Monterey Bay: The Magazine of CSU Monterey Bay Fall/Winter 2013, Vol. VI, No. II | Page 13
AThle tic s
Nakamoto takes over
women’s basketball
by Kevin Gilmore
I
t may seem like a contradiction, but Kerri
Nakamoto came to familiar territory for the
first time as she made her way up Highway 101
this summer to become the seventh head coach in
Cal State Monterey Bay women’s basketball history.
She’s making her third stop along the California
coast after playing collegiately at the University of
San Diego and serving as an assistant coach at Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo.
At CSUMB, Nakamoto succeeds Renee
Jimenez, who left to take a similar position at Cal
State San Bernardino. Nakamoto and Jimenez will
face off in a nationally televised game Feb. 15, when
CSU Monterey Bay meets CSU San Bernardino in
the Otter Sports Center. The game will be broadcast
on the CBS Sports Network.
Nakamoto spent the past eight seasons helping
Cal Poly become a perennial Big West Conference
contender. The Mustangs captured the Big West
regular season titles in 2011 and 2012 before earning an NCAA Tournament bid by winning the conference championship tournament title last season.
“The opportunity to run my own program is
one I’ve always dreamed of,” Nakamoto said. “Every
person I met on campus seemed to love the experience of being there and that really helped make it
feel like the right fit for me.”
She served in a variety of capacities on the Cal
Poly staff, including player development, academic
advising and recruiting. In fact, she helped spear-
Cal State Monterey Bay
vs.
Cal State San Bernardino
Provided
Feb. 15, 2014
Otter Sports Center
Nationally televised on the
CBS Sports Network
head the recruiting efforts that produced the past
four Big West Conference players of the year.
“Kerri brings experience, positive energy and a
collaborative spirit to CSUMB women’s basketball,”
said CSUMB Interim Director of Athletics Kirby
Garry. “We look forward to the future of our program under her leadership.”
She joins an Otter team that has enjoyed its
share of success in recent years. The Otters have
advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament the
past three seasons. They won the CCAA regular season championship in 2011 and the CCAA Tournament title in 2012.
While appreciating her own past successes, she’s
looking forward to the opportunities at Cal State
Monterey Bay.
“Over the years I’ve learned a lot to help prepare
for this opportunity,” Nakamoto said. “I cannot ask
for a better university to begin my journey as a new
head coach.”
Game face:
Kerri Nakamoto aims to
continue the Otters’ run
of basketball success.
the m ag a zine of CSU Monter e y Bay
13