James “Jimmy” Toshio Yagi. Photo Courtesy: UH Hilo
James “Jimmy” Toshio Yagi, aged 88, of Hilo, passed away on June 14 in the Hilo Medical Center.
A former University of Hawai‘i at Hilo basketball coach, Yagi was known as the “Father of Small College Basketball in Hawaiʻi.”
Yagi was inducted into the inaugural UH Hilo Athletics Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Big Island Sports Hall of Fame. He remains the winningest men’s basketball head coach (against college teams) in UH Hilo history with a 218-87 record (his first three seasons were prior to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics membership).
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He was born in Hilo on Feb. 18, 1935 and retired as the president of Kulana Foods, Ltd. in Hilo.
He was a member of the Rotary Club of Hilo. Visitation will be held at Dodo Mortuary Chapel in Hilo, Hawaii on June 26 from 3 to 5 p.m.; memorial service will begin at 5 p.m.
Casual attire is requested. No Flowers. He is survived by wife, Jeanne Yagi of Hilo; sons, Kirby (Barbara Mukai) Yagi of Seattle, Washington and Brady (Sheryl Taka) Yagi of Hilo; brother, Dickson Yagi of Claremont, California; sister, Delna (Gleen) Okazaki of Hilo; an aunt, nephews, nieces and cousins.
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