Moichi Taoka coaches Ryonan and has been rivals with Kainan's coach Riki Takato since their high school days, when Taoka earned the nickname "Kanagawa's Taoka." The two remain friendly despite their competitive relationship. Taoka apparently sees himself in Sendoh, though his own players find that comparison amusing.
Taoka's dream roster would've been stacked: Sendoh, Uozomi, Mitsui, Miyagi, and Rukawa. He actively recruited all of them, but each turned him down—Mitsui and Miyagi chose loyalty to Shohoku's Anzai, while Rukawa simply preferred being closer to home. Still, Taoka genuinely believes his current team has worked harder than any squad he's coached, and he's confident they could actually beat that dream lineup anyway.
He's got a solid eye for talent. He was one of the few who recognized Uozomi's potential early on and pushed him through a rough patch when he considered quitting. He also quickly understood that Sendoh and Fukuda would become crucial players once they joined the team. His mistake was thinking he could motivate both of them with opposite approaches—heavy criticism for Fukuda alongside praise for Sendoh. Turned out Fukuda was more sensitive than expected. After a year of being torn down, he snapped and attacked Taoka during a practice match, earning himself a suspension that kept him benched against Shohoku's first visit. Taoka learned from that, though, and figured out how to use Fukuda effectively when Kainan came around.
Where Taoka really stumbled was underestimating his opponents. Against Shohoku in the league finals, he didn't realize how much Sakuragi had improved in the meantime, or how capable Kogure actually was. Both misjudgments cost Ryonan a shot at nationals, something Taoka acknowledged once the dust settled.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
