Troy Nakamura is a household name on the baseball field. He got promoted to an associate head coach in 2013. Before that, he had spent 15 years as an assistant coach to Nino Giarratano. As a baseball coach, he has played an important role in student-athlete development. He spent 15 years coaching USF and has coached 11 outfielders, including Pete Lavin, Bradley Zimmer, all-Americans Taggert, and Scott Cousins.
Troy Nakamura As a Baseball Player
Before becoming a coach, Nakamura spent most of his youthful days playing baseball. He was considered the hardest working baseball player and the most outstanding player to grace Benedetti’s diamond. In 1998, he finished his baseball career by hitting 307 and 19 bases. He also batted an average of 312 and 54 hits which was considered exemplary.
His Education
Troy Nakamura also performed exceptionally well in the classroom and was named WCCC all-academic Team in his junior and senior years. He is among the three players to have earned two selections in the entire program’s history.
In 1998, he graduated from USF with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. Before that, he attended ‘Iolani School in Honolulu and took part in football and baseball, where he mastered baseball terms and how the game is played. When he is free, you will find him body boarding and surfing. He is married and lives in Pacifica with Danielle, his wife, and his dog, Winston.
Troy Nakamura’s Illness
But the going has not been smooth for Troy Nakamura. He suffered a brain bleed on 28th December, which led to failed mobility on the left side of the body. He was admitted to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he spent several days in ICU. He was later discharged and taken to a Rehab hospital on Oahu. Fortunately, he worked hard, and he is regaining his mobility even though it may take long before he can be allowed to go home.
Sexual Misconduct
Troy Nakamura has been a baseball assistant coach to Nico Giarratano for a while. However, he was fired for inappropriate sexual conduct. According to the university, the coaches’ behavior had made players suicidal. They accused Nakamura of using sexually graphic language in front of the students. According to the sources, they accused him of crawling into the field or the window naked. They further accused him of swinging his penis while the team watched.
According to Director Joan McDermott, the university conducted its investigations which led to the firing of Troy Nakamura and reprimanding the head coach Giarratano. The head coach, too, was fired for allowing Troy access to the training facilities.
In the meantime, Rev. Paul Fitzgerald, the USF president, said that the school is focused on helping players cope with the situation. He said they are concentrating on helping the members of the team access counseling and mental health care. He further said their parents were traumatized by Troy’s behavior and concerned about their well-being.
Coaching Career
Troy Nakamura coached Scots Cousins, who made his league debut in 2010. Scots played for Florida Marlins for four years but later moved to Los Angeles. He also coached and shared baseball tips with Zimmer, who was ranked 21 overall by Cleveland Indians and played for the Indians in 2017. Troy also coached Lavin, who played for Philadelphia Phillies and was named a 2011 gold glove winner.
During his coaching career at USF, Nakamura coached 14 All-West Coast Conference outfielders, including All-Americans Taggert Bozied, Scott Cousins, and Bradley Zimmer, along with Pete Lavin. He mentored the three all-time greatest baseball players as a teammate and a coach. Bozied said that he had an opportunity to be coached and mentored by Nakamura and described him as a great mentor.
Nakamura has also helped develop critical players for the dons. Amongst them is Justin Maffei, who he molded into a center fielder and hitter. He graduated in the 2014 season and has done great in leading WCC in steals. Maffei helped pace the Dons in 2012, where he earned MVP honors.
Zimmer is the latest don outfielders who benefited from Troy’s coaching. He stayed at Hilltop for three years to become the most dynamic player. He was able to steal 19 bases in 27 attempts to get selected at All-WCC. In 2014 he accumulated twenty one stolen base campaigns, which made Baseball America and Perfect Game award him the first team All-WCC honors.
Services Terminated
Nakamura and Giarratano have been at the helm of the Don team since 1999. But the two face the charges of degrading and abusive behavior. Nakamura’s services were terminated on 13th January after investigations showed poor judgment and a general lack of supervision of the players.
One of the three players that made the accusations of abuse was identified as John Doe 1, who, according to the sworn affidavit, accused the head coach Giarratano of pressuring him to quit the program even though he is on a four-year guaranteed program.
The second student, John Doe 2, accused the coaches of a pattern of emotional and verbal abuse that made him get into the emergency room five times. It ultimately contributed to his departure from the program.
The third complainant, John Doe 3, accused Giarratano of telling him that he was wasting time and space and that his teammates and coaches did not like him. He said that Giarratano told him that he would be happy to hit his head hard with a bat to make his brains get to work.
The lawsuit further accused USF and NCAA of breaching their contractual obligations, including failing to prohibit sexual abuse and harassment of student-athletes by the athletic department staff. Thus, it is alleged that Troy Nakamura and Giarratano’s behaviors have made multiple students suicidal.
Other than the lawsuit he faced, Troy Nakamura experienced failed mobility on the left side of the body in December. He was admitted to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he spent several days in ICU. He was later discharged and taken to a Rehab hospital on Oahu. Fortunately, he worked hard, and he is regaining his mobility even though it took long before he could be allowed to go home.