Longtime local coach Garett Yukumoto joined the Chaminade University baseball coaching staff as an assistant in the summer of 2026.

"Coach Yuks," as he is affectionately known, has been coaching collegiate baseball in Hawai'i since 2006, a successful two decades in the ranks.

The previous eight years before arriving at Chaminade were spent at the University of Hawai'i Hilo, the first seven as Associate Head Coach, then was elevated to Interim Head Coach for the 2026 season.

Yukumoto had great success as the skipper at Hawai'i Pacific University where he compiled a mark of 362-272-4 during his 13 years there, making him the program's all-time winningest head coach. He guided the then-Sea Warriors to Pacific West Conference titles in 2008 and 2010, the latter of which he helped HPU win a record 39 games and its first NCAA Division II West Regional championship game appearance while earning PacWest Coach of the Year honors.

In all, he helped put together nine consecutive winning seasons from 2008-16, the longest such streak in team history. During his time at HPU, numerous players under his watch earned PacWest accolades including 55 All-PacWest selections, a Scholar-Athlete honoree (2011), Players of the Year (2008 and '11), Pitchers of the Year (2008, '10, '17), Newcomers of the Year (2009, '10, '13) and Freshman of the Year (2009, '10 '11).

He also helped produce six players who were selected in the Major League Baseball amateur draft including Kaimi Mead (18th round, 2008), Blake Amaral (40th round, 2012), Kale Sumner (32nd round, 2013), Brandon Bonilla (13th round, 2016), Rico Garcia (30th round, 2016) and Matthew Gunter (33rd round, 2017).

Before diving into the college ranks, Yukumoto was a highly successful coach at his high school alma mater, Leilehua High School, taking over in 2000, winning O'ahu Interscholastic Association West Division championships in his first year and 2004, both years earning OIA West Coach of the Year kudos. He was also an assistant coach for the Hawai'i Island Movers collegiate summer baseball team on O'ahu.

Yuks is an alumnus of HPU, earning his degree in Human Resource Management in 1993. Playing for the baseball team from 1991-93, he was a teammate of one of the top players to come out of the state in future Major Leaguer Benny Agbayani.

Outside of baseball, Yukumoto was also an educator, serving as principal at Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa and before that, a vice principal at Leilehua and Wahiawa Community School.