Dear Spartan Community,
Today we mourn the loss of Yoshihiro “Yosh” Uchida, a beloved Spartan who passed away on Thursday at the age of 104.
Yosh, as many affectionately called him, earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences in 1947 and an honorary doctorate in 2004 from SJSU, and is one of the most renowned and accomplished Spartans in the history of the university.
Born on April 1, 1920, in Calexico, Calif., Yosh was named San José State's first judo coach in 1940, when he enrolled as a student, and again in 1946 after he returned from four years in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1964, he coached the U.S. judo team at the Tokyo Olympics, the first time judo appeared in an Olympics.
He remained the coach of SJSU’s judo program for the rest of his life and in 2023 was honored for 75 years of service to the university. Overall, Yosh coached the Spartans to more than 40 collegiate titles and trained nearly two dozen Olympians, including four medalists. His judo prestige extended beyond San José State — Yosh served as president of U.S. Judo, the United States Judo Federation, and National Collegiate Judo Association.