Danny Yoshikawa, former standout player and coach for West Valley College, returned to lead the men’s basketball program in July of 2019. Despite being hired so late in the year and having one of the youngest teams in the state, his impact was immediate and profound as the program captured its first conference championship in 14 years.

In just his second season (2021-22), Yoshikawa guided the Vikings to a second-consecutive Coast Conference championship and a NorCal title en route to the California state championship game. Yoshikawa earned his second-straight Coach of the Year award - his fifth in seven total years at West Valley College as a head coach. As a rookie coach in his initial tenure at WVC in the 2000's, his teams won three out of five Coast Conference championships, appeared in four NorCal finals games, made two final eight state tournament appearances and competed in the 2006 California state championship game.

Before returning to his alma mater, Coach Yoshikawa was the top assistant at Saint Mary's College, a perennial Top 25 Division 1 program. In his last season in Moraga, the Gaels knocked off nationally #1-ranked Gonzaga in the 2019 West Coast Conference championship tournament, claiming the WCC title and a berth in the NCAA tournament. 

In his four years in Moraga, the Gaels won more games than at any other four-year period in the program’s storied history. Yoshikawa helped the Gaels to a WCC championship and sweep of Gonzaga in 2016, an NCAA berth and the round of 32 in 2017, a 30-win campaign in 2018 - the most in the program’s history - and the 2019 win over #1 Gonzaga for the WCC championship and NCAA berth. In those four short years, Yoshikawa helped develop eleven players that are currently playing professionally. For his career, Yoshikawa has coached over 42 players who went on to play at the professional level, some of whom started here at West Valley College.

After leaving West Valley College in 2007, Yoshikawa spent the next thirteen years coaching in both the NCAA and professional ranks. In 2007, he left Saratoga for UC Santa Barbara and immediately catapulted the Gauchos to a Big West Conference championship and NIT berth. 

Later, Yoshikawa played a pivotal role in resurrecting the University of San Francisco. During his time on the Hilltop as the Associate Head Coach, Yoshikawa asserted himself as one of the top recruiters of northern California players and as one of the first coaches to break into international recruiting in Europe. With Yoshikawa’s assistance, the Dons landed multiple players from northern California as well as France, Senegal, Germany, Serbia, and the Czech Republic. In a short time, the Dons transformed into a consecutive 20-win program with multiple post-season tournament bids, beating top-rated Gonzaga three years in a row.

Yoshikawa then left the country for a two-year stint as a head coach in a professional organization overseas. In 2015, Yoshikawa was recruited to return to the Bay Area at Saint Mary’s College, a prestigious, nationally ranked, top-25 NCAA program. 

A standout point guard from Lincoln High School and an All-CCS Player, the San Jose native played for Hall of Fame coach Bob Burton at West Valley College in the 1990’s. Yoshikawa led the Vikings to 29 wins and a CCCAA State Championship Tournament appearance before being recruited to UC Davis. There, he led the Aggies to consecutive conference championships and two NCAA tournaments. He was named to the all-conference team three times and was awarded the conference Player of the Year as a senior. Yoshikawa won 100 games as a player over his four-year collegiate career.

Upon graduation, he joined Burton’s staff at West Valley as an assistant coach. He later inherited the storied program and, as the Vikings’ head coach, recorded a 144-47 record (75%) over five seasons. 

Yoshikawa graduated from UC Davis with two Bachelor’s degrees- one in International Relations and the other in Japanese. (He can also communicate in Spanish.) He earned his Master’s in Kinesiology from San José State University, where he focused on motor learning and sport psychology. Yoshikawa began recruiting internationally through his love of travel - so far, he has visited more than 60 countries. He lives in San Jose with his son, Calvin, and daughter, Abigail.

For more information about West Valley basketball, contact Coach Yoshikawa at danny.yoshikawa@westvalley.edu.

Coach Yoshikawa Year-By-Year at West Valley: