After spending the past four years at Destiny Christian Academy, Eric Nakagawa was named the new boys varsity head coach at Cordova in May. Photo courtesy of Eric Nakagawa

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The Cordova Lancers have found the next head coach of their varsity boys basketball program. 

After seeing two coaches dismissed in an 18-month span the past two seasons, the Lancers have landed on former Destiny Christian Academy boys basketball coach Eric Nakagawa as the best fit to lead the team moving forward. Nakagawa, who served as the boys’ junior varsity head coach in 2025 at DCA following an assistant coach role on the varsity team in the four seasons prior, has a coaching background that extends nearly 15 years in both boys and girls’ basketball.

Additionally, Nakagawa is a well-known figure in the AAU circuit and is familiar with the basketball landscape in the region. When asked what interested him in taking the job at Cordova, he gave an answer that spoke to his understanding of Cordova basketball and where the program stands currently. 

“The challenge,” Nakagawa said. “It hasn’t been great the past few years, and at this point in my coaching career I am just looking for a challenge. I think one of the main things for me is that I want to try to help kids. I come from the east side of San Jose, and I come from the inner city, and I want to help kids get to the next level that may or may not have the opportunity to do so. It’s about giving back or paying it forward, if you will. Basketball gave me a lot; it kept me off the streets and out of trouble. The challenge is giving these guys a program they can be proud of and hopefully that makes them want to be better.”

While Nakagawa doesn’t have any existing personal relationships with the current crop of student athletes at Cordova, he is familiar with their talent. He referenced talented junior guard Kaeden McDaniels as a player he’s been aware of having coached in the area and said he is looking forward to diving in headfirst as he looks to establish the program in his vision.

Nakagawa is eager to get the ball rolling in the coming weeks as the team will participate in the Folsom Summer Classic tournament in late June after taking part in practice sessions the next two weeks. He mentioned that summer workouts will likely be halted in the month of July before reconvening in August and ultimately during the school year. For the new Lancers’ head coach, however, the coming weeks and months won’t be about wins and losses as much as they will be about setting the standard of what it takes to win. 

“For me it starts with the culture,” Nakagawa said. “I think you have to as a coaching staff provide a structure and a culture for the kids that lends itself towards success. I really don't focus on winning too much. I focus on daily habits and what it takes to win, and I think when you focus on building better young men, mysteriously when you start focusing on that you start winning.”