By: Michaela Gonzalez, Co-Editor-In-Chief
On Saturday night of October 7th, longtime Girls Varsity Basketball coach Dave Matsu suffered a sudden stroke at Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City. Over the course of 7 days, he was kept in the ICU surrounded by loved ones. This past Saturday, he peacefully passed away at Kaiser Permanente at age 54. Matsu is survived by his wife, Donna, his five children, and the legacy he leaves behind.
Matsu joined the team in the 2007-2008 season, and guided the unstoppable Lady Vikings into victory over the years. The most celebrated win being the first CCS Championship for Mills since 1985, won in the 2022-2023 season. Matsu was also a Mills alumni from the Class of 1987, and came back to mentor the Lady Vikings a mere three years after another beloved coach, Kelly Shea-Gallo, passed away in 2004 from cancer.
Matsu was known to be a remarkable and impactful coach in many ways, a significant one being the importance of family. The term “Ohana”, which translates to family in Hawaiian, was a way that Matsu integrated his background into his coaching technique.
“They were family first and they were basketball players second,” Principal Pamela Duzynski, a longtime admirer of everything Matsu did for the Mills community, recounted. “His players are really connected. They really believe in the message of Ohana.” Many of his players, past and present, have received scholarships to play for basketball on a higher level, and some have even become coaches themselves.
The legacy of David Matsu is carried on by his son Justin, who is now the head coach for the Lady Vikings.
A GoFundMe for the family of Matsu has been created, and all the proceeds will go to them in this time of such sudden despair. Again, the Mills community grieves for Matsu’s loved ones, and will never forget the vast impact he had on Mills’ students, players, and basketball. In loving memory of David Matsu: Ohana. The link below is to a GoFundMe to assist the Matsu family during this difficult time.
