Kling Inducted into SoCal Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Tennis coach Bud Kling has won his share of awards in a career spanning four decades and Sunday  he received perhaps his most prestigious honor yet, being inducted into the Southern California Jewish  Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony at American Jewish University on Mulholland Drive in Bel Air.     

King, who was inducted into the Los Angeles City Section Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, has produced numerous college scholarship and professional players in his 40+ years coaching at the youth and prep levels. He has served as head coach at Palisades High since 1979 and has racked up more victories (1,366) than any coach in state history while piloting the Dolphins to an unprecedented number of City titles, including an ongoing record 13 in a row with the boys. His teams have won four boys national championships while Kling has won over 90 percent of his matches in his storied career.

Kling arrived at Palisades in January 1977 as a substitute teacher and became a full-time staff member eight months later. Previously he had been  coaching football at University High School. He has also coached varsity football, girls basketball and sponsored the cheer and  spirit squad. A two-time State Coach of the Year and finalist for National Coach of the year, he has instructed many All-City singles and doubles winners, including reigning girls champions Reese Trepanier and Iris Berman, reigning boys singles champion Michael Kaplan and defending boys doubles champs Noah Zaret and Luke Shuman.

Kling attended Emerson Junior High in LA and received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from UCLA in 1969 and 1972, respectively.

Master of Ceremonies for the 21st induction proceedings was none other than renowned sports agent Leigh  Steinberg and among Kling’s fellow  inductees were MLB players Max Fried and Josh Satin; former USC football player Ben Rosin; ex-NCAA national champion gymnast Donna Turnbow; PGA golfer Max Homa; Harvard graduate and USA fencer Jennifer Horowitz; horse race jockey David Cohen; LA Times sportswriter Bill Shaikin; NWSL soccer star Arielle Ship; former El Camino Real High softball player Cara Blumfield; pro distance runner Rebecca Mehra; La Canada St. Francis High basketball coach Todd Wolfson; and USA women’s water polo player Gabrielle Domanic-Fernandez; and Lee Zeidman, President of Crypto.com Arena and LA Live.

The longest-tenured coach at Pali High, Kling lives in the El Medio Heights with his wife Cheryl. Their son Ryan and daughter Alex played for him at Palisades. A master pin collector and trader, he has attended the Olympic Games since 1984.