Yanni Hufnagel

Yanni Hufnagel (born August 26, 1982) is an American entrepreneur, former college basketball coach, and the founder and CEO of Atlanta-based The Lemon Perfect Company, maker of the enhanced water brand Lemon Perfect.[1][2] Before starting Lemon Perfect, he served as an assistant coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team under Eric Musselman.[3]

Yanni Hufnagel
Lemon Perfect Founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel
Current position
TitleFounder & CEO of The Lemon Perfect Company
Biographical details
Born (1982-08-26) August 26, 1982
New York City, New York
Alma mater
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2007–2009Oklahoma (graduate asst.)
2009–2013Harvard (asst.)
2013–2014Vanderbilt (asst.)
2014–2016California (asst.)
2016–2017Nevada (asst.)

He previously served as an assistant coach for the California Golden Bears, Vanderbilt Commodores, and Harvard Crimson.[4] Hufnagel was regarded as one of the top recruiters in college basketball.[5]

Early life and education

Hufnagel was raised in Scarsdale, New York and is Jewish.[6] He played lacrosse for Scarsdale High School and was a team captain.[7][8] After being cut from Scarsdale High School's varsity basketball team, he took a position as the color commentator for the team's games on a local access cable TV channel.[9][8]

He attended Pennsylvania State University for one year, where he was a defenseman on the lacrosse team.[10][8] Hufnagel then transferred to Cornell University, where he served as a student manager for the Big Red men's basketball team. At Cornell, Hufnagel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Labor Relations in 2006.[10][3]

Hufnagel began his coaching career as an intern with the New Jersey Nets before attending the University of Oklahoma, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for the Sooners men's basketball team. Hufnagel is credited with helping develop Blake Griffin while at Oklahoma.[11] At Oklahoma, Hufnagel earned a master's degree in Adult and Higher Education with an Emphasis in Intercollegiate Athletics Administration in 2010.[12][10]

Career

Harvard Crimson, Maccabiah Games

In June 2009, Hufnagel joined the Harvard Crimson men's basketball program as an assistant coach under Tommy Amaker. In 2011, he was voted by his peers in a CBS Sports survey as the mid-major assistant coach most likely to "make it big time due to his recruiting ability."[13] He was named to a CBS Sports college basketball "dream team" of assistant coaches before the 2012–13 season and labeled "one of the most relentless and energetic recruiters in the game."[14] He is also noted for his role in helping develop Jeremy Lin and Wesley Saunders at Harvard.[15] In Hufnagel's four years with Harvard, the school went 90–30, and in his final season, Harvard upset New Mexico in the 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[3][16]

Hufnagel was appointed to coach the Team USA Youth Team at the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel but declined in order to accept an assistant coaching position with the Vanderbilt Commodores.[17]

Vanderbilt Commodores, California Golden Bears, Nevada Wolf Pack

In May 2013, Hufnagel joined the Vanderbilt Commodores as an assistant coach under Kevin Stallings.[18] He was credited by ESPN with helping Vanderbilt land the 29th-ranked 2014 recruiting class, which included Wade Baldwin IV and Matthew Fisher-Davis.[19][20] After one season, Hufnagel left the program.[21]

In 2014, Hufnagel joined the California Golden Bears coaching staff, led by Cuonzo Martin. Hufnagel is credited with helping recruit Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb to the team. The pair helped lead the Golden Bears to a 2016 NCAA Tournament berth.[22][23]

In 2015, a reporter covering the Golden Bears filed a sexual harassment complaint against Hufnagel.[24][25][26] Following an investigation, Hufnagel was fired on March 14, 2016.[27] In response, Hufnagel's lawyer, Mary McNamara, asserted the extent of the relationship was a "flirtation that never went anywhere" and noted that the reporter told investigators Hufnagel "never touched her."[28]

On April 8, 2016, Hufnagel accepted an assistant coaching position with Eric Musselman and the University of Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team.[29][30][31] Hufnagel and Nevada mutually parted ways after one season.[32]

Lemon Perfect

In December 2017, Hufnagel founded Lemon Perfect, a flavored lemon water brand in the enhanced water category.[2] Lemon Perfect was named one of the "Best New Products" at BevNET's Best of 2019 Awards.[33]

In January 2020, the company received a viral boost after the product was spotted in a photo on Beyoncé's Instagram.[34]

In August 2020, the company announced that it had raised $11.6 million in funding to date from a network of investors, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Channing Frye, Lindsay Gottlieb, Blake Griffin, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Meyers Leonard, De'Anthony Melton, and Nick Young.[35][36][37]

