BELLEVUE WOLVERINES GIRLS BASKETBALL
COACHING STAFF
ROMELL WITHERSPOON
Varsity Head Coach
Having grown up in the heart of Seattle, Coach Witherspoon is a proud product of Rainier Beach High School. It was at ‘The Beach’ where Romell was a 2x State Champion in basketball, 1st Team All Metro in football and the ASB President outside of sports. He returned to Rainier Beach HS years later and served as an assistant coach for the boys basketball program which went to the 2022 3A state championships. Romell is familiar with being in a leadership role and brings the culture of championship habits to Bellevue.
Romell attended the Savannah College of Art and Design on a full basketball scholarship and received his BFA in Media Performing Arts. He pursued his acting dreams in New York City and then moved to Los Angeles in 2017. An offer from the LA Lakers put him in a new role as team chaplain, developing player engagement and providing inspirational leadership for the franchise. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity also led to him being a part of history, earning a world championship ring with the team!
Despite some major wins, nothing compares to the love for his family. Romell is confident that the majority of his accomplishments are because of his wife, Tiana Witherspoon, who just refuses to let him fail. He calls her the real ‘MVP’ of his life. Tiana and Romell have four children, Brandon, Mariah, Brayden, and Romell. Before being a coach or an inspirational speaker, he is a proud father and ever learning husband. His greatest success will be to ensure his children are equipped to adjust and adapt in an unpredictable world and for them to leave their mark in the world by changing the lives of those they encounter.
RODNEY DELGARDO
Assistant Varsity Head Coach
Coach Rodney Delgardo is in his second season with the Bellevue Wolverines girls program. He comes with 10 years of coaching experience, ranging from elementary to high school.
Rodney has coached at his alma mater, Rainier Beach High School, as the JV assistant, and was also the Mercer Island girls basketball fifth-grade head coach. He is currently the head coach for Fuego boys fifth-grade AAU basketball. He is also a trainer and player development coach on all levels.
Rodney was born and raised in Seattle. He graduated from Rainier Beach High School where he played basketball for the Vikings. After high school, he played two years at Spokane Community College and then earned a scholarship to play two more years at the College of Idaho. His primary focus now is giving back to the youth and serving his community. Basketball has always been a privilege to play, as well as to coach. Rodney feels he's had his time. His focus now is teaching life lessons of the game of basketball. He believes that if you can reach the person through genuine love of the sport, then coaching the player becomes easy, even under pressure.
ROD JENKINS
Junior Varsity Head Coach
Coach Rod Jenkins enters his second season with the Wolverines as the Head JV girls coach and assistant Varsity coach. He comes with 15 years of coaching experience from middle school to high school. Prior to Bellevue, Coach Rod served four seasons as the Varsity boys head coach at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, Washington. During his four year span, he led Eastside Prep to a 23-16 record and the first Divisional Championship in school history.
Coach Rod was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Inglewood High School. He played four years of Varsity Basketball and was a huge part of the team’s success in being state contenders all four seasons. After high school he attended Sacramento State but would finish his last two years at The Evergreen State College, making the national tournament his junior year. Coach Rod graduated with his BA in Criminal Justice and has a master’s degree in Business Management and Human Resources.
Coach Rod is excited to share his coaching and playing experiences, along with his passion for the game, to help each student athlete maximize their potential. In the off-season, he coaches youth basketball and enjoys spending time with his family and watching his daughter play AAU ball.
MICAH MITCHELL
Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach Micah Mitchell joins the Wolverines for his first season with the girls program. Coach Micah brings 8+ years of coaching experience (five of those in the greater Bellevue area), working with kids ranging from 2nd grade through high school. He is currently with LocalHoops, a local AAU and Training Academy, as the Assistant Director for the girls program and Lead Training Facilitator. Coach also runs LocalHoop’s in-house Lion’s League.
Micah grew up just north of Seattle in Shoreline, WA. He attended Shorewood High School, where he was a 4-year varsity starter and captain, and received all league honors his sophomore, junior and senior years. He went on to play at North Seattle College before his collegiate playing career was cut short due to injury. He currently plays local semi-pro basketball and participates in the Jamal Crawford Pro-Am in the summer.
Coach Micah is excited to bring his knowledge for the game to the Wolverines and help build this program to the premier program in Bellevue!
Coach Puariea grew up in Clyde Hill, WA, and is a Bellevue High School graduate. From the age of five to present day, Benjamin has participated in Boys and Girls clubs and King County Recreation Sports Leagues. He coached the 2018 Bellevue High School Girls Badminton Kingco League Champions.
Benjamin graduated from Seattle University with a Communications Studies degree and works in the Bellevue High School Special Education Department.
BENJAMIN PUARIEA
Assistant