Bio

Coach Mark Landefeld assumed direction of the De Anza Women’s Badminton program in 2009 after the program had undergone a six-year hiatus. 

He came to the program with several decades experience in intercollegiate soccer programs at the college level: head men’s coach at Cabrillo (1999-2005) and Evergreen Valley Colleges (2005-2007), Assistant Coach in the 90s at De Anza, CSUH and Stanford. For four years he performed double-duty directing both the De Anza men’s soccer program as well as the women’s badminton team.

He was able to rebuild the previously successful women’s program in about a year. Since 2010, De Anza has never finished lower than second in the Coast Conference and the program boasted conference championships in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. Women’s badminton became De Anza’s program of the 2010s, earning State Championships in 2013 and 2014 as well as a runner-up finish in 2015.

Landefeld has also built the fundraising arm of the program, the De Anza Youth Badminton Clinics. This program provides engagement with local schoolchildren to enjoy the benefits of the sport, while also creating mentoring opportunities for student-athletes and funding for the coaching staff and Southern California road trips for the team.

His decades of soccer experience include terms with the Olympic Development Program of Cal North as both a coach and later Technical Director. His fundraising experience includes a span as Interim Membership Director of public radio station KUSP in Santa Cruz. He also has event management experience with local triathlons, fun runs, the San Jose Earthquakes matches and the Silicon Valley Football Classic.

Landefeldearned his M.A. Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport Management, after earning a B.S. in Marketing - both from San José State University.

He also currently serves as Academy Director for the South San Jose Youth Soccer League.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, he assisted the DA Athletics Department as the temporary Academic Advisor. He is also the instructor of record for DA's popular PE-99 class (Orientation to Athletics).

Landefeld and his wife Sandra live in Mountain View.