Bio

Respected throughout the industry for his basketball acumen and experience working with women’s basketball players from the WNBA, USA Basketball, international and collegiate levels since 2006 is Cal Maritime’s new head women’s basketball coach, as announced by Director of Athletics Karen Lee Yoder on June 22, 2023.

"I want to thank Karen Lee Yoder, Monica Heuer and the hiring committee for this incredible opportunity, their support and belief in me," said Amen-Ra. "I am both honored and blessed to become the head women's basketball coach at Cal Maritime."

Amen-Ra added, "I would also like to thank Coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery at Cal State Monterey Bay for her friendship and confidence in me over the last seven years. Her ability to see in me what has always been within me prepared me for this moment. Words cannot express how grateful I am."

The 2025-26 campaign is Amen-Ra's third at the helm of the women's basketball program, and one where the program enjoyed a slew of achievements and notable program accomplishments.

In addition to winning 13 of their games, the second-highest total in program history, the Keelhaulers advanced to the semifinal round of the California Pacific Conference Women's Basketball Championship — the first postseason appearance since February, 2016.

Cal Maritime set a new all-time program record when California Pacific Conference Commissioner Don Ott announced the league's end-of-season honor roll at the Women's Basketball Championship Awards Banquet. Once unveiled, the program earned seven awards, a total that matches the last three seasons combined.

Senior guard Aysia Santos and senior forward Tamana Sharifi earned All-Cal Pac First Team distinction, senior forward Suraya Lloyd and senior guard Newton earned two of the five spots on the league's Second Team, Jessica Huffhines and Alanis Sulivan earned Honorable Mention with the latter also named to the All-Defensive Team.

Building off his first two years on campus, the program accomplished a record level of financial support, community invovlment and sponsors throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

Within his first two years in Vallejo, the women's basketball program enjoyed an unprecedented and undeniable transformation into a Cal Pac postseason contender. 

The 2024-25 season ended with a single-season program-record five women's basketball student-athletes earning All-California Pacific Conference distinction: First Team honors for senior forward Dylan Fulton, Second Team recognition for junior forward Santos and Honorable Mention for Addison Alsbury, Lloyd and Emily Newton

That list of award recipients exceeds the number of All-Cal Pac awards received the last five seasons combined.

Amen-Ra joined the Keelhaulers after spending the 2022-23 season as the Otters' top assistant women’s basketball coach.

"I am excited to welcome Coach Amen-Ra to Cal Maritime because of his passion for helping student-athletes reach their academic and athletic potential. The time and energy he invests towards player development and recruiting are key reasons why I feel he is a perfect fit for this program," said Yoder.

In addition to organizing the program’s academic success, recruitment, and player development programs, he helped organize and manage its budget, team travel, fundraising initiatives, and community service projects.

After starting his college coaching career in 2009 at Bethany University, his alma mater, Amen-Ra developed numerous all-conference and NAIA All-Americans as a member of the coaching staffs at Pacific Union, Jessup (formerly known as William Jessup), and Cal State Monterey Bay.

His ability to strengthen players’ skill set to an All-Cal Pac level, throughout his tenure at PUC, is why Jessup was eager to add the Sacramento, California native to its staff.

The Warriors shined under his tutelage by advancing to the Golden State Athletic Conference’s postseason tournament every season. In addition to winning a league title in 2021, Jessup advanced to the NAIA’s National Championship Tournament in two of his four seasons in Rocklin (2019 and ’21).

"I could not be more excited and optimistic about the future of Cal Maritime women’s basketball, it is a great honor and privilege to lead this program,” said Amen-Ra. "This is a special place with great young women in our program, I am looking forward to working with our team to build a strong foundation and establish ourselves on a national scale."

Athletes at the international, professional, and collegiate thrived at their respective levels, thanks to Coach Tet Training — a multifaceted player development program designed to maximize position-specific and individual skills. In addition to student-athletes at all levels, Coach Tet worked with the Sacramento Monarchs and helped prepare USA Basketball’s junior national players.