Kenichi Yatsuhashi

Kenichi Yatsuhashi
Personal information
Date of birth (1969-02-06) February 6, 1969 (age 55)[1]
Place of birth Kōnan, Aichi, Japan[1]
Managerial career
Years Team
2001–2009 BMCC men's soccer
2010–2011 ASA College[2]
2014–2015 Aspire Academy U16 (assistant coach)[3]
2015–2016 Hearts of Oak
2016 Ifeanyi Ubah F.C.
2017 Cambodian Tiger FC
2017–2018 International Allies FC
2019–2020 Lonestar Kashmir
2021–2022 Navy Sea Hawks
2022–2023 Angthong

Kenichi Yatsuhashi (Japanese: 八橋健一, born 6 February 1969 in Japan) is a Japanese football manager who currently manages football club Angthong in the Thai League 3 Western region.[4]

Career

College and youth coaching career

Arriving at New York City in December 1988, he began coaching youth soccer teams: the Elmont Ravens girls' team, the Brooklyn Patriots boys' team, and the Gotham Girls Chargers team. Next, Yatsuhashi became coach of the BMCC men's soccer team where he served as the women's coach for 9 years and guided them to the NJCAA Division III nationals in 2004 and won third place plus six conference championships. Just after that, he was chosen coach of the City University of New York Athletic Conference All-Star team which competed in the Goodwill South African Tour.[5]

His original reason for going to the United States was to study art.[6] At one point, he could have become an American citizen, but the paperwork and application fees amounted to over US$1000 so he decided not to apply and has now expressed penitence for passing on the opportunity.[6]

Africa and Asia

In 2012, Kenichi moved to Kyrgyzstan where he served as the Kyrgyzstan Football Federation technical director[7] and Kyrgyzstan U16 coach.[3] He has guided them during U16 AFC Qualifications and recorded 3–3 draw against Oman and lost to Qatar by 3–4.

Announced as coach of Accra Hearts of Oak in November 2015,[8][9] he was given a monthly salary of US$1,800[10] and became the first Asian to coach a Ghanaian team in the process.[6] Almost immediately, he was criticized on account of his inexperience coaching professional teams.[6] Eventually, he was fired as coach in June 2016[11][12] despite winning his first two games in charge and leading his team at the top or 2nd of the table.[13] With Hearts of Oak, he was known for making his team score mostly second-half goals. In addition to this, the club had a record of being unbeaten in 7 away games under Kenichi.[13] Meanwhile, he had refuted claims that his team's good form was because of impermissible drugs, claiming that it was a result of hard work and training.[14][15]

Kenichi has ruled out a possible return to Hearts of Oak amidst speculation.[16]

Ifeanyi Ubah F.C. discharged him of his duties in 2016.[17] Thereupon, he was appointed coach of Cambodian Tiger FC in the C-League in February 2017.[18][19][20]

Only three months after his arrival in 2017, Cambodian Tiger FC parted away with Kenichi;[21] he has expressed desire to return to coaching in Ghana and has hinted at a move to Asante Kotoko.[22][23][24] On 28 December 2019, he was appointed coach of Lonestar Kashmir in the I-League 2nd division.[25]

Personal life

Living in New York City for 23 years, he sees it as his home even though he is ethnically Japanese.[6]

Licenses and certifications

[5]

  • NSCAA Coach of the Year Award
  • AFC Pro License
  • USSF "A" License
  • USSF National Youth License
  • CONCACAF International Coaching License
  • FIFA Goalkeeping License
  • NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma

References

  1. ^ a b "【海外赴任レポート】 キルギス共和国 八橋 健一さん 2013年1月" (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  2. ^ "Kenichi Yatsuhashi Named Head Men's Soccer Coach". ASA College. January 8, 2010. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ a b "Kenichi Yatsuhashi – The Player's Agent". theplayersagent.com. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Interviewing Football People as a Distraction from Death: Kenichi Yatsuhashi". Football vs. Oblivion!. March 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Kenichi Yatsuhashi: Who is he?". ghanaweb.com. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e "US trained coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi settles in Ghana". Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Kyrgyzstan holds first grassroots festival - AFC". www.the-afc.com.
  8. ^ Ghana, Total Sports. "Hearts of Oak Appoints Kenichi Yatsuhashi as new Coach". totalsportsghana.com.
  9. ^ "Hearts of Oak appoints Yatsuhashi as new coach". Archived from the original on 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  10. ^ "SHOCKER: Newly-appointed Hearts coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi to earn US$1,800 as monthly salary".
  11. ^ "STATEMENT: Hearts part ways with Kenichi Yatsuhashi". 20 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Kenichi Yatsuhashi: Coach leaves Hearts a proud man after passing first pro test".
  13. ^ a b "Behold Kenichi Yatsuhashi, the mysterious second-half sensei turning heads". social_image. 24 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Is Wa All Stars doping? Kenichi Yatsuhashi queries". 7 April 2016.
  15. ^ "Kenichi Yatsuhashie responds to doping allegations".[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^ "Kenichi not returning to Hearts of Oak - Goal.com". www.goal.com.
  17. ^ "FC Ifeanyi Ubah part ways with Kenichi Yatsuhashi - Goal.com". www.goal.com.
  18. ^ "Kenichi Yatsuhashi joins Cambodian club Tiger FC". www.ghanaweb.com.
  19. ^ "Formet Hearts of Oak coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi joins Cambodian Side Tiger FC".[permanent dead link‍]
  20. ^ "News Analysis: Economic community, Belt and Road initiative twin engines for ASEAN development - Khmer Times". 21 November 2015.
  21. ^ "ខេមបូឌានថាយហ្គឺរតែងតាំងអតីតគ្រូបង្វឹកភ្នំពេញក្រោនលោក Oriol Mohedano ជាគ្រូបង្គោល". ThmeyThmey.com.
  22. ^ "Japanese trainer Kenichi Yatsuhashi yearns for Asante Kotoko coaching job". social_image. 13 April 2017.
  23. ^ "Former Hearts Coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi shock favorite for Kotoko job". ghanasportsonline.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-13.
  24. ^ "Kenichi Yatsuhashi eyeing GPL return? - Citi Sport". sport.citifmonline.com.
  25. ^ "Indian Football Transfer News 2019-20, Rumours, Gossips, Signings". forum.indianfootballnetwork.com. Retrieved 11 May 2021.