Each year, the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Central Section selects an Athletic Director of the year. The Central Section currently has 132 schools, which consists of high schools from Mojave, to the Central Coast, and back up to Dos Palos. This is the largest geographical section of the 10 in California. I would like you to meet this year’s winner in Madera South Athletic Director Andrea Devine.

Andrea was born and raised here in Madera, where she attended Howard and John Adams elementary schools. She then moved on to Thomas Jefferson and Madera High School, where she was a Coyote graduate in 1986. While in high school, she was a four year varsity tennis and three year varsity volleyball player. During this time, she also played on Madera’s only high-level travel softball team, the Madera Blazers. Andrea has five children between the ages of 34 and 17, along with six grandchildren, all of whom are here in Madera, with the exception of two of her daughters, Danni and Maddie. She also has a boyfriend, Mike Reynolds, who lives in Texas. She sees him regularly and he has been a big support.

Andrea then went on to become a Fresno State Bulldog, where she graduated with her Liberal Studies degree. Once credentialed, she returned to teach in Madera Unified in 1993, and ironically she began her career at Howard Elementary and then moved after one year to John Adams; both the schools she had attended as a student. Andrea remained at John Adams, where she taught all grades from 2nd – 6th, as well as coached almost all the sports offered at the school site. She remained at John Adams until 2014, when she became the Athletic Director at Madera South High School.

Andrea’s coaching career was spent primarily in volleyball, where she began coaching both boys and girls at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. She spent one year as the Junior Varsity coach at Madera High, and later became the head girls volleyball coach at Madera South High School in 2007. In 2010, she won the first girls’ Central Section title in any sport in school history! One of the most remarkable comebacks to win the Division III championship. 

She then stopped coaching to become the Elementary MULES (Madera Unified League of Elementary Schools) coordinator for the district, while teaching at Adams, in preparation to someday get an opportunity to become an Athletic Director. In 2014, when the Madera South Athletic Director position was open, Andrea was fortunate enough to be hired by then Principal Todd Lile, and since that day has looked forward to coming to work with renewed vigor!

I asked Andrea why she has such a passion for being an athletic director:

• She loves seeing her students in competition knowing how hard they have worked to display their talents and what they have learned in front of crowds!
• She loves when student athletes come into her office needing a plan for success, whether that is academically, personally or athletically. Creating that plan with the student athlete then watching them execute it and succeed!
• She has a family at Madera South: the coaches, the administration, main­­te­nance, custodial, grounds, security, ticket takers and the relationships she has built with each and every one of them. She values them so much.

When it comes to future goals and aspirations, Andrea says she loves being an Athletic Director and will finish her career as one. She would like to try and start a women’s aspiring athletic directors network, designed to get more women involved in this profession! Andrea Devine is the perfect person to start this network. As the Director of Athletics, I am blessed to work with the best and no one deserves this award more than Andrea Devine! Super proud of you.