In April 2022, Lemon Perfect closed a $31 million Series A funding round.[38] Beyoncé was a Series A investor, along with Beechwood Capital, NNS Capital, and Trousdale Ventures.[39] The investment gives Lemon Perfect total funding of over $42.2 million and a total valuation of over $100 million.[40][41]

References
  1. Coulter, Christina (January 21, 2021). "L.A.-Based Lemon Perfect Relocating To Atlanta". What Now Atlanta. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  2. "Check out the pitch deck that convinced investors like Beyoncé to pour $31 million into beverage brand Lemon Perfect's Series A". Business Insider.
  3. ""Yanni Hufnagel; Assistant Coach; Vanderbilt Basketball 2013-14"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  4. Parrish, Gary (April 8, 2016). "Former Cal Assistant Yann Hufnagel is Joining Nevada's Coaching Staff". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  5. Borzello, Jeff; Finkelstein, Adam (March 2, 2016). "Duke's Jeff Capel Tops CBB Recruiter Rankings". ESPN. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  6. "Meet Yanni Hufnagel, the Jewish Coach on Harvard Basketball's Bench" – Tablet Magazine
  7. Alumni Directory - Scarsdale High School Lacrosse | VNSports
  8. "Turning the (Crimson) tide; Scarsdale grad Yanni Hufnagel is part of historic run at Harvard," The Scarsdale Inquirer.
  9. Roisman, Jon (February 25, 2016). "Talking With an Up-and-coming Basketball Coach". J Weekly. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  10. "Yanni Hufnagel - Harvard"
  11. "Men's Basketball". Harvard. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  12. "Yanni Hufnagel". Nevada Wolf Pack Men's Basketball. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  13. Cohen, Ben (January 17, 2013). "Harvard Basketball's Whiz Kid". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  14. "2012-2013 College Basketball Previews". CBS Sports. October 8, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  15. "Yanni Hufnagel Joins Cal Men's Basketball Coaching Staff". Cal Bears. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  16. Jones, Lindsay (March 22, 2013). "Harvard Pulls NCAA Tournament Shocker vs. New Mexico". USA Today. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  17. Thursday News – princeton basketball
  18. "Vandy's Stallings Hires Harvard Assistant Yanni Hufnagel". Boston Herald. May 23, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  19. "Vanderbilt Men's Basketball Yanni Hufnagel". Vanderbilt. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  20. "2014 Basketball Class Rankings". ESPN. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  21. Thomson, Josh (August 24, 2014). "Star Rising at Cal for Scarsdale's Yanni Hufnagel". The Journal News. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  22. Letourneau, Connor (April 8, 2016). "Cal Basketball Coach Hufnagel, Accused of Harassment, Resigns". SFGATE. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  23. "Cal Meets Hawaii in NCAA Tourney First Round". Cal Athletics. March 13, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  24. Updated with new documents: Evidence UNR used in support of hiring coach
  25. "Assistant coach Yanni Hufnagel leaves the Wolf Pack"
  26. "Documents and exhibits from University of Nevada call into question some elements of Yann Hufnagel sexual harassment complaint" - Cal - Scout
  27. Grautski, Amara. "Cal men's assistant basketball coach Yann Hufnagel fired for violating sexual harassment policy". New York Daily News.
  28. "Nevada defends hire of Cal assistant accused of harassment". USA Today. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  29. McAndrew, Siobhan (April 18, 2016). "Updated with New Documents:Evidence UNR Used in Support of Hiring Coach". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  30. "Nevada Defends Hire of Ex-Cal Assistant Accused of Sexual Harassment". ESPN. April 15, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  31. "Cal assistant coach rebuts sexual harassment accusation".
  32. Murray, Chris (March 22, 2017). "Assistant Coach Yanni Hufnagel Leaves the Wolf Pack". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  33. "BevNET's Best of 2019 Awards". BevNet. 18 August 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  34. "Ex-Nevada basketball assistant coach now has a $100 million water brand, Lemon Perfect". Nevada Sports Net. 11 May 2022.
  35. Taylor, Isaac (August 18, 2020). "Lemon Perfect Raises $6.6 Million to Boost Expansion". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  36. Caballero, Martín (August 18, 2020). "Lemon Perfect Closes Convertible Note, Capping $11.6M Seed Round". BevNet. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  37. "Enhanced Water Company Lemon Perfect Raises $6.6 Million In Seed Funding". Forbes.
  38. "Beyoncé Invests In Lemon Perfect, Bringing Its Series A To $31 Million". Forbes. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  39. "From 'Lemonade' to Lemon Water, Beyonce Is Ready to Serve Up Another Smash". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  40. "Two years after Lemon Perfect was spotted in Beyoncé's limo, the superstar is now a backer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  41. "Atlanta startup backed by Beyoncé gets $36M". Atlanta Business Chronicle. American City Business Journals. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
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