By Bill Sheehan

John Bonner has been around basketball for decades – as a player, team manager, assistant coach and head coach. For him, nothing is more important than the bond of understanding between a coach and an athlete, "Relationships are the foundation of success. That's what I have learned," said Bonner, who was hired in May as the new Cal State Fullerton women's basketball head coach. "I'm big on developing the whole person, meeting their emotional needs, cognitive needs, spiritual needs. And of course, developing them athletically.

"If I invest in our players first and demonstrate enough care for them to understand who they are as a person is more of a value than how they may be beneficial as an athlete or help my record, I've found there is an increase in success. We are going to be all about relationships, character development and taking care in the classroom and on the basketball court."

Last season, Bonner led the Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball team to a 36-2 overall record and a Central California Athletic Association title. The team reached the NCAA Division 2 Championship game, losing to Grand Valley State of Allendale, Mich.

In nine seasons at Cal StateDominguez Hills, Bonner guided his teams to five postseason appearances in the CCAA Tournament and two trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament.


John Bonner coaches Cal State Dominguez Hills in a game three seasons ago. He led the school to a 36-2 overall record and a CCAA title last season.

It's not surprising that Bonner puts such a high value on building relationships. The Bakersfield native holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in marriage, family and child counseling. He earned both degrees at Fresno State.

"Chemistry and relationships have helped me as a coach. When I first got to Dominguez Hills, our field-goal and free-throw percentages weren't great. We did defend and rebound very well, and those things come down to chemistry. We started 8-0. I became arrogant and cocky, and soon I was outcoached. I had to learn how to handle the locker room the right way. I did that by investing time with the players."

When things shut down during the pandemic, I spent a lot of time reflecting and focusing on things I could improve on," said Bonner, who was born and raised in Bakersfield.

The Titans who finished 7-23 overall and 5-15 in Big West last season, will have a new look when fall practice begins Tuesday. Only three players are returning, with the other 10 spots being filled with transfers and freshmen. Fullerton's home opener is against Pepperdine on Nov. 4.

On the basketball court, Bonner puts a premium on playing strong defense and up-tempo offense. "It starts with defense and rebounding, especially offensive rebounds. The ability to defend and press and make people play fast is critical," he said. "Offensively, we like to score lots of points. I'll give them the canvas, and they get to paint within the lines."

Fullerton hasn't had a winning conference record in 18 years, something that Bonner hopes to change as quickly as possible. "Year one is a unique situation, with my relatively late start and all the changes. I would hope, in a perfect world, we'll make a vast improvement in our overall record. I'm not a person who likes to wallow in losing. I can't give you an exact timeframe, but I'm hoping as quickly as possible."

Jim Donovan, Fullerton's director of athletics, likes what he has seen so far. "Throughout the search process, John came across as a thoughtful, focused and very successful leader. In his first few months on board, he continued to build our women's basketball program that same way," he said.  "I'm very impressed with the quality and quantity of recruits John has signed in just a few months. And I really like the experienced staff he's brought on board."

David Elliott, Brittany Aikens, Morgan Greene and Katelyn Greene have joined Bonner on the Titans' coaching staff.

Elliott, who was named associate head coach, served as an assistant coach at Cal State Long Angeles the past six years. His other collegiate coaching stops include Cornell, Denver and Columbia. Elliott will guide fund-raising, working with alumni donors and Name, Image and Likeness efforts. And he will help with recruiting. "David is one of the hardest working coaches I have been around. He has a positive approach and inspires players to play beyond their level," said Bonner

Aikens was an assistant coach for the Titans from 2022-2024 before spending one season at Army. At West Point, she helped lead the Army women to a 25-win season. She will serve as recruiting coordinator and focus on defense, guard development and scouting. "I love Brittany's energy. She has a way of connecting with everyone around her," said Bonner. "She has worked coast to coast and has good Division 1 experience."

Greene comes from Cal State San Bernardino, where she worked under former Fullerton assistant coach Cassandra Renno for three years. The team improved each of those years, finishing 16-12 last season. "One of Morgan's strengths is player development, with her ability to take players to the next level. She brings some diverse and fluid thinking to our program, and will help with recruiting," said Bonner.

