Lanette Hooper begins her second season in her second stint as Yakima Valley College's head women's basketball coach after being named to the role on August 13, 2024. She is both the 12th and the 6th head coach in program history.
Taking over the program late in the cycle, Hooper (formerly Crosier) still manged to guide the Yaks to 8 wins despite the challenges of recruiting and assembling a team in short order. Having successfully led the program from 1995-98, expectations are high that she can return the program to winning ways. During her first stint as head coach, Hooper's YVC teams won the NWAC East Region championship in 1996 and qualified for the NWAC Championship tournament. For her efforts, she was named the region's "Coach of the Year" in 1996 for both the East Region and the entire NWAC.
No stranger to the YVC women's basketball program, Hooper was a standout point guard for the college from 1988-90, helping lead YVC to a 34-1 record in 1989-90 and winning the program's first NWAC Championship. During this time she played for her father, Hall of Fame coach Ellwood Crosier, whom the court in Sherar Gymnasium is named after. "YVC has been such a special place for me as a player and coach,” said Hooper, “it’s an honor to be given the opportunity to coach here again!”
After earning her associate degree from YVC, Hooper went on to play women’s basketball at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks for two seasons and earned her bachelor’s degree in history and elementary education. In addition to her YVC coaching duties, Hooper serves as a substitute teacher and middle school volleyball coach for East Valley School District. She lives in Yakima with her husband, Craig, and has three grown children-- sons Kaden (25), Joren (23), and Teegan (21).
