KENTFIELD — Former Kelseyville High School sports star and Record-Bee Athlete of the Year Emily Schaefer continues to move up the collegiate coaching ladder.
Schaefer, 32, a former California State University (CSU) East Bay player and assistant coach as well as a former assistant coach at Notre Dame De Namur College, has been named the new women’s basketball head coach at College of Marin in Kentfield. She takes over for Scott Davis, who left the program in the fall.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity and incredibly thankful that Ryan Byrne has the confidence in me and my abilities to direct the women’s basketball program at College of Marin,” Schaefer said. “More than anything I look forward to contributing to the program’s success as the new head coach.”
Schaefer, a 2005 Kelseyville High graduate, is a product of the community college system, playing two seasons at Butte College during which time she was a team captain. She then transferred to CSU East Bay in Hayward where she was a team captain and earned her bachelor’s degree before heading to CSU Chico where she secured a master’s degree in kinesiology,
“Emily has tremendous energy, enthusiasm and expertise. She cares deeply about the big-picture mission of helping student-athletes utilize their sport as a means of creating opportunities for themselves beyond College of Marin,” College of Marin athletic director Ryan Byrne said. “She is excited to get started with recruiting and building something special here.”
Schaefer was most recently the assistant coach at Notre Dame De Namur College in Belmont. During her four years there Notre Dame set a single-season record for most wins and made its first postseason appearance. Prior to her tenure at Notre Dame, Schaefer served as an assistant coach at CSU East Bay from 2013-2015. The Pioneers qualified for the conference tournament in back-to-back seasons and reached the championship game in 2015.
“This is an incredible opportunity to be close to home and near my family, plus the chance to be a part of an exceptional team and culture within the athletic department, campus and community is a tremendous honor,” Schaefer said.
Byrne is excited about Schaefer and the future of women’s basketball at College of Marin.
“Last season we scratched the surface of what we are capable of and narrowly missed playoffs. Now I believe we are positioned to take the next steps in building a program that can showcase our ability to get student-athletes to the next level through our dedication to academic and athletic excellence.”
