Kansas State women’s golf is rewarding one of the key figures behind its recent transformation, as Rinko Mitsunaga has been elevated from assistant coach to associate head coach after three highly productive seasons with the Wildcats.
Head coach Stew Burke announced the promotion Thursday, recognizing Mitsunaga’s growing influence on the program, her commitment to player development and the significant role she has played in helping K-State establish itself as a postseason contender.
Mitsunaga has been an important part of the Wildcats’ progress since joining the program. During her three seasons in Manhattan, K-State has reached the postseason in back-to-back years, including a historic 2025 campaign when the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA National Championship for the first time in program history.
Her promotion comes at a time when the program is showing some of its strongest signs of sustained success.
“Coach Rinko brings an incredible passion, dedication and commitment to elevating our program and developing our student-athletes,” Burke said, praising Mitsunaga’s influence on both the team’s culture and competitive standards.
Burke also emphasized that Mitsunaga has challenged him to become a better head coach while playing a major role in establishing the expectations that have helped K-State make significant strides.
A Major Force Behind K-State’s Recent Success
The numbers underline just how much the Wildcats have improved during Mitsunaga’s tenure.
K-State has now earned two postseason appearances in the last two seasons, accounting for two of the seven NCAA postseason trips in program history. The Wildcats have also produced the three best team scoring averages in school history during the Burke-Mitsunaga era.
The program’s record-setting season came in 2024-25, when K-State posted a school-best 288.13 team scoring average.
The Wildcats have also accumulated 21 of the top 25 team rounds in program history, including all of the top nine. In addition, 18 of the program’s top 25 54-hole team scores have come during Mitsunaga’s tenure, including every one of the seven best marks.
Those accomplishments demonstrate that her impact has extended far beyond individual players. She has helped establish a culture of consistency and competitiveness across the entire roster.
Building a Championship-Level Culture
Since Mitsunaga arrived at K-State, the Wildcats have captured four team championships, recorded 14 top-three finishes and produced 20 top-five finishes.
Her influence has been equally impressive on the individual side.
Mitsunaga has helped develop two of the top players in K-State history in terms of career scoring average: Carla Bernat, who finished with a 70.44 average, and Noa van Beek, who posted a 74.08 mark.
She has also been involved in eight of the program’s top 10 single-season scoring averages, including the four best marks in school history.
Bernat owns two of those top performances, averaging 70.08 in 2024-25 and 70.90 in 2023-24. Kelsey Chen recorded a 71.94 average in 2025-26, while Nanami Nakashima posted a 72.46 mark during the same season.
The individual success has translated into championships as well.
K-State golfers have combined for 10 individual tournament titles during Mitsunaga’s time with the program.
Bernat has been the standout performer, winning five times as a Wildcat and capturing the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Mitsunaga played an especially important role in that achievement, serving as Bernat’s caddie during the event.
Bernat also won the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional, while Sophie Bert became the first K-State golfer to capture an individual title at the Big 12 Championship.
The Wildcats then produced another piece of program history during the 2025-26 season when three different K-State golfers won individual championships in three consecutive events, marking the first time that feat had been accomplished in school history.
Mitsunaga Embraces Her Expanded Role
For Mitsunaga, the promotion represents an opportunity to continue building a program she now considers home.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue building something special at K-State,” Mitsunaga said, expressing appreciation to the university leadership and Burke for their trust and mentorship.
She also made it clear that her primary focus remains the student-athletes and helping the Wildcats reach another level of success.
Her continued presence is particularly significant for Burke, who believes Mitsunaga has already established herself as one of the highly respected coaches in the sport.
“Coach Rinko is exceptionally well respected throughout the coaching community,” Burke said, adding that he believes she has the potential to eventually lead a successful program of her own.
For now, however, K-State is benefiting from her decision to remain in Manhattan and continue working alongside Burke.
A Coaching Career Built on Experience
Mitsunaga arrived at Kansas State following two seasons as an assistant coach at Tulane, where she began her collegiate coaching career.
Before entering coaching, she worked as a Player Services Coordinator for the LPGA Symetra Tour, gaining valuable experience within professional golf.
Her own playing career also provides her with a strong foundation for developing K-State’s players.
As a student-athlete at Georgia, Mitsunaga helped the Bulldogs collect 11 team victories and won the 2016 Georgia Lady Bulldog Individual Championship. She recorded seven top-10 finishes and 23 top-20 finishes between 2015 and 2019.
She was also recognized as a 2015 All-SEC Freshman and earned honorable mention All-America recognition from Golfweek in 2016.
Her amateur career included appearances in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2012 and 2016, while she also won the 2019 Georgia Women’s Amateur Championship, the 2015 USGA U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championship and the 2015 Georgia Women’s Match Play Championship.
K-State’s Next Chapter
Mitsunaga’s promotion arrives as K-State women’s golf looks to build on one of the strongest stretches in program history.
With consecutive postseason appearances, a historic NCAA Championship appearance, multiple team and individual titles, and several school records falling during her tenure, the Wildcats have established a foundation that suggests their recent success may be more than a temporary surge.
Now, with Mitsunaga taking on an expanded leadership role, K-State is betting on continuity as it attempts to push even higher.
The Wildcats already have a new standard to measure themselves against. With Mitsunaga staying in Manhattan, K-State will look to turn that new standard into the beginning of an even bigger era for the program.
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