UAF T&I session 2 on 20180906

Kerri Nakamoto

Kerri Nakamoto is entering her fourth year as the head coach of the Alaska Nanook women's basketball team. 

She joined the Nanook staff as the head coach in 2018, becoming the 14th head coach in Alaska women's basketball history and led Alaska in her first season in 2018-19. After taking over, she led the 'Nooks to a 4-22, 1-19 GNAC record. A year later, she upped the win totals in both regular-season and conference categories. 2019-20 saw her lead the Nanooks to a 7-22, 2-18 GNAC record. Under Nakamoto, the Nanooks improved from year one to year two in the offensive categories, going from last in the GNAC with 57.7 points per game in 18-19, to 64.2 per game in 19-20. 

Nakamoto coached the 2019-20 GNAC Newcomer of the Year, Jocelyn Gandara, who was also the first to land on a GNAC All-Conference team under Nakamoto, earning Second Team All-GNAC honors. She has had seven Nanook womens' basketball players selected to the GNAC All-Academic Teams during her time in Fairbanks. 

Her third season was officially canceled in 2020-21. Her fourth year and third season is scheduled for 2021-22. 

Prior to joining the Nanooks, Nakamoto was the head coach for fellow NCAA Division II program California State University at Monterey Bay since 2013. While with the Otters, Nakamoto accumulated a record of 38-96 overall at the school and 24-82 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play. Nakamoto's 38 victories rank her No. 3 among Otter women's basketball's coaches.

In the classroom, Nakamoto had 14 CCAA All-Academic Team honorees and served as the creator and director of the CSUMB Diversity Learning Series, which highlighted student activism on college campuses. From 2005-2013, Nakamoto served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the women's basketball program at California Polytechnic State University, a Division I program, while also earning her master's degree in education-school counseling from Cal Poly in 2009.

Nakamoto served as the assistant women's basketball coach at her alma mater, University of San Diego, from 2003-2005 after a successful four-year career with the Division I program. Nakamoto's playing career concluded in the spring of 2003, when she graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Nakamoto is currently serving on four leadership committees, including the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Working Rules and Officiating Committee, the WBCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll and the WBCA Division II All-America Committee.

Nakamoto Career Head Coaching Record: 48-141 (.254)
Record at Alaska: 11-44 (.200)
2013-14* 8-17, 5-17 CCAA
2014-15* 7-20, 5-17 CCAA
2015-16* 9-18, 5-15 CCAA
2016-17* 7-20, 4-16 CCAA
2017-18* 6-22, 5-17 CCAA
2018-19 4-22, 1-19 GNAC
2019-20 7-22, 2-18 GNAC
2020-21 Canceled due to COVID-19
*at Cal State Monterey Bay