Coach Dai Oketani Hired to Rebuild the Kawasaki Brave Thunders

Three weeks after his five-season stint leading the Ryukyu Golden Kings ended following the team's fifth consecutive trip to the B.League Finals, Dai Oketani has a new coaching job.

Oketani was named the new coach of the Kawasaki Brave Thunders on Sunday, June 14.

The Brave Thunders were among the worst clubs in the B.League during the 2025-26 season, finishing with a 16-44 record. And in the 2024-25 campaign, the team went 18-42.

Geoffrey Katsuhisa, who served as Kawasaki head coach for the majority of this past season (starting in November), will remain on Oketani's staff. He'll serve as an associate coach in the 2026-27 season.

The B.League is changing its name to B.Premier (for the first division) for the upcoming campaign.

As the league enters a new era, Oketani is tasked with rebuilding the Brave Thunders, who had their last winning season in 2023-24, when they recorded 33 wins in 60 games.

"I'm honored to have been appointed as your head coach," Oketani, 48, said in a statement.

He added, "I'm committed to preserving the [Brave] Thunders' rich tradition and building a team that will inspire future generations, so let's fight together."

In addition to his pro coaching work, Oketani took over as the Japan men's national basketball team head coach in February, replacing Tom Hovasse.

Dai Oketani: A Successful Career in Coaching

In January 2006, Oketani began his head coaching career with the Oita HeatDevils of the bj-league, one of the B.League's forerunners. Oita advanced to the playoffs in Oketani's first full season in charge with a 22-18 record in 2006-07.

The Golden Kings hired Oketani in 2008, and he led the franchise to two bj-league titles in four seasons at the helm in his first stint with the Okinawan team. Ryukyu went 41-11 in 2008-09, then captured its first championship.

From 2012-15, Oketani guided the Iwate Big Bulls, steering the Tohoku-based club to three consecutive trips to the playoffs.

Then he took over as Osaka Evessa head coach (2015-18) and also piloted the Sendai 89ers from 2018-21. Both squads reached the playoffs under Oketani.

Author: Ed Odeven

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