Prep talk: Dave Yanai still loves watching basketball at 83
The Southern California college basketball kickoff luncheon was held on Wednesday at the Downtown Athletic Club, and sitting at one of the tables dressed in suit and tie was someone as knowledgeable as any coach in the room.
Former Fremont High, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles coach Dave Yanai, 83, was there. He won the John R. Wooden Award’s Legends of Coaching honor in 2021. He was inducted into the City Section Hall of Fame in 2023.
Asked if he’s still watching basketball, Yanai said, “A lot.”
He was the first Japanese American to be a head coach in college basketball. His nephew is Harvey Kitani, a future City Section Hall of Fame basketball coach who was at Fairfax and now Rolling Hills Prep.
Yanai still has much to offer. You just have to ask.
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