Matt Okada is in his second year as an assistant under Head Coach Tyson Aye, last season at Imperial Valley College and this year with Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.
So what was his path to his current position?
The native of Hawaii moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was two years old. Drawn to basketball, he played at Narbonne High in Harbor City. Simultaneously, he participated in martial arts and currently ranks as a second degree black belt.
After graduation, Okada moved north to attend Pacific in the sports management degree program. Not formally playing any longer, he earned a spot as a student manager under now retired Tiger Coach Bob Thomason.
As part of his degree requirement, Okada took an internship with the Philadelphia 76ers, performing public relations, marketing, and community relations duties during his junior year.
That's when he was visited by an epiphany.
"I was close to the game but more on the business side," Okada recalled. "It made me realize I wanted to be a coach because I wasn't close enough."
Upon his return to California, Ken Green and Scooter Bloom of St. Mary's High School gave him the opportunity to coach for the Stockton Mavericks, a club team.
After graduation, Okada became the Pacific video coordinator.
"Pacific's sustained success is predicated on preparation. It's a very detail-oriented program that really got me ready for my current position," Okada explained.
When an opening occurred on Tyson Aye's Imperial Valley College staff, Okada was recommended by now Pacific Head Coach Ron Verlin.
"I jumped right into it. I was game planning, doing scouting reports, recruiting, working with the players -- you have to wear a lot of hats."
That was the 2012-13 season.
Then the head coaching position at Allan Hancock College opened up and Aye was hired. Okada came along for the new venture.
One big difference already noted is that rather than convincing talent to come to the desert, "we're 15 minutes from the beach. Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara and Westmont College are 45 minutes from us. It's much easier to recruit."
Okada's initial signee was Serra High's Andre Miller. "He reached out after deciding not to go with any of the four year offers he received."
The Bulldogs are 3-3 thus far this season, with a pair of victories over College of the Sequoias and one against Bakersfield while coming up short versus City College of San Francisco, Fresno City College and West Hills College.
So what words of wisdom would he offer to those considering entry into the coaching ranks?
"The best advice I got early on happened during my junior year at the Final Four in Detroit." Not being financially flush, he slept on a friend's hotel floor. While riding a bus to the games, current St. Francis associate head coach Mike Summey told him the mantra that was necessary to enter coaching: "no task too small."
"As a manager without a decorated playing career, the only way to separate yourself is with hard work," Okada said.
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