CSUSB Director of Athletics Shawn Farrell has announced Casandra Renno as the next head coach of the women’s basketball program.
Renno has spent the last two seasons as the head assistant at NCAA Division I Cal State Fullerton, where this past season the team had its best record in the Big West Conference in a decade. She is experienced in the CCAA as well, working as an assistant coach at Cal State LA from 2015-17, leading the Golden Eagles to their first winning season in four years.
“We are thrilled to have Casandra join the Pack. She has been a part of multiple women’s basketball programs that have built strong foundations to compete annually for championships,” declared AD Farrell. He added, “She does it by recruiting quality young women who excel on the court and in the classroom. Being from the area she understands CSUSB and we are tremendously excited to support Casandra in building a championship women’s basketball program.”
Her expertise lies in her ability to recruit, develop student-athletes, and create a strong and dynamic team culture. Along with extensive on court coaching responsibilities, she coordinated all the recruiting at CSUF and while at CSULA spearheaded the team’s recruiting efforts, oversaw team academics, facilitated community service, developed a life skills program, managed all camps and clinic, and handled all team logistics.
Renno is appreciative of this opportunity, “I would like to thank Vice President of Student Affairs Harry Le Grande, Director of Athletics Shawn Farrell, Sr. Associate Athletics Director Chelsea Herman and members of the search committee for giving me this opportunity as the next Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Cal State San Bernardino.” She went on to offer, “I am humbled and honored to be coming home to the Inland Empire and am excited for the next chapter in my coaching career. There is a lot of tradition and pride with women’s basketball here and I’m looking forward to getting us back to that elite level and building a championship program that the university and community will be proud of.”
She came to Cal State L.A. from the University of La Verne, where she spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to her stint at La Verne, Renno formed the OC Elite Southwest AAU Girls Basketball Club in the fall of 2012 in Niceville, FL, serving as a youth and high school club coach. In 2012, Renno also served as the Niceville High School program as assistant varsity and head junior varsity coach.
A four-year standout point guard at UC Riverside, Renno, graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies with a major in English and minor in education. She left the Highlander program as its all-time leader in assists and three-pointers, earning First Team All-Big West Conference honors in 2003 and 2004, All-Freshman First Team honors in 2002 and Big West honorable mention accolades in 2005.
Prior to her time in Florida, she was a high school coach in Texas and worked as a graduate assistant at Missouri Valley College from 2008-10, earning her master’s in education administration. She began her coaching career as an assistant for La Sierra University in the 2005-06 season and was the girls’ junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Hanau High School in Germany in 2006-07.
Renno attended Apple Valley High School in the high desert, where she was a three-time All-Mojave River League Most Valuable Player. She also earned All-CIF Division I Second Team honors as a junior and All-CIF First Team honors as a senior.
Renno has been married to her husband, Marc Renno, a U.S. Army E.O.D. Tech, for 11 years. She becomes the ninth head coach in program history.
