Coach Bud Kling Nets 1,000th Victory

To the casual observer there was nothing extraordinary about the Palisades High boys tennis team’s league match against University last Friday afternoon at the Palisades Tennis Center.

The Dolphins did what they usually do–they dominated–and although it wasn’t the least bit dramatic, Coach Bud Kling couldn’t care less, for the victory was the 1,000th of his career, making him the third prep tennis coach in state history to reach that milestone.

Already the winningest coach in any sport in Los Angeles City Section history, Kling has guided the Dolphins to 36 team titles (21 boys, 15 girls) and entered Tuesday’s match against Mira Costa with a .903 winning percentage.

Only former Coronado coach Robbin Adair, who had over 1,100 wins in 40 years (a total of 73 seasons) and current Bakersfield Christian coach Frank Thiessen (who got his 1,000th win in 2012) have more victories than Kling, who did it in just his 59th season. He has headed the PaliHi boys program since 1979 (winning 33 of 35 league titles) and coached the girls for all but one season from 1984-2007, winning 22 of 23 league titles.

The significance of Friday’s match was not lost on the players, who seemed to be in a hurry to end the formality and get on with the post-match celebration at the picnic tables at the park entrance, where pizza, homemade Mexican food and cupcakes awaited. There was also a banner on which players, parents and friends wrote their congratulations and thanks to the longtime coach and Palisades resident.

The Dolphins (13-1) lost a grand total of one game in 14 sets of the 7-0 rout.

Ben Goldberg made the win official by blanking the Wildcats’ Brandon Ma, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 1 singles for the clinching fourth point.

“It’s pretty cool that I got to be  a part of it,” Goldberg said. “I kept the ball that I won the final point on and he’s saving it.”

Afterwards, senior co-captains Ryan Schindler and Daniel Rozovsky praised Kling for his commitment and strong leadership, then PaliHi  Assistant Principal in Charge of Athletics Russ Howard presented him with a $100 gift certificate which he joked “is worth 10 cents for every victory.”

Kling took the win in stride just as he had the previous 999 and thanked his players, his wife Cheryl, the parents and all of his players–past and present–and his children Ryan and Alex, both of whom he coached at PaliHi and contributed to his win total.

Rich Wilken, one of the community’s most dedicated volunteers and the 2010 Citizen of the Year, watched Friday’s match and was among the first to shake Kling’s hand for a job well done.

Kling’s tenure began rather unexpectedly in the spring of 1979–a moment he remembers as if it happened yesterday.

“In 1978 the team lost in the City Finals despite being ranked #1 and beating its opponent twice in league. [Previous head coach] Bud Ware said he couldn’t end his career on such a bitter note and asked if I could wait one more year and return as his assistant.”

And of course Kling agreed to come back.

“The next season, after we won our quarterfinal playoff match, Bud tapped me on the chest with the clipboard and said he was done and that I could finish the playoffs. He knew I was very eager  to start my head coaching career. So starting with semifinals,  I finished the playoffs and we went on to win City.”

Asked to name which City championship he was most proud of, Kling picked three.

“For the boys, I’d have to say when we played North Hollywood in a very contentious match. At that point I’d been coaching four or five years and we’d won every year. They stacked their lineup and for the first time ever the City stripped them of the title and they went to a round robin format for the playoffs after that. The other one that stands out is 2005 when El Camino Real was trying for its sixth in a row, which would’ve broken the record, and we upset them to end their streak. For the girls, it was 2007 when we played Taft in the final and won 5-2. My daughter Alex was the team captain and she and her doubles partner got the fourth point to clinch it.”

Asked to name his strongest team, Kling cited the 1980 squad featuring Scott Davis (the No. 1-ranked junior in the world), John Davis (No. 3 in the United States), Mark Rifenbark (top 10 in Southern California), Chris Schoop (ranked 11th in Southern California in the 16s) and highly-ranked exchange student Isaac Menda.

One facet to Kling’s longevity has been adapting  to changes in the game and players while still staying true to his principles.

“No one individual is bigger than the team and watching kids mature, grow up and go out in the world and be successful is very rewarding. Many of the players I coached in the past now have children of their own and I’ve enjoyed watching the journey they make as individuals. I’ve also enjoyed seeing kids come to the program who aren’t very experienced – freshmen and sophomores learning how to play JV and then winning All-City honors by the time they’re seniors.”

The sport itself has grown by leaps and bounds since Kling started coaching, although the demographics have changed.

“The talent is more widespread throughout all the schools,” he said. “For the first 15-20 years I coached our league was very strong. As you saw today, that’s not the case anymore because so many of the top players go to private schools like Harvard-Westlake, Brentwood and Viewpoint. Equipment is better, kids are more athletic and hardly anyone serves and volleys anymore.”

Palisades has established a winning legacy in the City and that aura makes it hard for opponents to overcome in the finals.

“Part of it has to do with the talent we’ve had and when you have success like we’ve had there’s an expectation and a pride that goes along with maintaining that tradition,” Kling said. “Coaching stability is another factor and our program has had that- particularly on the boys side. Bud [Ware] and I are the only two coaches after the first year the school was open.”

Growing up in West LA, Kling played tennis on and off casually and also enjoyed basketball and football. He frequently attended professional and collegiate  tournaments and liked getting to know players and coaches. He went to UCLA and still follows the Bruins’ tennis team, often traveling to the NCAA finals to watch his alma mater play. His favorite tournament, though, is Ojai, where several of his teams have won the Griggs Cup (awarded to the high school boys team with the most points in singles and doubles).

“I’ve always enjoyed going up there and it’s been the source of so many funny stories over the years,” Kling said. “It’s as good as any tournament out there and bring out the drama in tennis.”

Asked how much longer he intends to coach, Kling hinted that the end is in four to five years and that he is looking forward to having the kids and their parents he knows come through the program. The Dolphins are in pursuit of their sixth straight section crown, something they’ve never done.

“We’ve won five in a row three times, but no one’s ever made it six so that’s one of our goals.”

Trying to put 1,000 wins into perspective, Kling noted he had to sacrifice time with family and friends, but he’s enjoyed the ride.

“It’s great to get a thousand,” he said. “There won’t be a second thousand, but we’ll try to tack on a few more before I’m done.”

CAREER CAPSULE | Bud Kling

Wins: 1,000

Losses: 107

Win %: .903

Boys Seasons: 1980-present

Girls Seasons: 1984-1999; 2001-07

Total Seasons: 59

City Titles: 36 (21 Boys, 15 Girls)

Boys League Titles: 33

Girls League Titles: 22

1997 City Coach of the Year

1997 CIF Coach of the Year

1998 Western States Coach of the Year

Most Wins and Championships in City Section history