Sports Desk: Shorecrest graduate named assistant coach at Pepperdine

Rachel Schrote
Photo courtesy UCLA Athletics

Rachel Schrote, 2011 Shorecrest graduate and Athlete of the year her senior year as a Scot, has been named an assistant basketball coach at Pepperdine University, a West Coast Conference school that overlooks the Pacific Ocean in Malibu.

During her senior year at Shorecrest, Rachel suffered a horrific knee injury during the fall soccer season which prevented her from playing basketball for the Scots. 

She’d been chosen captain of the team at the end of her junior year, and she lived up to the responsibility, never missing a practice or a game even though she was unable to play. She was the consummate teammate.

Pepperdine Head Coach Kristen Dowling made the announcement Thursday.

"We're very excited to add Rachel to our staff," said Dowling, who is heading into her third season in charge of the aptly-named Waves.

"Rachel's experience at the highest levels of the game with the WNBA and the Pac-12 has prepared her well to coach our young women. She is tremendously experienced in player development and video breakdown. She brings great knowledge and experience to our staff. Her ability to build relationships stood out and our young women will love working with her."

Schrote has been serving as the director of player development and assistant video coordinator with the UCLA women's basketball program since 2018, and as a video coordinator with the Los Angeles Sparks since 2019.

"I am so excited and honored for the opportunity to learn and work under Coach Dowling," Schrote said. 

"Her passion for people, the game and to develop is what drew me to her. I'm excited to learn, develop and serve under her mentorship and guidance and look forward to taking the program to new heights and being a part of something special."

Schrote was an operations, video and equipment intern with the Seattle Storm in 2018, a year in which they won the WNBA championship. She was a graduate assistant at Gonzaga in 2017-18 as the Bulldogs won the West Coast Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

She served as the junior varsity head coach and an assistant varsity coach at Shorecrest High School in 2016-17, and at Bellingham High School from 2014-16. Both schools posted winning seasons and reached the Washington state tournament.

Schrote graduated from Western Washington in 2016 with a degree in physical education and health, and she received a master's degree in intercollegiate athletic leadership and coaching from Washington in 2018.

--From the Sports Desk