2015 Georgia Women's Match Play Championship.
Mitsunaga has been instrumental in helping K-State women's golf reach the postseason each of the last two seasons, including the 2025 campaign in which the Wildcats advanced to the National Championship for the first time in program history.
"Coach Rinko brings an incredible passion, dedication and commitment to elevating our program and developing our student-athletes," Burke said. "She challenges me every day to be the best head coach I can be, and her impact on our culture and standards has been invaluable. I am thrilled that she has chosen to remain a Wildcat and continue investing in what we are building at K-State. She has been instrumental in our program's success and the growth and development of our players since arriving in Manhattan."
K-State's regional berths in 2025 and 2026 represent two of the seven trips to the postseason in program history. She has helped Burke preside over the top three team scoring averages in program history, including a school-record mark of 288.13 in 2024-25. The Wildcats have claimed 21 of the top 25 team rounds in program history – including each of the top nine – during her tenure in addition to 18 of the top 25 team 54-hole scores in school history – including each of the top seven marks.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue building something special at K-State, a place that has truly become home," Mitsunaga said. "Thank you to Gene Taylor, Casey Scott, and especially Coach Stew for their trust, mentorship and belief in me. I am honored to continue serving our student-athletes and helping our program reach new heights together."
Since her arrival, the Wildcats have recorded four team championships, 14 top-three finishes and 20 top-five showings.
On the individual front, Mitsunaga has helped tutor the top two players in school history in terms of career scoring average in Carla Bernat (70.44) and Noa van Beek (74.08). Additionally, she has helped guide players that have claimed eight of the program's top-10 marks in single-season scoring average, which includes the top four marks in Bernat (70.08 in 2024-25 and 70.90 in 2023-24), Kelsey Chen (71.94 in 2025-26) and Nanami Nakashima (72.46 in 2025-26).
Mitsunaga has also helped K-State players record 10 individual championships. Highlighting the group is Bernat, who won five times as a Wildcat in addition to the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur, an event in which Mitsunaga served as her caddie. Bernat also won the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional, which came on the heels of Sophie Bert winning an individual title at the Big 12 Championship, the first in program history. This past season, three different Wildcats won individual championships in three-straight events, which was also a first in school history.
"Coach Rinko is exceptionally well respected throughout the coaching community, and I have no doubt she will one day be an outstanding head coach leading a successful program of her own," Burke said. "For now, though, we are incredibly fortunate that she has chosen to continue leading K-State alongside me, and I couldn't be more excited about what the future holds for our program."
Mitsunaga came to K-State after working two seasons as an assistant coach at Tulane, her first time working in collegiate golf. Previously, Mitsunaga served as the Player Services Coordinator for the LPGA Symetra Tour.
Mitsunaga shined as a student-athlete at Georgia, helping the Bulldogs earn 11 team victories while also claiming an individual title in the 2016 Georgia Lady Bulldog Individual Championship. During her collegiate career, she put together seven top-10 finishes and 23 top-20 placings from 2015 to 2019. She earned 2015 All-SEC Freshman honors and 2016 Honorable Mention All-America accolades from Golfweek.
As an amateur golfer, Mitsunaga played in the U.S. Women's Open in both 2012 and 2016, while she won the 2019 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship, 2015 USGA U.S. Women's Four-Ball Championship and the 2015 Georgia Women's Match Play Championship.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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