Mt. San Antonio College

Brian Yokoyama enters his 34th year with the Mt. SAC Athletics Program.  In March of 2023, he was named Director, Athletic Special Events where he oversees the world renown Mt. SAC Relays, Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational and LA84 Foundation Grant Programs.  He previously spent 24 years as the Mt. SAC Sports Information Director/Division Information Director.  Along with his current role, he has also served as Women's Head Track & Field Coach ('96 and '97) and as an assistant track & field/cross country coach for 27 seasons. 

Since his arrival at Mt. SAC in the Fall of 1990, Yokoyama has played an active role with the Mt. SAC Athletic Special Events which includes the world renown Mt. SAC Relays and Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational.  He previously worked under the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Vice President of Community Education, overseeing the professional events (concerts, performances, etc.) at the Mt. SAC Performing Arts Center and with Mt. SAC Foundation Special Events.

Yokoyama spent 27 years with the Mounties Track & Field/Cross Country Programs. In 2016, he received the ultimate honor by his peers and was inducted into the California Community College Cross Country and Track Coaches Hall of Fame.  During his track & field tenure, he has worked with over 75 California State Community College State finalists including eleven State Champions (nine pole vaulters, two javelin throwers) and thirteen State Runner-Up Finishers. Through the years he has coached nearly every event and has guided school record holders in the men’s and women’s Pole Vault and Javelin.

From 1995 to 2007, Yokoyama also served as an Assistant Cross Country Coach, helping lead the Mountie Women to 3 State Championships and 8 top five finishes.  In 1996 and 1997, he served as the Women’s Track and Field Head Coach and led the team to a second place finish during the 1997 season.

During the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Yokoyama guided men's javelin college record holder, Adam Bianchessi, to a remarkable two year run where Bianchessi placed 4th in the 2010 State Championships, placed ninth in the 2010 USA Track and Field Junior National Championships and capped it off with an incredible 2011 campaign where Bianchessi went undefeated in community college competition, capturing Conference, Southern California, California State and National Championship along with the college and South Coast Conference Record.  What is most amazing is the fact that Bianchessi had never competed in any organized sports until arriving at Mt. SAC.

During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Yokoyama moved over to the 100/110 meter high hurdles, where he had a remarkable 2013 year producing six So Cal Qualifiers (4 men, 2 women), three So Cal Finalists and three State Championship Finalists (out of 9) including South Coast Conference (SCC) Running Athlete of the Year, Toure McCulley who captured both SCC and SoCal Championships, as well as taking 2nd at the state championships.   

In the Pole Vault, Yokoyama has guided three Mounties over the 17 foot barrier and 21 over the 16 foot barrier. Future two-time Olympian and Mt. SAC Head Women's Coach Giovanni Lanaro, who entered Mt. SAC as an 11'06" pole vaulter, cleared a school record of 17'06" to capture the National Community College Championship, Dustin Morrison who jumped 17’01” (#2 all-time mark) captured the 2001and 2002 state championships and Jordan Savidge captured the 2007 State Championship with a mark of 17'00"1/2.

Respected by his peers, he was named the 2001 USA Track and Field Pole Vault Development National Collegiate Pole Vault Coach of the Year, 2007 California Community College Cross Country/Track Coaches Association State Assistant Track and Field Coach of the Year and in 2008 he was named South Coast Conference Assistant Track and Field Coach of the Year.  

Yokoyama is and has been very active with the USA Track and Field Pole Vault Development for nearly three decades.  He is currently the longest tenured national chairperson.  He concurrently leads both the Men's and Women’s Pole Vault High Performance/Development and has twice been named USA Track and Field Brooks Johnson Development Coach of the Year (2017 & 2018).  

He is also on the Board of Directors of the North American Pole Vault Association, a director of the National Pole Vault Summit (4,000 attendees in Reno, NV) and the Co-Director of the NAPVA National Championships (8,000 Spectators) in Clovis, California.

Through the years, Yokoyama has worked/consulted with many top national and international pole vaulters/decathletes including:

• Giovanni Lanaro-(19’01”-5.82M) 4th place at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships, USA Community College Champion, California State Community College Champion, Mexican National Champion, Mexican National Record Holder, Former Pan American Record Holder, 3 time NCAA Division 1 All-American, 2004 and 2008 Mexican Olympian
• Daichi Sawano-(19’01.5”-5.83M) 2006 IAAF World Ranking #4, Japanese Record Holder, 2004 & 2016 Olympic Finalist, 2004, 2008 and 2016 Olympian 
• Rob Pike-(18’06.5”-5.65M) 3 time Canadian National Champion, 2001 World Championship Competitor
• Tim Mack-(19’08.5”-6.01M) 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2004 Number One World Ranking, Olympic Record Holder, US Olympic Trials Record Holder, US National Champion
• Teruyasu Yonekura-(18’04.5”-5.60M) Former Japanese Record Holder, 1996 Atlanta Olympian
• Manabu Yokoyama-(18’08.25”-5.70M) Former Japanese Record Holder, 2000 Sydney Olympian
• Jeff Ryan-(18’05.5”-5.62M) NCAA Division 1 All-American, Top 10 US Ranking
• Jason Hinkin-(18'08.25"-5.70M) NCAA Division 1 Indoor Champion, 5 Time NCAA Division 1 All-American, Long Beach State School Record Holder and Athletic Hall of Fame Member
• Keisuke Ushiro-(16'04.75"-5.00M) Japanese Decathlon Record Holder (8308 points), 2X Japanese Olympian, Asian Games and Asian Championships Champion
• Caleb Pouliot –(17’01”-5.21M) 3-time NAIA National Pole Vault Champion

Yokoyama currently coaches a number of top pole vaulters including; three time NAIA National Pole Vault Champion Caleb Pouliot; Taiwan Pole Vault Junior Record Holder Jimmy (Te-Chi) Hsu, 2018 IAAF World Junior Bronze Medalist Masaki Ejima of Japan and consults with a number of top US and international pole vaulters.

An active speaker, Yokoyama has presented at various clinics throughout the world including the USA Track and Field Coaches Association National Clinic, USATF Podium Education Project, USATF Level II and Level III Certification Clinics, LA84 Foundation Track and Field Clinics, National Pole Vault Summit, Japanese National Pole Vault Camp, Taiwan National Pole Vault Conference, Haining (China) International Pole Vault Symposium, Singapore Athletics Council Clinic, Arizona State High School Coaches Clinic, Wisconsin State High School Coaches Clinic, Glazier Track and Field Clinic, Glazier All-Sports Clinics, MSI Track and Field Clinic, Helena Montana Pole Vault Clinic, Oahu Track and Field Clinic and the Asia-Pacific Conference on Exercise and Sports Science.

Prior to arriving at Mt. SAC, Yokoyama served as an Assistant Coach at Lynwood High School (Lynwood, CA). Through the years his high school pole vaulters have made 11 California State High School Championship Finals (top 9) appearances. He has also worked with a number of top High School Decathletes including the (former) #1 and #2 High School Decathletes of all-time, Donovan Kilmartin and Marcell Allmond.

In the community college ranks, he served as the South Coast Conference Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Representative for over a decade and as an Executive Board Member of both the Southern California and State Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association as the Treasurer for 8 years.

Yokoyama received his Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from Cal Poly Pomona. In his spare time, Yokoyama enjoys spending time with his family, cooking and traveling.  Coach Yokoyama and his wife, Shinobu (Yamamoto), reside in Pomona with their three children, daughters, Raechel and Daphne and son, Braeden.

updated 03/04/23