Makoto Sakamoto (2001) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Makoto Sakamoto

Induction:
2001
Class:
1968

Considered one of America’s best gymnasts, Japanese-native Makoto Sakamoto--at just 5-1 and 120 pounds--won 4 NCAA individual championships at USC: the 1968 NCAA all-around title, 1967 and 1968 NCAA parallel bars crowns and 1968 NCAA horizontal bar title. A 7-time AAU all-around champion, he participated in the 1964 and 1972 Olympics for the United States. He was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1986. After serving as an assistant coach at UCLA (and with the U.S. team at the 1984 Olympics), he was the long-time head coach of the BYU men’s team before the school dropped the sport in 2001 (he then taught in BYU’s physical education department). Two of his brothers, Isamu and Mikio, also were Trojan gymnasts.