YAKIMA VALLEY COLLEGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Assistant Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Title / Assistant Coach
Ben Krueger assumed Yak baseball head coaching duties on September 26, 2022 and is entering his second season leading the program.
The 2022-23 season saw Krueger's Yaks narrowly miss a berth to the NWAC Regional Tournament, as the season literally came down to the final game.
A former YVC assistant coach in the 2021-22 school year, he had accepted an assistant coaching position at Georgia Gwinnett College, a perennial national championship-caliber NAIA program, in July. While at YVC last year, his duties included recruiting coordinator, outfield coach and head of data analytics and media. Krueger is also an alum of the YVC baseball program, having played for head coach Ken Wilson's Yaks in the 2010-11 season.
A Seattle native, Krueger was an assistant coach for two other NWAC schools-at Everett Community College from 2018-21, serving as the Trojans' associate head coach and outfield coach and at Shoreline Community College from 2017-18, where he was the recruiting coordinator. As a club coach, Krueger founded the Benz Baseball program in 2017 and currently serves as the program director of the Benz Boys and Fall Scout team. Under his direction, over 100 Benz players have moved on to play college baseball. In addition to his work with the Benz Boys program, Krueger founded the Cascade Collegiate League in 2019 and serves as the league's commissioner and manager of their showcase team.
Krueger continued his playing career after YVC by playing two seasons at Oregon Tech. During his time at OIT, he earned his bachelor's degree in management/marketing while minoring in communications.
Job Titles:
- Athletics Assistant
- Title / Certified Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Assistant Coach
Chris Kirby begins his first season with YVC women's soccer. His primary duties will be to work with the Goalkeepers.
Kirby is well-known throughout the Yakima Valley and is a graduate of East Valley High School. During his playing career at East Valley, he was Team Captain and led the Red Devils to a runner-up finish in the 2A state tournament as a senior. During the season, Kirby conceded a total of only 5 goals and posted 14 shutouts. For his efforts, he was named First Team All-State and was a finalist for "Male Athlete of the Year" for the Yakima Valley Sports Awards. Additionally, he was chosen as a First Team All-League performer three straight years and played for the Portland Timbers Academy and trained with the Timbers 2 Pro-Team.
After high school Kirby played at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA, where he started every match and helped lead the Hawks to the NWAC quarterfinals. After his sophomore year at CBC, he transferred to Bushnell University in Eugene, OR and played for the Beacons.
Kirby decided to finish his Bachelor's degree back home in Yakima and is focused on a Business Administration/Early Childhood Education double major with hopes of starting his own business. In addition to his duties with YVC, he is currently coaching for Central Washington Sounders soccer club and training Goalkeepers at East Valley and Selah High Schools.
Coach Glen Sherar attributed the team's success to great team play and strength in all phases of the game.
Darci Dekker was named Yakima Valley College's head volleyball coach on January 22, 2020 and is entering her fourth season at the helm of the Yaks.
During her tenure with the Yak volleyball program, Dekker has led YVC to consecutive NWAC Regional Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022 with an overall record of 39-25. After a one-year program hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she quickly rebuilt the program to a highly competitive level. In 2021 the Yaks posted an Eastern Region record of 11-5, narrowly missing a Region title. In 2022 Dekker improved their Region record going 13-3, and again narrowly missing a Region title. In 2022, the Yaks were a single point away from advancing to the NWAC Championships.
A proven winner before assuming leadership of the YVC volleyball program, Dekker successfully led the volleyball programs at East Valley High School (2009-13), Prosser High School (2002-05), Zillah High School (1995-2001) and White Swan High School (1991-95). At every stop, her teams won league titles and qualified for state championship tournaments-placing on numerous occasions. In addition, she has been named "Coach of the Year" multiple times by the Central Washington Athletic Conference (CWAC) and South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC). In 2013, Dekker was selected as the recipient of the Yakima Valley Sports Award's "Fall Coach of the Year" at their annual luncheon event.
Additionally, Dekker has been very involved with club volleyball for over 25 years in the Central Washington area. Since 2016, she has coached with the team Central Region United (CRU), an elite level club program that attracts high-level players throughout the region and is under the direction of Central Washington University Head Coach Mario Andaya. CRU is associated with JVA and AAU volleyball affiliations. Dekker has traveled to National level tournaments in Florida, Kentucky, California, Arizona, Colorado & Oregon to name a few. Currently, Dekker is the head coach of CRU's 17 Max Team.
