MIHS welcomes three new head coaches
Published 1:30 pm Thursday, February 26, 2026
Mercer Island High School (MIHS) athletic director Lindsey Blaine recently announced the hiring of three new varsity head coaches: Caitlin Maralack (girls golf), Shelley Whelan (girls tennis) and Mike Hirai (girls fastpitch).
Maralack began competing on the links at age 6 and continued her passion for the game into college, where she played NCAA Division I golf and was an All-American scholar. Her coaching focus is developing strong fundamentals, course management, goal-setting and mental confidence while fostering a newfound love for the sport — especially for beginners, she said.
Whelan, who was the girls tennis varsity assistant last season, said the MIHS program has a remarkable tradition and she’s excited to help Islander athletes grow, compete and continue building a culture of excellence on and off the court. Whelan played stellar tennis at Pomona College and was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2024.
Hirai served as the head fastpitch coach at Newport High School from 2019-2024 before taking an assistant fastpitch coaching job at Seattle University in charge of player development in 2025. Since 2018, he has coached the Washington Ladyhawks Select Fastpitch organization’s 18 Gold team. At Newport High School, he works as a paraeducator and is an assistant football coach.
