If you’ve played volleyball for Reedley College in the past 40 years, you know exactly who “Coach Nobi” is. Noboru Kitaoka is one of the longest-tenured assistant coaches in Reedley College history and has helped bring seven conference championships to our campus. Born in Kochi, Japan April 20, 1949, Coach Nobi and his family moved to Reedley in 1958 and has called the Central Valley home ever since. A graduate of Reedley High School (1968), Reedley College (1970-Ac-counting) and Fresno State (1973-Business Administration), Kitaoka’s love for volleyball blossomed in the land of the Bulldogs, where he started the Fresno State Men’s Volleyball Club. He played on the club team for two years and was a volunteer coach for five seasons. That caught the eye of Shirley Gustafson, who was eager to add him to her staff at Reedley College.
“Coach Gustafson asked me if I’d be interested in helping her,” said Kitaoka. “I made that commitment to her and it’s been a great experience.”
What transpired after that was a long-lasting partnership with the college that continues today. Alongside Gustafson and Shannon Jefferies, the Tigers won conference titles in 1984, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Nobi was winning on and off the court, enjoying a successful career as an insurance agent for Equitable Life Assurance, a company based in New York. But his desire to be more involved with volleyball was a more satisfying experience than his full-time job.
In 1988, Coach Nobi started the Sierra Pacific Volleyball Club, working as a coach and club director. Not only was he developing young athletes, but he was also gaining knowledge of the sport for himself to fine-tune his craft for the Tigers volleyball program. “My coaching capacity and understanding of volleyball was more complete after that,” he said.
Coach Nobi continued to work as an assistant until 2003 when he decided to head down the street to Reedley High School to become the head coach of the girl's program. He went 57-47-1 in five seasons (2003-2008), earning CMAC Coach of the Year honors in 2003. He went on to become the head coach at Tulare Western, where he spent the 2009-2010 campaign. But in April of 2010, Kitaoka was forced to take a break from the game due to a stroke suffered at club practice. Determined to return to the court, Coach Nobi did just that in 2017, reuniting with Jefferies. He is now helping new head coach Mariah Roby, who is entering her first season.
“I don’t have the physical capability I used to, but my knowledge of volleyball is still intact,” Nobi said. “It will always stay with me.”
Kitaoka has two sons, Kevin and Bryan. The most valuable person in his life, his wife Elizabeth, passed away in July, shortly after celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary. It is the only bond stronger than his love for the game, which is now stronger than ever before.