Cole was named the director of operations and will also serve an assistant coach. She served as an assistant coach under Bonner at Dominguez Hills and played for him there. During her three years on the Dominguez Hills staff, the team won two CCAA regular-season titles and one CCAA Tournament championship. "Katelyn has super-high energy and gives me different perspectives about how to win. In fact, she can run any aspect of the program, though her main roles are offensive concepts and film work," said Bonner.

The three returning Fullerton players are all guards – 5-foot-4 Jana Falsdottir, 5-foot-7 Maddy Tauro and 5-foot-9 Madelynn Muniz. "They were excited about the new brand of basketball during our summer session," said Bonner.

Two players Fullerton has signed this season come from Dominguez Hills. Cristina Jones, a 5-foot-10 guard-forward, and Kya Pearson, a 5-foot-9 guard, both played for Bonner last season.

Other featured signees include Nyemah King, a 5-foot-11 guard-forward from Long Beach who played at Lakewood High School, Talia Maxwell, a 6-foot-1 guard-forward from Stanislaus State, Lilliana Petersen, a 6-foot-1 forward from Cloud County Community College in Omaha, Neb., and Basak Orhan, a 6-foot guard-forward from Ankara, Turkey.

"I'm excited to coach them. I like challenges and putting puzzle pieces together, and this provides that type of opportunity," said Bonner. "My goal is to bring them together, cultivate their roles and get them to play as a team."


John Bonner, far right, and his Dominguez Hills team visit a tourist site during a road trip to Hawaii last season

It didn't take long to feel comfortable in his new environs, Bonner said. "The Cal State Fullerton community has been great to me. People have been very welcoming. A big part of the reason I wanted to come here was the leadership, especially President Ronald Rochon and Athletic Director Jim Donovan. Our visions were aligning on what we wanted to accomplish, which is to set these young people on a path in which they will succeed in life.

Bonner and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Mae Parrish, and their maternal grandparents, Jean and JW Parrish. Mae worked multiple jobs to provide for her children.

Bonner was a 5-foot-11 forward for West High School in Bakersfield. "I knew I wasn't good enough to play at a major college. But I had a great passion for basketball. I got the coaching bug in high school, and I knew at some point I would have to switch gears. If you find something you are good at, you want to get paid for it."


John Bonner, who was a 5-foot-11 forward at West High School in Bakersfield, says he decided as a teenager that he wanted to coach basketball for a living.

Within a year after graduating from West High, Bonner began a four-year stint coaching the Hamilton Middle School boys basketball team. He then enrolled at Fresno State, where he became the team manager for the women's basketball program. He worked his way up to being a graduate assistant.

Bonner then spent four years as volunteer coach for Fresno Pacific University's women's basketball team. He supported himself working as a therapist and counselor for childhood protective services and at-risk children in group homes. He was then hired as a full-time coach and spent two more seasons at Fresno Pacific before landing the Dominguez Hills head coaching job

"Dominguez Hills took an incredible chance with me, for which I am forever grateful," said Bonner. He compiled a 127-82 record over nine season and was named CCAA Coach of the Year twice. 

"I had a ton of coaches who were mentors. Brian Fogel of Chico State invested energy in my success. He asked that I do the same for other coaches down the line. So I try to make sure I pay it forward as much as possible."

Fogel, who is entering his 18th season as the Chico State women's basketball head coach, competed against Bonner for years in the CCAA.

"I first met John on the recruiting trail. He was always well organized, worked really hard and had a good eye for talent. We started up a friendship, and I watched him grow and develop," said Fogel. "One of his main strengths is his ability to identify talent who will be successful in his system." "He got the [Fullerton] job late. This year will be rough season. He just needs to stick to his guns, stay patient and not deviate from his plan. He will adapt really well. I have no doubt he will succeed at Fullerton."

In his down time, Bonner said reality television offers a chance "to escape and laugh." He is uncle to 14 nieces and nephews in Fresno and Las Vegas and enjoys watching their athletic endeavors when time permits

Bonner plans to institute one of his coaching staples at Fullerton – the "weekly 10s."" I spend 10 minutes a week with each player, which allows me to get to know them off the court. It's important that they understand that we care about them beyond their role as a basketball player." The sessions have no time limit. "Sometimes they can turn into the "weekly 30s," Bonner joked.
 

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