Jimmy Yagi, the architect of “Vulcan Fever” who put Hawaii’s small college basketball on the map with energy, tenacity and, most of all, humility, died today of natural causes at Hilo Hospital.

He was 88.

“Jimmy took his last breath this morning and died peacefully,” his wife, Jeanne, said in a text message Wednesday morning, noting that their sons Kirby and Brady were also at Yagi’s bedside.

Yagi would never say this himself, but the upset victories and sustained excellence by his Hawaii Hilo teams in the 1970s set the stage for the more nationally known Chaminade victory over Virginia in 1982 and Hawaii Pacific’s 1993 Division II national championship.

In UH Hilo’s first NAIA season in 1976-77, Yagi and the Vulcans upset Division I teams Nebraska and New Mexico before winning the district championship and playing in the NAIA national tournament.

Hilo went 23-3 that year, and 27-5 the next; both teams reached the second round of the national tournament.

Hilo’s home games were sellouts at the Hilo Civic, and five of them were televised statewide. “Vulcan Fever” was among the state’s biggest sports stories of the 1970s.

“He is the grandfather of small college basketball in Hawaii and his early Vulcan teams set the standard for schools like Chaminade, Hawaii Pacific and BYU-Hawaii to follow in developing strong programs that could compete nationally at the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels,” said Bill O’Rear, an All-American guard on Yagi’s early teams who became a lifelong friend and worked statewide camps with his mentor for 30 years.

UH Hilo’s 81-78 victory in 1976 over New Mexico, a team led by future NBA standout Michael Cooper, was the Vulcans biggest upset win. But it was a 164-111 loss to Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV team that got them into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

It set NCAA scoring records, so the gameball was sent to the Hall of Fame. Alan Tanabe, a 5-foot-10 freshman from Hilo High, scored 30 points to lead the Vulcans.

“We gave up 164 points, but the Vulcan fans gave us a standing ovation,” Yagi said after the game. “And if Alan Tanabe was allowed to run for mayor after that performance he would have gotten elected.”

In 18 seasons, the last 12 in the NAIA, Yagi’s teams won three district titles. His record in 12 NAIA seasons was 218-87.

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