The 2021-22 athletics season will feature two head coaches making their debut at Yakima Valley College: Robin Andrea with the Yaks women’s basketball team and Renae Koppenhafer with the softball team.

Robin Andrea
Andrea brings more than 13 years of head and assistant coaching experience at the collegiate and high school levels. Most recently, he was lead assistant women’s basketball coach at Linn-Benton Community College, an NWAC member school in Albany, Ore., from 2018-21. During his time at Linn-Benton, the Roadrunner program earned their first 20-win season in over a decade and was a top-3 defense in the NWAC in 2019-20.

From 2006-12, Andrea served six seasons at NCAA Division 2 Western Oregon University, where he assisted in both the women’s and men’s basketball programs. In addition, Andrea was the head boys basketball coach at Hillsboro (Ore.) High School from 2012-15.

“Being named head women’s basketball coach at YVC is an incredible opportunity for which I am very grateful,” said Andrea. “I am committed to building upon a great foundation left by Adam Strom, and ensuring our players get the best experience possible in the pursuit of an NWAC Championship.”
Renae Koppenhafer
Koppenhafer joins YVC after serving as assistant softball coach at NCAA Division 1 Southern Utah University, where her primary duties included working with the development of catchers and pitchers while assisting with hitting development and special projects. Prior to that, Koppenhafer coached softball at Topsail High School in Hampstead, N.C., where several of her players were developed and recruited by 4-year colleges and universities.

During her intercollegiate playing career, Koppenhafer was the catcher for Augusta State University from 2010-12, where she started 95 games over two seasons. Prior to that, she was a standout softball player at North Idaho College from 2008-10 and was named to the NJCAA All-Region 18 First Team and the Region 18 All-Tournament team in 2009.

“I am looking forward to opportunity to see what the program can become,” said Koppenhafer. “YVC has great potential for student-athletes to grow as both players and people.  I am excited to get on Dunbar Field with all of the returnees and incoming Yaks this season!”

The women’s basketball team started its 2021-22 season with the Blue Mountain Jamboree scrimmage on Nov. 6 and will play in the Blue Mountain Tip-Off Nov 19-21 in Pendleton, Ore., before playing its first home game of the season on Dec. 3 against Lane College.

The schedule for the softball team’s 2022 season is expected to be posted in mid-December on the Yaks athletics website.