Andrew Yosinoff: A Legacy Built on Mentoring, Hard Work, and Connection

In the weeks ahead, we will share profiles of the student-athletes, coaches, and supporters whose dedication, leadership, and excellence have left a lasting mark on Saints athletics. 

By any standard, Andrew Yosinoff has compiled an elite resume at Emmanuel: Winningest Division III women’s basketball coach in NCAA history, only two losing seasons in 48 years, and- soon- a spot in the Emmanuel College Saints Athletics Hall of Fame.

His secret? Yosinoff said it’s about hard work, building connections, and helping others. These are core values he shares with Emmanuel College, a community he’s deeply grateful to be part of. 

“I guess it’s a culmination of my time at Emmanuel, to be honored into our Hall of Fame, and I’m excited about it,” he said. 

Yosinoff—or Coach Andy, as he’s known to all within his orbit-- has compiled a 929-319 record at Emmanuel, with 19 conference titles, 21 invitations to the NCAA tournament, and a run to the Final Four in 2001. He’s the eighth winningest women’s basketball coach in NCAA history, and needs eight more wins to pass legendary Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw on the all-time list. 

But the accomplishments that matter most to Yosinoff aren’t things that can be stored in a trophy case.  

“The thing I’m most proud of from my time at Emmanuel is that I’ve graduated around 340 women, from ages 21 to 63…and how I’m lucky enough to maintain contact with so many of my former players,” said Yosinoff.

Those rapports were built one at a time; in practice, during games, through community service, and during the team’s annual trip during winter break. The right mix of support and motivation is different for each student; the one constant is coach’s dedication to nurturing them as people, not just players.   

“I challenge my players to be the best they can be, and I always say that a lot of coaches can do Xs and Os but very few can take care of their players off the court,” said Yosinoff.

 “I never got married and I don’t have any kids, so…this is basically my life,” continued Yosinoff. “That’s why parents send their kids to me; they know I’ll adopt their daughters as if they were my own.” 

That was the experience of Yuleska Ramirez Tejeda ’20. She came to Emmanuel driven to maximize her potential as an athlete, and found much more than that. 

“He was an extremely competitive coach who expected a lot from us, but he also cares about your grades and setting you up for life as well,” said Ramirez Tejeda. 

Hard work was central to the experience: Coach Andy taught her that pursuit of playoff basketball is a year-round endeavor. She explained that giving your all is easier, when you know coach is doing it too. They put in the work and the victories were there: including a 65-64 upset in the 2019 GNAC championship game that broke a 51-game home winning streak for Saint Joseph’s College. 

Those memories and lessons mean a lot for Ramirez Tejeda, who stayed in touch with Coach Andy while playing professionally in Ireland, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador.

“He did a lot for me, and believed in me when a lot of people didn’t,” said Ramirez Tejeda. “At the end of the day it was beyond winning games and raising banners. We’re still in touch after five years, and I’m definitely grateful for that.” 

Yosinoff also had a lasting impact on Lesa Dennis-Mahamed ’88, who described her time with Emmanuel basketball as immensely enriching. She got her first passport for memorable team trips to Ireland and St. Croix, and volunteerism with the team helped her establish a lifelong commitment to giving her time to support good causes. But most importantly, she described Yosinoff as an energetic and nurturing advocate for his players. 

“If he saw your potential, he’d push you to attain that,” said Dennis-Mahamed. “He believed in all of his players; everyone he recruited, he believed they had the potential to be awesome players and people.”

“I appreciate everything that he’s done for me personally,” she added.  “He holds a special place in my heart.”

A Hall of Famer’s First Mentor 

Yosinoff knew from a young age that he wanted to work with youth through athletics. Growing up in a Kosher Jewish home in Pawtucket, R.I. he was a huge sports fan, playing baseball, soccer, basketball, and earning a Division I scholarship at the University of Rhode Island (URI) for tennis, a sport he enjoys to this day. 

The love of sports is one of many things Yosinoff learned from his father, Louis, who was a guidance counselor and teacher at Central High School in Providence. 

“My father was a very big part of my success,” said Yosinoff. “He was the kind of guy where if school started at 7 a.m., he’d be there at 6:30. He taught me about the importance of work ethic.” 

That mindset is reflected in Yosinoff’s teams. They work hard, play fast, and are aggressive; always looking for the fast break and playing a full-court defense that makes the other team work for all 94-feet to the basket. 

Louis Yosinoff’s commitment to helping others as an educator also had a profound impact on his son, and Coach Andy connected with that aspect of Emmanuel’s culture right away. 

“The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, their history is all about helping people in need, and that’s what I love about Emmanuel,” he said. “It’s about giving kids chances.”

Ironically, Yosinoff wasn’t looking to get involved with basketball when he interviewed at Emmanuel in 1977. He’d seen an ad in Boston Globe that The College needed a tennis coach. He met with the athletic director to discuss the position, but the schedule conflicted with his commitments to the public schools. 

“On the spur of the moment, I asked if they had a basketball coach,” remembered Yosinoff. “They said they did not, and I said ‘now you do.’ That’s how it started.”

A lifelong Yankees and football Giants fan, Louis Yosinoff was all-in on supporting the teams coached by his son, until his passing in 2017 at age 99. When the College installed new bleachers in 2022, the section where he’d normally sit was painted Emmanuel yellow in his honor. 

The Intersection of Teaching and Coaching

Yosinoff’s went to college aiming to become a physical education teacher, preferably in Boston. He never forgot that goal while at graduate school at Miami of Ohio, nor at his first job after graduation, as a physical education director at a Jewish community center in Brunswick, New Jersey. 

So when a group of friends said they were moving to Boston, Yosinoff came too. After a brief stint of substitute teaching and working at Filene’s Basement, he was hired in 1973 by the Boston Public Schools to teach physical education, a career that would span 34 years.

Meghan Kirwan ’12 won a pair of titles with Yosinoff as a player and has been an assistant coach on his staff since 2014. A School of Education alum who is now a reading specialist in the Somerville schools, she described Yosinoff as a great teacher, who brings out the best in athletes through a combination of trust, encouragement, and by being there when the going gets tough. 

 “Coaching is an extension of teaching,” said Kirwan. “One of Andy’s best qualities is what he teaches these young women—the skills and qualities that make a well-rounded person. He has a way of touching the lives of players that goes far beyond the court.” 

Reflecting on the Legacy

Yosinoff is already in the GNAC and New England Basketball halls of fame, and will be inducted into the Jewish Sports Heritage Association Hall of Fame in April. He’s also been nominated multiple times for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.  

The honors are deeply appreciated and well deserved, but Coach Andy gives no indication of resting on his laurels. He’s looking forward to the upcoming season, and excited about the team’s prospects. Going into his 49th season at Emmanuel, he explained that the length of his tenure isn’t as important as how that time is spent. 

 “I’ve never thought about how many years I’ve been here,” said Yosinoff. “The number of students I’ve had who have graduated, the relationships formed, how successful they’ve been, when they have families, kids, jobs and are giving back to the community – to me that’s the impressive thing; that makes me keep going.”