Riki Takato is the coach of Kainan and a contemporary of Ryonan's Moichi Taoka, who is a year his senior. They have known each other since high school, when Takato earned the nickname "Rookie from Hell" during his first year. Over the past 17 years, he has been instrumental in leading Kainan to dominate the Kanagawa Inter High Tournament. His rigorous training regimen is so demanding that half of the new players are eliminated within the first week, and more drop out within the first month. After a year, only about one-fifth of the new recruits remain.
Last year, Takato guided the team to the semifinals of the national championships, where they were defeated by Sannoh. He is exceptionally shrewd, as shown by how quickly he identified Sakuragi's main weakness during a match against Shohoku. By substituting Miyamasu for Jin, he caused Sakuragi to lose focus, leading to Shohoku conceding many points to Kainan.
When his team is in control, Takato remains cool and collected. However, under pressure, he becomes agitated and anxious, often yelling at his players.
