WBKO – BOWLING GREEN, KY It was unclear who would take over as head coach of the WKU men’s basketball team after Steve Lutz left The Hill. Although many well-known names were being mentioned, the man who was hired was already a part of the program.

After spending eight years as a head coach at a junior college where he won numerous titles and nearly 87% of his games, Hank Plona joined WKU this past season as an assistant coach.

Who, then, is Hank Plona? The most of the life of the new head coach was spent playing basketball in Avon, Connecticut, where he was raised. From 2007 to 2009, he worked for Providence as a graduate assistant and student manager, and it was then that he understood he was more unique on

I always knew I understood the game; I tried playing with the Providence men, but I wasn’t very good, so I worked as a student manager. I knew I could interact with college basketball players, and once I started coaching, I believe my communication skills and ability to relate to people from all walks of life have always been my strongest suit.

Plona spent four seasons as an assistant coach at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, before taking on his first head coaching position. During Plona’s four seasons, the squad participated in three national tournaments and finished undefeated in 2012 to win the national title. Additionally, his group made

Plona was named the ICCAC Coach of the Year on four separate occasions while earning five NJCAA District Coach of the Year honors. Under Plona’s lead, six consecutive Indian Hills Men’s Basketball players were named ICCAC DI Men’s Basketball Players of the Year. Along with the success of moving players on to the next level, Plona has seen an abundance of former assistant coaches earn spots at high-level programs throughout the country.

Who is Hank Plona? Somebody who has been a big part of restoring the winning culture back into the WKU Men’s Basketball program.