Robin Hester returns for his eighth season as an assistant coach for the Ventura College Pirates. In his first seven years at VC, the Pirates have a record of 193-41 with seven Western State Conference titles. They have advanced to the state elite eight three times (2002, 2003, 2008), winning the state championship in 2002. The Pirates have been honored in the WBCA Academic Honor Roll following each of the past five seasons and in 2002 they were named the COA State Scholar Team. Coach Hester brings 17 years and over 500 games of coaching experience to the Pirates’ bench.

     A native of Independence, KS, Coach Hester played basketball two seasons at Coe College, an NCAA Division III school in Cedar Rapids, IA. He began his coaching experience in 1989, working numerous boys and girls summer basketball camps, starting at the Heart of America Basketball Camp in Salina, KS. He moved to the coaching ranks permanently at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, serving as an assistant boy’s coach in 1992 and 1993.

     Coach Hester spent the 1994 season in upstate New York as the graduate assistant for the men’s team at Ithaca College. He helped the Bombers to a 21-6 record and a conference title.

     Moving to California for the 1995 season, Coach Hester spent four seasons assisting the men’s (‘95) and women’s (‘96-’98) programs at Victor Valley College in Victorville. He helped the Rams men's team to a 20-11 record in 1995 and to their first playoff berth in 16 years.  Over the next three years he helped lead the Rams women’s team to a combined 63-30 record, including the a conference title in 1997. Over that time VVC qualified for the state playoffs each year, twice advancing to the Sweet 16, losing the 1996 Regional Final in Ventura to the Pirates.

     Coach Hester moved to the University of Minnesota in 1999 where he was the Coordinator of Basketball Operations for the Golden Gophers before returning to VVC in 2000 as the co-head coach for the women’s team. He also served as the interim head coach for VVC’s men in 2001.

     Hester has also been active coaching with the Ventura Galaxy girls high school AAU team in Ventura from 2002 through 2007.

     Coach Hester is a member of the CCCWBCA state executive committee and also has served as the national JC/CC representative on the WBCA Assistant Coaches Committee. He spoke at the 2004 WBCA National Convention in Indianapolis.

     Hester and his wife, Fabiana, were married in 2007 and reside in Ventura.