The Coach’s Court by Jordan Ikeda

The Coach’s Court
By JORDAN IKEDA
RAFU STAFF WRITER
Saturday, May 23, 2009

Cal State Dominguez Hills looks to rename its basketball court after legendary coach Dave Yanai.



Photo courtesy CSUDH Sports Information
The coach and his Toro players, during a huddle at Cal State Dominguez Hills.



MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo
Dave Yanai spent a few minutes with another basketball
legend, Wat Misaka, at a screening of a documentary on
Misaka last February.

I am a basketball junkie. I play twice a week, have two basketball blogs, and am able to write about hoops through the Rafu.

This past Christmas, I was given the NBA League Pass (which gives access to broadcasts of every single NBA game). With March Madness, the Lakers, and Rafu’s coverage of the various JA leagues and high school basketball, I’ve watched way too much hoops this past year and loved every minute of it.

Imagine my giddiness when two months ago, I had the privilege of speaking with one of the greatest basketball minds alive today.

Now, when you think of the greatest minds in college hoops, a few names immediately spring to the forefront, all of whom are in both the basketball and college basketball halls of fame.

There’s Pete Newell, who is widely considered one of the most influential basketball minds in the history of the sport. There’s Bob Knight, the all-time winningest coach in Division I basketball. And of course, there’s the Wizard of Westwood himself, John R. Wooden whose 10 championships in 12 years will never be replicated.

But there is another mind, one whom many don’t know. One who was mentored by Newell, peers with Knight, honored by Wooden. One who worked his own form of coaching magic over 28 years with Cal State University Dominguez Hills and Cal State University Los Angeles. Who finished his career with over 400 victories, one of only two California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) coaches to reach that milestone. And whether you’ve heard of him or not, his commitment to and influence in the Japanese American sports community has been unmatched.

Dave Yanai is not an imposing man. Nothing from his appearance emits basketball, let alone basketball savant. He’s got a cheery, inviting smile. A calming and friendly voice. But anyone who has ever been associated with him will tell you that the man knows basketball.

“He provided me with so much knowledge from his vantage point that I developed a very good understanding of the game of basketball to the extent that I’m in the position I’m currently in,” UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, told the Rafu Shimpo. Guerrero worked with Yanai for ten years as CSUDH’s athletic director.

“I remember legendary Pete Newell talking about Dave as one of the finest teachers of the game of basketball,” Guerrero continued. “I saw that first hand and developed a wonderful relationship with him. I think one that is not very common between athletic director and coach.”

Not surprisingly, the current athletic director of CSUDH, Pat Guillen, echoes Guerrero’s sentiments despite spending only a single year with coach Yanai before his retirement.
“A lot of the ideals and a lot of the standards for character and integrity that I hold, really comes from coach Yanai,” Guillen said. “That’s how much he’s meant to me. He taught me how to do things the right way. He taught that to thousands of students and he continues to teach that today. That’s how he lives his life. He’s a modern day Job.”
Like Job of the Bible, coach Yanai is the essence of humility.

Of course there have been awards—the NAIA District III Coach of the Year, the NCAA West Region Coach of the Year, two CCAA Coach of the Year honors, and a John Wooden Award.

And there’s been success—advanced five teams to the NCAA Regionals, five teams to the CCAA postseason tournament, and one team to the 1979 NAIA District III championships.

But in spite of all this, he continues to shy away from attention and accolades and instead enjoys working in the background.

As far as the general public’s knowledge of him?

Let’s put it this way: he doesn’t even have his own Wikipedia entry.

But this summer, Yanai’s name will be moved into the spotlight. For his leadership both on and off the court, the CSUDH athletic department has begun a campaign to honor Yanai by renaming the Torodome the “Dave Yanai Court” as well as establish an endowed scholarship that will help future students in perpetuity.

“He’s very humble and this type of attention is not something he looks for,” said John Nojima who played for Yanai from 1983 to 87 as an all conference guard and is helping to raise money for the cause. “He was a little bit embarrassed by it at first. And I’m sure if we would have told him about it before it got off the ground, I think he would have quashed it from the beginning. But I think this is well deserved. The things that he has done, unrecognized, without fanfare or publicity, for the Japanese American community and the community in general, is unmatched by anybody in Los Angeles basketball history. It really is.”

Before Newell took him under his wing, Coach Yanai was mentored by Mas Fukai who put him to work as a founding member of a tiny little club called Gardena Friends of Richard. Under Fukai’s vision and direction, what started out as a small service organization made up of 15 boys and eight officers, has today blossomed into a basketball league featuring over 1,000 boys and girls ranging from elementary school kids to adults in their 50s.

Coach Yanai has been a charter member and advisor for what is now called Southbay FOR since 1959.

As a trailblazer in the Japanese American community, he made history by becoming the first Japanese American basketball head coach at any level in the country. Over the years, he’s put on numerous camps and clinics for FOR clubs and clubs from overseas. And he has worked as an advisor and consultant for the Japan National Team.

“He’s the true essence of a coach. He’s a mentor, he’s an educator, and he’s a leader,” said Guillen. “He taught you important things, not just about basketball, but about life.”
“One thing that is important to note is the human side of Dave,” said Henry Ota who is a lawyer and also a long time friend of coach Yanai as well as one of the founding members of FOR. “When Dave’s father passed away, my uncle Mas [Fukai] became like Dave’s dad. Mas suffered a stroke 15 years ago and became disabled. Dave never forgot what Mas had done for him and how he had given him a lot of leadership support. Throughout Mas’ disability, I know Dave was right there all the time and tried to make his life a very positive one. The same thing for when Pete Newell was going through some of his difficulties. Dave was right there.”

Coach Yanai has been right there. Right in front of us. Doing amazing things not only for the Japanese American community, but the wider spectrum of the sports community as well. He’s improved the quality of basketball not only here in the States but overseas. He’s been a major player in the development of JA basketball through FOR. And he’s influenced and touched and changed countless lives.

I can personally attest. A long time ago, when I was still learning how to dribble with my left hand, I attended one of coach Yanai’s camps. Now, nearly 15 years later, I can honestly say that coach Yanai gave me something that I continue to cherish.

My love of hoops.

This summer, the community has an opportunity to give back to coach Yanai. Give back for his years of service. Give back for the wealth of knowledge he shared. A chance to give him a little recognition by helping to ensure that his name graces the floor of the gym he physically, metaphorically and idealistically inundated with basketball.
Whether he wants it to or not…

The Dave Yanai Court Tribute and Scholarship Fund is currently trying to raise the rest of the necessary money to get see this project through its completion. A good majority has already been raised, but every donation counts, whether it be monetary or volunteer work. To donate, visit www.csudh.edu/onlinegiving or mail to CSUDH Development Office, Attn: Greg Saks, 1000 E. Victoria St. Carson, CA 90747. To find out more about the project, visit www.gotoros.com/daveyanai or email giving@csudh or contact Patrick Guillen at (310) 243-3893.