Dave Nakama completed his fourth season as an assistant coach with the University of Hawai‘i baseball program in 2025. He was the first assistant hired by head coach Rich Hill in the summer of 2021 and currently works with the Rainbow Warrior hitters. Nakama returned to Hawai‘i after growing up in Honolulu and attending Kaiser High School and has coached or been a part of a college baseball staff every year since 1985.
YEARS COACHING
Hawai'i – 4th season (2022-present)
Overall – 40th season (1984-present)
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Hawai'i - Assistant coach (2022-present)
Washington - Volunteer assistant/Director of Ops (2018-21)
Treasure Valley CC - Head coach (2017)
San Jose State - Head coach (2013-16)
Washington - Assistant coach (2010-12)
Stanford - Assistant coach (2002-09)
San Francisco State - Head coach (1999-01)
Stanford - Assistant coach (1997-98)
Mission College - Head coach (1992-96)
De Anza College - Assistant coach (1991)
Yavapai CC - Assistant coach (1989-90)
Iowa - Assistant coach (1987-88)
Northern Colorado - Assistant coach (1985-86)
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS (at UH)
- Primarily works with the Rainbow Warrior hitters.
- Has helped lead the 'Bows to four consecutive winning seasons in Big West play - the first time UH has finished with a winning conference record in four straight seasons since 1980-92.
- Has helped lead UH to back-to-back 35-plus win seasons for the first time since 1991-92, winning 37 games in 2024 and 35 in 2025.
- Led Hawai‘i to its four best offensive seasons since joining The Big West in his first three years on staff.
- UH owns a combined .385 OBP over the last four seasons - the highest in a four-year stretch in program history.
- The 'Bows have also worked the most free passes in a four-year span since 1998 (1,255) while the .282 batting average the last four seasons is the highest in such a stretch since UH joined the Big West.
- The Rainbow Warriors hit 37 home runs in 2025 - the fifth-most in a season in school history and most in a year since 2010.
- Hawai‘i hitters batted .328 with runners in scoring position in 2025, 42 points higher than the overall team average of .286.
- Two Rainbow Warrior position players earned All-Big West honors in 2025 (Matthew Miura, Ben Zeigler-Namoa).
- Helped UH put together its best offensive season in 17 years in 2024, hitting .294 and scoring 7.2 runs per game.
- The 'Bows finished third in the Big West in hitting in 2024 while also sitting in the top three in OBP (.410), runs scored (379) and walks (301).
- The team's 2024 OBP is the highest in program history since the stat starting being kept in 2002.
- Hawai‘i scored at least two runs in every game and avoided being shut out through an entire season for just the third time in school history and the first time since 2007.
- In 2023, the Rainbow Warriors hit 36 home runs, 100 doubles, averaged 6.3 runs per game and slugged .416.
- Guided a UH offense in 2022 that hit 32 home runs had 277 RBIs, 210 walks and 55 stolen bases.
- Helped the Rainbow Warriors finish fifth in the conference in both batting average (.269) and on-base percentage (.370).
- Four Hawai‘i position players earned All-Big West recognition, led by Stone Miyao who was named second-team all-conference.
PRIOR TO UH
- A part of the UW staff that guided the Huskies to their first-ever College World Series in 2018.
- Helped the development of JC transfer Connor Blair, who ended up being picked in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
- In his DI head coaching stint, the Spartans posted the fourth-highest batting average (.286), the third-highest fielding percentage (.972) and the second-fewest errors (58) in the Western Athletic Conference in 2013 and the second-highest fielding percentage (.970) in the Mountain West in 2014.
- Oversaw the Spartans' transition from the WAC to the Mountain West in between the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
- Has been a head coach at four different colleges.
ALMA MATER
Willamette, 1984
Kaiser HS, 1980
PLAYING CAREER
Willamette, 1981-84
HOMETOWN
Honolulu, O'ahu
PERSONAL
He has three adult children, Samantha, Kirk and Brodie. Son Brodie was a long snapper on the UH football team from 2013-16.
