A fixture on the Big Red sideline for nearly two decades, Val Klopfer has been named Associate Head Coach of the Cornell women’s basketball team. Klopfer has worked with all aspects of the program since arriving on East Hill in 2003, serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator and helping Cornell develop some of the best guards in program history.
A former starting guard at Wake Forest, Klopfer has been an integral part of the Big Red’s success over the years, helping her teams set school records for wins, non-conference wins, and conference wins in a single season. In 2007-08, she helped Cornell capture its only Ivy League championship and earn its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
With Klopfer on the sidelines, the Big Red has earned five top-four Ivy League finishes, surpassing the number of top-half finishes achieved by Cornell in the 20 years prior to her arrival. In 2018-19, Klopfer guided Cornell to one of its most impressive performances to date as the team. Chosen to finish eighth in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll, the Big Red placed fourth in the conference to advance to the Ivy Tournament.
From the 2012-13 season to the 2016-17 season, Cornell embarked on a five-year span in which it posted a winning non-conference record, the longest streak in program history. To date, the Big Red has recorded a winning non-conference slate in seven of the past nine seasons.
Working primarily with the guard core during her tenure, Klopfer’s mentees own five of the top 10 spots in Cornell’s all-time career assist list. Under her watch, five former Big Red guards rank among the top 10 for career 3-point field goal percentage, while 10 sit within the top 15 for career 3-pointers made. She took over working with the frontcourt in 2019 and assisted in the development of All-Ivy posts Laura Bagwell-Katalinich and Theresa Grace Mbanefo.
