Elena DeNecochea

Bio

In 2025, Coach D joined the Diablo Valley College football staff as a volunteer coach, where she is learning under an experienced and supportive team. She aspires to grow into a dynamic and impactful football coach while serving as a valuable asset to the DVC program.

Prior to coaching at DVC, she served as the Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach for the Junior Varsity football team at El Camino Fundamental High School. Her coaching career began as Head Coach of the 14U El Camino Junior Eagles Football team. During her time coaching at El Camino, she earned her Master’s degree in Education from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in Cultural Studies of Sport in Education. At Berkeley, she conducted research on women coaching in male-dominated collegiate sports across California.

Before transitioning into coaching, Coach D competed on both the Varsity and Junior Varsity football teams at El Camino Fundamental High School from 2013 to 2016. A versatile athlete, she played on both sides of the ball as a Cornerback on Defense and a Wide Receiver on Offense, and was part of the 2015 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football Championships team.

In addition to her football career, Coach D has established herself as a strong advocate for higher education and student leadership. She served as Vice President of the Associated Student Body at American River College, California State Student Association Liaison at Sacramento State University, Chairperson of the Associated Student Senate at UC Davis, and Delegate of the Graduate Assembly at UC Berkeley. She authored and championed legislation through UCSA, CSSA, SSCCC, and the Los Rios Community College District, earning recognition as Greatest Advocate, Civic Champs, and Most Capitol Visits at Sacramento State.

Coach D graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from UC Davis. She is also a published writer, featured in the UC Davis Prized Writing 2019–2020 collection for her essay Boiling Oil, and has since self-published several poetry collections.

Today, Coach D brings her lived experiences, values, and philosophies from football into her coaching. She holds her players to high standards, challenges them to grow as student-athletes and as people, and inspires them to approach both the game and life with discipline, honor, and resilience.