Kling to Return as Girls Tennis Coach

There will be a familiar figure roaming the courts at the Palisades Tennis Center when the Palisades High girls tennis team returns to action in the fall.

Bud Kling, who just guided the boys program to its seventh straight City Section title, piloted the girls program every year but one from 1984-2007, winning 22 of 23 league titles and 15 City titles.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back and working with the girls again,” Kling said. “It was a lot of work doing both [boys and girls] all those years, but I have more time now and I’m excited.”

Kling’s primary goal come September will be leading the girls to their third straight championship and continuing the success the Dolphins enjoyed under Sean Passan, who decided to take a voluntarily leave of absence because he and his wife are expecting their first child.

“I’ll miss it, but the due date falls right at the start of the season and I don’t think I’d be an effective parent and head coach,” said Passan, who teaches at Pali High and heads Pali Production, the school’s award-winning studio production course. “I’m still helping to the best of my abilities up until then. I’ve taken care of permits, I’m facilitating one-on-one tryouts twice a month and anything else I can do to ease the transition. I also plan to help as much as possible during the season. I have complete faith that the girls win City again.”

The winningest coach in any sport in City history, Kling became the third coach in California to notch his 1,000th career victory last spring and he has a winning percentage over .900.

Kling took over the boys program in 1979 and has 23 City titles to his credit, giving him 38 in all.

Passan was the assistant coach when Palisades won its last City title under Kling in 2007. Passan  took the reins the next season.

“The last time I coached the girls my daughter [Alex] was on the team,” Kling said. “The fire is still there, so it’ll be fun and we should have a strong team.”

— Steve Galluzzo