https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/07/10/remembering-gene-nakamura-revered-coach-of-berkeley-high-girls-basketball-team

I don't think Nakamura coached Boyd, or not for very long. Too bad; he might have improved her shot consistency.

BearBint said:

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https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/07/10/remembering-gene-nakamura-revered-coach-of-berkeley-high-girls-basketball-team

I don't think Nakamura coached Boyd, or not for very long. Too bad; he might have improved her shot consistency.

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Thank for the link. I also started a thread on the Football board a few days ago. Most of have probably seen it already, but here is the link in case you haven't.


Legendary Berkeley High coach Eugene Nakamura passes away



He coached Alexandra Kay who played for the Bears. He also coached Tamara Holmes who would play volleyball for Cal and later played for the Coors Silver Bullets, a women's baseball team. Both Alex and Tamara were on the 91 State Championship team. Later he came out of retirement to coach Berkeley High for one or two seasons in which he did coach B Boyd.

I worked with him at Willard Middle School for over a dozen years where he was first a math teacher and later a vice principal. I learned a lot about coaching from conversations with him even though we coached different sports. He was as humble and hard-working a person as you'd ever meet. He was also what used to be called a straight-shooter. The Berkeleyside article linked above is quite comprehensive, only missing the fact that he had a real fondness for root beer.
One piece of gossip I got from him was that he, like many other Bay Area coaches, discouraged his players from going to Cal when Gooch Foster was the head coach. He was too discreet to say why.