The Los Angeles City 2017 Athletics Hall of Fame selection, Ernest “Bud” Kling has produced numerous college scholarship and professional players in a 40+ year youth tennis coaching career. His records as head coach of the Palisades High School boys’ and girls’ tennis teams are as distinguished as any other coach in the country, and he is the all-time California prep coach match winner at 1,366. He has led the Dolphins to 49 City Championships — 29 with the boys and 12 with the girls — including 13 straight with the boys, and won both titles again in 2021 and 2022.

Bud has won four boy’s national championships while winning over 90% of his matches in his career and is considered the winningest coach in LA City sports history. He began his career at Palisades High School in January 1977 as a substitute teacher and became a full-time staff member that September. Prior to that, he had been coaching football at University High School. He has also coached varsity football, girl’s basketball, and sponsored the cheerleaders — spirit squad. Two-time State Coach of the Year and finalist for National Coach of the Year, Bud has coached the Palisades boys from 1979 through the present. He has coached the girls for two different stints: 1984-2008, and returned in 2015. Bud attended Emerson Junior High School in Los Angeles, and received both his undergraduate (1969) and Master’s degrees (1972) from UCLA.