Maranatha Christian Academy

Drew Rongere has spent the last 24 years coaching volleyball at the collegiate, high school, and club levels. He will return for his third season at Maranatha Christian Academy in 2025, leading the Mustangs Volleyball program. 

In his two seasons as head coach for the Mustangs, Rongere led them to the most regular season wins in school history in back-to-back years, with 18 wins in 2023 and 19 wins in 2024. 

He had his most successful season as a club coach during the 2023 season as he led MN Select 16-1 to a 3rd place finish at the AAU National Championships in the 16-open division and had two of his players, Elena Hoecke and Hayden Reeder, named All-Americans. He has been coaching at MN Select Volleyball Club since 2005, with a short stint there running his own club. 

From 2009-2013, he coached and held the position of Director of Operations for Wicked Moose Volleyball Club. From 2010-11, he served as Head Coach at Chisago Lakes High School. Before Chisago Lakes, he coached for one season at Totino-Grace High School, where he took the Eagles from 6th place in the North Suburban Conference the previous year to a 2nd place finish with a conference record of 9-1.

From 2005 to 2009, Drew served as the Head Coach at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. While at the helm, he led the Golden Rams to three consecutive trips to the MCAC Tournament and consecutive NJCAA DIII top-ten national rankings. Drew was named 2008 MCAC Coach of the Year as he led six players to a 3rd place finish in the MCAC Southern Division and a trip to the MCAC Tournament. As the 2006 MCAC Coach of the Year, he led the Golden Rams to their best finish in 18 seasons. During his four years at Anoka-Ramsey, he coached (2) NJCAA All-Americans, (3) All-Region XIII players, (5) All-MCAC players, (7) All-MCAC Southern Division performers, and (5) All-MCAC Tournament selectees.

Prior to taking over at Anoka-Ramsey, Drew served as an Assistant Coach for the Texas State University Women’s Volleyball team during their 2003 and 2004 Southland Conference Championship seasons.

Drew began his coaching career at Clarksville High School in Clarksville, Texas, where he coached eight Red River Valley All-Conference players and compiled a record of (51-13) over two seasons.

His playing experience includes three years on the North Dakota State University Men’s Club team and one year on the Texas State University Men’s Club team.

He has an M.Ed. in Sports Management from Texas State University and is the current Athletic Director and Head Volleyball Coach at Maranatha Christian Academy.

Drew lives in Otsego, MN, with his wife, Lisa. They have two boys, Riley (22) and Cody (18).

COACHING PHILOSOPHY

I am a straightforward coach with high expectations for every athlete in this program. I believe in the importance of making sure that athletes are having fun. If we don’t have fun, we lose our passion for what we love to do. I believe that through hard work and determination, every athlete can be successful. I appreciate being given the opportunity to get to know each athlete and what motivates them. I do not play favorites. I show equal toughness and love to everyone. I believe in the importance of teaching mental toughness and competing for what you want on the court and in life. 

I help athletes to understand their role and teach them to do the best they can with the current role they’ve been given, and if they don’t like that role, work harder during practice and don’t make excuses. I believe that players must be encouraged to strive to play at a higher level and not be afraid to make mistakes. I believe in giving regular positive reinforcement so players understand what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve their skills and decisions. I believe players also learn by using their brains to determine what changes they need to make instead of always being told what to do. Displaying good sportsmanship, being respectful, and caring as much about your teammates’ success as you do your own success are important life lessons.

Focusing on spiritual development will bring us closer to God, build unity, and give us the confidence to overcome adversity. I believe that setting specific and attainable goals will help everyone who is a part of our program stay focused, support each other, and eventually have that amazing feeling you have when those goals are achieved.