Yosh Uchida. photo by Sharon Hall
CAMPBELL, Calif. — San Jose State University honored judo coach Yoshihiro Uchida Oct. 26 at Villa Ragusa in downtown Campbell, Calif., naming him to the San Jose State Sports Hall of Fame’s Legend category, its highest level. The university inducted two of its “best football teams” in the school’s history, “six outstanding athletes, one legendary coach and one dedicated team physician” as the 2012 San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame honorees during the ceremony and dinner.
Uchida’s induction follows the Spartans winning their 45th championship this past April. He also coached Marti Malloy to a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics in London.
The 92-year-old has been coaching at San Jose State for 66 years. Uchida “built San Jose State into a national program and elevated the visibility of judo in the United States,” a statement issued by San Jose State Athletics said.
Uchida coached the first U.S. Olympic judo team in 1964 in Tokyo to a bronze medal. The statement said that Uchida has also coached U.S. Olympic medal winners Bob Berland, Mike Swain, Kevin Asano and James Bregman.
In 1997, the university dedicated the Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, which houses its judo dojo. Uchida was the 1992 Tower Award winner and the recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from San Jose State in 2004.
Uchida studied at the university in the 1940s. He was drafted during World War II, while his family members were incarcerated in American concentration camps. In 2011, Uchida received an honorary degree from the university.
Former gymnast Dani Albright, fencer Laurel Clark Skillman, football player Bob Ladouceur, men’s golfer Arron Oberholser, men’s basketball player Wally Rank, men’s water polo player Bruce Watson, former team physician Dr. Martin Trieb and the 1939 and 1986 football teams were also inducted in the Hall of Fame.
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