The College of the Desert (COD) women's basketball team recently hired Cortney Booker to coach the Roadrunners, tapping into his record of success both on and off the court.
"I am looking forward to being on the sideline coaching, and I am excited to see these student athletes compete, learn, get better and win," Booker said in an interview with CODAthletics.com earlier this month. "I want to establish a better relationship with all of the high school coaches, players and personnel in the area, providing those coaches and future Roadrunners more access to our beautiful campus and facilities."
Booker's goals are many, from opening the College of the Desert (COD) gym to high school camps and leagues to competing at the highest level, but despite the hard work and dedication required of student athletes, he gives parents the assurance that "I am a coach who cares about the well-being of each player."
A native of Long Beach, Calif., Booker graduated from Robert A. Millikan Senior High School in 1996, where he was an all-league basketball player, the COD website said. He played three years for the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros, finishing in the top 10 in rebounding his senior year.
After his college success, Booker proved to be a prolific coach, the website said. He led an AAU team and served as the head coach at several high schools in Long Beach and Los Angeles, where he won multiple league championships. Booker coached All-League, All-Conference and All-City players, helping several of those players receive scholarships at four-year colleges/universities.
Booker also brings to COD his experience as the lead assistant with the Los Angeles Harbor College Seahawks of Wilmington and head coach of the Los Angeles Southwest College Cougars of West Adams.
"I am optimistic I can turn those fortunes around with my vision of what women's basketball will look like moving forward, and I want to build a program that wins for everyone on and off the court," he said. "The Roadrunners will get better one day at a time, one game at a time."
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