Bryan Nakasone completed his 19th season as head coach in 2020 and his 28th on the coaching staff at HPU. Nakasone, the dean of PacWest Conference coaches, has been very successful in his time as skipper. He has coached the team to the NCAA Division II West Regional seven times since HPU began competing in the NCAA in 1999, including a NCAA Division II National Championship in 2010. Nakasone has posted a 561-336-2 record as head coach through the 2020 season.
From 2002 to 2008, Nakasone was co-head coach with Howard Okita and the pair guided the then Sea Warriors to three consecutive NCAA West Regional appearances from 2005-2007. In 2008, the duo posted a 43-5-1 record (.896) which is the highest winning percentage in school history, and was the highest in the country that season.
After becoming the head coach in 2009 when Okita opted to join him as an assistant, Nakasone led HPU to three straight NCAA appearances including the 2010 National Championship. He was named the PacWest Conference Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011, was the West Region Coach of the Year in 2010 and the National Coach of the Year as part of HPU's National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2010.
Nakasone joined HPU as an assistant coach in 1993. He and Okita coached together at Hawai'i Loa College and won the 1991 NAIA Championship prior to HPU and HLC merging in 1993. He was on the Sea Warrior staff that saw four consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearances along with the school’s first NCAA West Regional appearance.
Prior to his college coaching career, Nakasone coached five years at Punahou School (Honolulu) after a two-year stint at Saint Louis High School (Honolulu).
He graduated from Saint Louis High School, lettering in both baseball and football for the Crusaders. Outside of his coaching, Nakasone is enjoying life as a retired Deputy Chief of the Federal Fire Department, and resides in Kailua, Hawai'i with his wife Donna. He has a daughter Heather and one son Ryan, as well as a grandson, Dylan.
Nakasone's Head Coaching Record at HPU
Year Record Postseason
2002 21-21* None
2003 32-20* None
2004 22-21* None
2005 31-15* NCAA Regionals
2006 27-20* NCAA Regionals
2007 34-16* NCAA Regionals
2008 43-5-1* PacWest Champions
(*co-head coach with Howard Okita)
2009 42-12 NCAA West Regional Appearance
2010 50-8 NCAA National Champion (NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year, West Region Coach of the Year, PacWest Coach of the Year)
2011 38-12 NCAA West Regional Appearance (PacWest Coach of the Year)
2012 32-18 None
2013 30-19 None
2014 21-22 None
2015 26-21-1 None
2016 16-32 None
2017 29-19 None
2018 22-18^ None
2019 31-24^ None
2020 14-13^ None (COVID-19)
(^co-head coach with Jarnett Lono)
Total 561-336-2 (.636)
