Most people know her today for her long tenure as Taft College athletic director and as a vital voice in California Community College athletics, but 2021 marks the end of a 33-year run as Cougars women's volleyball head coach for the legendary Kanoe Bandy. She will continue her regular duties as Taft AD.
Bandy retired from her coaching duties after working through both administrative and health/safety hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Taft participate in an abbreviated, pushed back 2020 season. Taft played 12 matches with five other colleges as part of the Central Cali Bubble, a group that played the only competition in community college indoor women's volleyball since the 2019 season. All the more remarkable was the feat because so many colleges entire athletic programs remained shut down while Taft bravely returned in applying health protocols to play indoors with Sequoias, Antelope Valley, Bakersfield, Cerro Coso, and Cuesta.
The current CCCAA Management Council chairperson and a member of the CCCAA Board of Directors, Bandy coached her final victory, a sweep over Cerro Coso on March 26 that gave her 567 career wins. A coaching career that started in 1987, and included a two-year period in which Taft volleyball went dormant (1994-1995), had its ups and downs but was a passion for Bandy. She persevered as a head coach even during the world health crisis.
Kanoe was named the Central Valley Conference Coach of the Year seven times and NorCal Regional Coach of the Year for three consecutive years in 2003-2005. In 2005, Bandy was honored as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northern Regional Coach of the Year and was also celebrated at the awards banquet of the AVCA Convention in Kansas City in 2010 for her then 400th AVCA win. In 2015, the CCCAA gave her a Coaching Achievement Award.
"This was not an easy decision," Bandy said of retiring from coaching. "The last 25 of my coaching years have been while I was serving as the athletic director as well. It 's been some of the busiest and yet rewarding times I could have ever experienced."
Bandy is proud of her 2001 and 2017 teams who won the CCCAA State Scholar Team Awards. The 2017 team had a overall grade point average of 3.43.
Her best years in coaching occurred during a tragic time in her life when her sister and then assistant coach Keali'i Pearl was diagnosed with cancer. Her sister passed away from the disease in October, 2005. Driven by Keali'i's love and competitive drive for the sport, Bandy was inspired to coach the Cougars to three consecutive CVC championships in 2003-2005. In 2004, Taft had its best season ever in volleyball when the program finished 23-3 and placed fourth at the state tournament.
"My most memorable seasons were in 2004 and 2005 when my sister was battling bone cancer," Bandy said. "I learned the resilience and strength of our young people. The team captains took charge and pushed through to two our program's best seasons. I have loved every team I've coached. They were all unique in their own way and I was challenged each time to find ways to reach them. As I reflect on my time coaching, I can say that I learned more from these young people than they could have ever learned from me. It has been a pleasure."
In 2019, Bandy accepted the Under Armour National Athletic Director of the Year Award at the NACDA's 54th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla. Bandy was a long-time treasurer for the the state's volleyball coaches association (CCCWVCA) and is a continuing treasurer for the state's AD association.
By Robert Lewis, California Community College Women's Volleyball Coaches Association