As an intercollegiate volleyball player, Dekker was a standout setter for Mt. Hood Community College from 1985-87 before being recruited to NCAA Division 1 Portland State University, where she was a setter/defensive specialist for the Vikings.
Dekker has earned an Associate's degree from Mt. Hood and a vocational degree in Hair Design from Beau Monde Academy in Portland, OR. In addition to her coaching duties, she has her cosmetology license and owns and operates Dar-C's Place. She lives in Yakima with her husband, George Torrez and has three grown children-- daughter Maci Beierle-Deaton (27), who won two NWAC Championships while plyaing volleyball at Blue Mountain before earning 1 st Team all-conference honors at Northwest Christian University (now Bushnell University) and sons Hayden Beierle (25), presently in the Marines and Raynor Beierle (23), currently playing football at the University of Idaho.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Assistant Coach
New signage and protective screening (2022), scoreboard (2018), padding (2016), sound system and foul poles (2014), new dirt for infield (2008), new sod to bring outfield grass closer to home plate (2007)
Elizabeth Prior was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1879 and moved to Yakima when she was 19 years old. She began her career in education as a teacher for Yakima High School in 1904. In 1928, she was named Yakima Valley College's very first principal and lead administrator (essentially the role of president) when the school opened its doors for classes. Prior helped begin the initial physical education and athletic programs for men and women at YVC. Her foundation of learning is summed up best as "Healthy Body, Sound Mind." She also played an integral role in the efforts to create the formation of the Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference in 1946. Because athletics were a priority for Prior, she helped identify the funding sources to make YVC's athletic program work, including using her own money to buy gas for YVC athletic road trips, writing recruiting letters to potential student-athletes, and assisting her coaches with the identification of part-time job opportunities for YVC student-athletes. Prior passed away in 1950 and the college's present day administration building continues to bear her name. In 2003, she was posthumously inducted into the NWAC Hall of Fame.
Job Titles:
- Yakima Republic Sports Editor
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Associate Head Coach
Gunnar Ueda-Pancheri returns to the YVC baseball program after being named Associate Head Coach on July 4th, 2023. He holds recruiting responsibilities in addition to leading the offense and infielders.
Coach Panch was the Head Baseball Coach for Grays Harbor College for two seasons prior to accepting the Yakima Valley post. Panch led Grays Harbor College to the two winningest seasons in program history and its first playoff berth since 1974. His offense set program records in home runs, extra base hits, runs scored and stolen bases. His pitchers also set program records for strikeouts, wins, saves, and ERA. Panch led 25 student-athletes to the four-year level during his tenure, including two NCAA division one programs.
Panch served as Associate Head Coach, Recruiting Coordinator and Infield Coach for Southwestern Oregon Community College from 2017-2020 before becoming the Head Baseball Coach at Grays Harbor College. He joined the Cascade Collegiate League Front Office in 2021 where he currently serves as Director.
Panch is an alum of the YVC baseball program, having played for head coach Marcus McKimmy's Yaks in the 2014-2015 season. He continued his career by playing two seasons at Southwest Oregon before starting his coaching career.
Josh Vega was named Yakima Valley College's head women's soccer coach on March 22, 2022, only the program's fifth coach in history. He is entering his second season at the Yak helm.
"I'm very honored to be the head women's soccer coach at YVC," said Vega. "I think the program is in a solid place and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with and recruit additional talented players to Yakima. I look forward growing the program to the next level and playing a competitive and entertaining brand of soccer that our community can be proud of."
In 2022, Vega led YVC to a winning record with an overall mark of 9-7-1 and were in contention for a playoff berth until well into the season.
A Yakima native, Vega has also been the girls soccer coach for the Central Washington Sounders, a Puget Sound Premier League club team (2017-21.) Also, he was both a head coach and assistant coach with the Yakima United FC men's and women's programs for a total of eight seasons from 2014-21. He has extensive professional administrative experience in the soccer world and served as the director of operations for the Washington State Adult Soccer Association from 2015-22.
Vega lives in Yakima and holds a United States Soccer Federation "D" Coaching License and is completing coursework for his USSF "C" Coaching License.
