More Than a Coach: The Man MCA Knows and Loves

Walk into the Athletics office or gym during gametime at Maranatha Christian Academy, and you’ll probably spot Drew Rongere—steady, focused, yet always ready with a laugh. But beyond the gym, Drew’s story runs deeper. It’s one shaped by family, faith, and the kind of steadiness that comes from learning to move forward through change.

“I’ve lived in, like, thirty different houses,” Drew began. “Moved a lot—Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia, Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas… back here to Minnesota. I’ve been back in Minnesota since 2005. Minnesota wins—for now,” he laughed. Drew doesn’t see Minnesota as his final destination. “I want to get a house somewhere in Florida. [...] I’d live on a beach.” When he gets there, Drew intends to take things easy. “I wanna [...] work at a little beach restaurant,” he smiled. “That would be great.”

One thing you may not know about Drew is that he’s an idea guy who’s always thinking up ways to make life easier and more enjoyable. He kicks himself for not bringing one of those ideas to fruition before AI could now do most of what he envisioned the app to do: “I wanted to create an app to find all of the appetizer food deals,” he said. “Because I’m always Googling, like, where’s a happy hour near me? And you can’t find anything. You gotta go to every individual restaurant.” Other than appetizer food deals, Drew also wants to make an easy-to-use app that can help someone find live music in their area. “I love going to see live music. Live bands anywhere.”

Although Drew loves dreaming up new ideas, there is one thing that’s more important to him than the chance of striking gold with the next big idea: people. One person in particular, his dad, left an especially strong mark on his life that’s still shaping who he is today. “My only role model was my dad,” Drew began, reflecting on his childhood. “I did not have a lot of role models.” That’s part of what pushed Drew into coaching so that he could be a role model to those who might not have one.

Growing up under the guidance of his father meant the world to Drew, and one of the most difficult points in his life came when his father, five years ago now, passed away. “He was the one that I’d call up late at night. [...] If I ever needed advice on something.” Being a Marine, Drew’s dad also taught him the importance of respect, discipline, and hard work. Drew’s dad, though no longer here on Earth, is still influencing the way he lives as he looks down from heaven with a smile. “Every volleyball match, every time I ever coach, during the national anthem,” Drew paused, “I talk to my dad. I say, ‘I want to make my coaches who got me started proud and make my dad proud. Every single time I coach.’”

Drew’s faith plays a big role in who he is and everything he does, and he expressed just how grateful he is to work at a place like MCA where he can openly talk about God. “This place is awesome, that you get to do devotions and pray and do stuff that I hadn’t been able to do for so long in the athletics world. It’s really helped me to develop spiritually as well.”

Not only has MCA been a place where Drew can freely express his faith, but it’s also been a place where he finds deep fulfillment in training up the next generation of student athletes. “I’m real with everything. I’m straightforward, honest, and open.” That kind of honesty is what people love most about Drew, alongside his willingness to be real, not just through his words, but also his actions as well.

Although most of the MCA community knows Drew as a gifted athletic director, what they may not know is that he also has a real passion for dancing, especially with the love of his life. “I came back from Texas for a friend’s wedding,” he began, reflecting on the first time he met his now wife. “I saw her, and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna marry that young girl one day.’ [...] “Got matched up with her in some line dance training or something. Showed off my dance skills—she fell in love,” he laughed. “I got her phone number, called her up and told her I needed a date for the next wedding. So she was my date a month later.” By Christmas, they were inseparable. “We hung out every day. Then we got engaged in May.”

And the dancing never stopped for Drew and his wife. “My wife and I go out dancing all the time,” he smiled. “I can dance a little hip hop, do a little… I can do everything. I prefer two-step.[...] I would’ve been like Justin Timberlake if I could sing.”

That’s Drew Rongere—part coach, part dreamer, and perhaps the best two-stepper in the building. He’s lived in lots of places, experienced exhilarating ups and heavy downs, coached thousands of students, and wakes up every day grateful for the chance to keep doing what he feels called to do.

The next time you see Drew in the hall, make sure to thank him for all of his hard work and for the passion that he daily pours into our community as he works to make not just MCA, but the world, the best it can be.