EHS Girls Basketball Coach Contacts:
Varsity Head Coach: Kay Rogers, seacoaststars@gmail.com
Assistant Varsity Coach: Liat Kuffler-Bakalo , Basketball.coach.kb@gmail.com
JV Coach: Kendall Prescott, kprescott@represcott.com
Reserve/Freshman Coach: Chris Birnie, cbirnie@sau16.org
Meet the Coaches
Kaylene Rogers – Varsity Head Coach
Professional background includes over ten years of global sales and business development in the technology industry followed by seven years in real estate. Along with being the Exeter High School Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach, running EHS Girls Basketball Programs, a Gold Star Coach with USA Basketball, skills coach for program that competes in Nike EYCL, she is self-employed as a consultant and founded STARS a non-profit dedicated to inspiring youth to become involved in learning, fitness, sports and healthy activities through programs designed to develop fundamental and advanced basketball skills.
Kaylene played basketball in high school, four years of college, and has over twenty-five years of experience coaching youth sports. As a three-year starter in college, a two-year Captain, and All-Conference player with over 1000 points at division II University of Minnesota Morris, Kaylene holds records in both career scoring and career assists. She was inducted into her high school’s Mt. Iron Buhl (MIB) Basketball Hall of Fame for her high school and collegiate achievements. At MIB, Kaylene was a three-sport varsity athlete with four years of varsity letters in basketball, volleyball and track. She was Captain and All-Conference in both volleyball and basketball and achieved 1,000-point club milestone. She played basketball for University of Minnesota Morris from 1990-94. She was a two-year captain, three-year starter, MVP, and All-Conference player finishing with 1,000 career points in her college career as well holding records for scoring and assists. She was the MIB 1990 valedictorian and graduated with honors from University of Minnesota Morris in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree.
Coach Kay encourages players to believe in themselves, to work hard and to trust that building a strong team is paramount to individual success. Graduating high school valedictorian and completing her bachelor’s degree with honors, Kaylene believes in a balance of family, education and sports. Reflecting on her past experiences coaching at developmental basketball and urban sports programs in Minnesota, Arizona, and New Hampshire, she believes a life balance philosophy is important at the youth level and is dedicated to providing athletic opportunities that will help build that foundation.
“Basketball was a platform for me throughout my school years which helped form lifelong friendships while also building important life skills centered around teamwork, integrity, compromise and determination. My favorite memories aren’t the games, but the people who were along for the ride with me—my teammates, coaches, friends, family and my mom and dad who were cheering at every game, whether we won or lost.” expresses Coach Kay.
Liat Kuffler-Bakalo – Varsity Assistant Coach
Liat Kuffler-Bakalo (Coach K.B.) brings over two decades of international basketball experience, including a professional playing career in Israel’s National Women’s League and extensive coaching roles across youth and collegiate teams. In addition to her coaching background, she has extensive experience as a high school physical education teacher, combining athletic development with academic and personal growth.
Liat holds a Master’s degree in Physical Education Behavioral Sciences, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Sports Sociology, integrating sports coaching. Her research focuses on gender equity in elite sports leadership and professional judgment and decision-making (PJDM) in basketball.
Coach K.B.'s philosophy centers on evidence-based coaching, clear communication, and real-time performance analysis, helping players understand the “why” behind every decision on the court. Passionate about empowering athletes and building cohesive teams, she is committed to developing confident, intelligent, and resilient players—both on and off the court.
Kendall Prescott – JV Coach
Kendall Prescott is a proud Exeter native and graduate of Exeter High School’s Class of 2001. During her time as a Blue Hawk, Kendall was a dedicated multi-sport athlete. She played four years of Varsity girls’ basketball, competed in volleyball throughout high school, building a strong foundation for her growth both as a student and an athlete.
After graduation, Kendall earned a basketball scholarship to Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. She became a starter as a freshman and played a key role in helping Catawba secure back-to-back SAC Conference Championships in 2003 and 2004, along with NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005. Kendall completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2005 and later earned her master’s degree in Biomedical Forensic Sciences from Boston University in 2011.
Now returning to her roots, Kendall is excited to give back to the community that shaped her both as an athlete and as a person. She is passionate about mentoring young athletes, helping them grow their skills, confidence, and love for the game of basketball. Kendall brings a combination of high-level playing experience, academic excellence, and deep community pride to the Exeter Women’s Basketball program.
Chris Birnie - Reserve/Freshman Coach
Coach Chris Birnie grew up in Georgetown, Massachusetts. He earned recognition as a Cape Ann League All-Star and Division 3 North Champion in 2012 at GHS. In addition to soccer, he was a former GHS Basketball Cape Ann League All-Star. Coach Birnie went on to serve as a male practice player for the UNH Women’s Basketball Team, regularly scrimmaging with the team and helping prepare them for competition. In 2015, he continued his playing career while studying abroad on the Bond University Bullsharks in Queensland, Australia. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 2016, he started coaching the JV team at Georgetown HS and was Assistant Varsity Coach at Masconomet Regional HS in 2019. Coach Birnie joined Seacoast United in 2020 as the Head Coach of both the U12 and U16 programs and was the boys freshman soccer coach this season. Continuing to share his knowledge, experience, and love for the game, Coach Birnie is committed to preparing soccer and basketball players to succeed at higher levels while also instilling values of discipline, respect, and community.