London Wilson was named Yakima Valley College's head men's basketball coach on June 27, 2016 and is entering his eighth season as the program's helm. Prior to being named head coach, Wilson served 11 years in the roles of assistant coach and associate head coach for the Yaks, under current athletic director Ray Funk. Wilson led the Yaks to the 2021-22 NWAC Championship, the program's sixth title. He was an assistant coach for the 2008 NWAC crown. Wilson was named NWAC "Coach of the Year" for the 2021-22 season.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Assistant Coach
Laser grading of infield (2023), new signage (2018), complete construction of grandstand/bleachers, batting cages and bullpens (2016), new dugouts, scoreboard, signage, and renamed Parker Faller Field (2015)
Job Titles:
- Administration
- Title / Director of Athletics
On May 31, 2005, Ray Funk was officially named Director of Athletics at Yakima Valley College. He is just the fourth individual to serve the full-time role in over 75 years, following the tenures of Glen Sherar (1946-72), Bill Faller (1972-83), and Jerry Ward (1983-2004).
Under his leadership, YVC athletic programs have won seven championships, including four Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) titles-men's basketball (2022 and 2008), baseball (2016), and women's basketball (2011) and three National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) titles-women's wrestling (2009-11). The Yaks have made 34 appearances at NWAC Championship Tournaments, placing 18 times and have won nine East Region crowns. In addition, 14 student-athletes have earned NWAC Most Valuable Players or been named to their sport's All-American team while 302 student-athletes have received All-NWAC honors. Lastly, Funk's head coaching hires have earned "Coach of the Year" 10 times.
Academic success has also been a focus for they Yaks with Funk spearheading study table programs for student-athletes that have resulted in 127 sophomores being named to their respective sport's NWAC All-Academic team and well over 700 student-athletes being named to YVC's President's or Dean's List over the past decade. The department has been named "Program of the Year" several times by the Associated Students of YVC.
Since Funk's arrival, the overall budget of the YVC athletic department has increased by 99 percent. Specific attention to improving fundraising and department revenues has led to the building and strengthening of relationships amongst students, administration, and staff. Particular emphases have focused on raising additional funds for athletic scholarships, directly benefiting Yak student-athletes.
Robin Andrea was named Yakima Valley College's head women's basketball coach on July 16, 2021 and is entering his third season at the Yak helm. Under Andrea's direction, the program has seen improved it's win totals for two consecutive seasons. Last year, the Yaks saw a five-win improvement in region play and recruit Aliyah FInch made a clean sweep of the East Region award, being named MVP, Defensive POY, and Freshman of the Year.
"Being named Head Women's Basketball Coach at YVC is an incredible opportunity for which I am very grateful. I would like to thank President Linda Kaminski, Athletic Director Ray Funk, and the members of the search committee for selecting me to continue the winning tradition of YVC Women's Basketball," said Andrea. "I have many people to thank for helping me get to this point, including Jerod Gibson, Ryan Svenson, Craig Stanger and Mark Majerski for their friendship, guidance and support. 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."
Andrea has over 13 years of head and assistant coaching experience at the collegiate and high school levels. From 2018-21, Andrea was the lead assistant women's basketball coach at Linn-Benton Community College, an NWAC member school in Albany, OR. His primary duties included being the program's head recruiter, defensive coordinator, fundraiser, and post position coach. 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 in Monmouth, OR, where he assisted in both the women's and men's basketball programs. His duties at WOU included coordinating recruitment, travel arrangements, game scheduling, film exchange, as well as running basketball camps and clinics. Additionally, from 2012-15 Andrea was the head boys basketball coach at Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, OR.
Andrea has earned a Masters degree in Sport and Recreation Science from Ohio University and a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Western Oregon University. He lives in Yakima with his wife, Whitney and their sons, Robin III (6) and Logan (4).
Job Titles:
- Assistant / Pitching Coach
- Associate Head Coach
Ryan Isler begins his first season with the Yaks after being named Pitching Coach on July 5th, 2023.
His collegiate playing career began at Shoreline Community College (2017-2019) before transferring to the University of Antelope Valley (2020-2022). Despite facing the challenge of elbow surgery, he returned to lead his team in appearances, saves, and strikeouts per nine innings for a team that won 39 games and became California Pacific Conference Champions in 2022.
During his time at UAV, he earned his bachelor's degree in Sports Management before transferring to play at Louisiana State University Shreveport for his final season in 2023. Isler was a key part of their bullpen, leading the team in saves and earning 2nd Team All Red River Conference honors as a reliever. He was part of one of the best seasons in LSUS history, where the club won 47 games and spent most of the season ranked #2 in the country. During his time at LSUS, Isler earned his Master's degree in Data Analytics following the 2023 season.
Prior to joining the Yaks, Isler worked as a private instructor at VeloTech coaching pitching, catching, and hitting. Isler founded IceBreaker Performance in 2023, a remote training service for athletes looking to improve their power, throwing velocity, and on-field performance.