Ottumwa, IA – After eight seasons at the helm of the historic Indian Hills Men's Basketball program, Hank Plona has stepped down as head coach of the Warriors.
Plona departs Indian Hills as the second-winningest coach in program history with 225 career wins. Over the past eight seasons, Plona has won 86.5 percent of his games while capturing five NJCAA District Championships, six NJCAA Region XI Championships, eight NJCAA Region XI regular season titles, and seven trips to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.
"The opportunity to be the head coach at Indian Hills for the past eight years has been the honor of a lifetime," stated Plona. "Warrior Nation accepted me as a young head coach with open arms, and the Indian Hills family will always be family to me."
Plona most recently led the Warriors to a semifinal run at the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament, the team's best finish since 2014 and completed the season with a 29-5 record. The 2022-23 campaign saw the Warriors ranked No. 1 in the national rankings for three weeks. During his time at Indian Hills, the Warriors were ranked No. 1 in the national polls for six weeks and dating back to the 2015-16 season, the Warriors were ranked in the national rankings in all but one week, including 39 times in the top-10 and 18 times in the top-five over the last four seasons alone.
"I want to thank Hank for all the time he has poured into Indian Hills Community College the last eight years," stated Dr. Brett Monaghan, Vice President, Student Developemtn & Operations and Athletic Director "I'm incredibly proud of what Indian Hills Basketball has transformed into during this time. The on-court successes speak for themselves, but the off court work he has done during this time period, that is often unseen, has impacted so many. His work with the student-athletes in his program, his mentoring of individuals in the athletic department, and his commitment to the overall success of the college will be the top characteristics we seek in the search for our next basketball coach.
Plona, who also spent time as an assistant coach at Indian Hills for the 2010-11 season, guided hundreds of student-athletes to academic and athletic success throughout his tenure in Ottumwa. During Plona's eight-year run at Indian Hills, 12 individuals earned NJCAA All-American honors, including four first-team selections to go along with 42 NJCAA All-Region XI honors. 123 student-athletes garnered Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) All-Academic honors for their work in the classroom. As a team, the Warriors were named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year during the 2021-22 campaign.
Plona has been named the ICCAC Coach of the Year on four separate occasions while earning five NJCAA District Coach of the Year honors. Under Plona's tutelage, six consecutive Indian Hills Men's Basketball players have been named ICCAC DI Men's Basketball Players of the Year.
"I want to thank Dr. Matt Thompson, Dr. Brett Monaghan, and Dr. Marlene Sprouse for their belief and support throughout the years. The administration at Indian Hills commits to help students, and in particular student-athletes have a life-changing experience. Indian Hills will continue to be the premiere junior college basketball program in the national because of their support and vision."
Since Plona's inaugural year at the helm of the program, 59 individuals have earned NCAA Division I scholarship offers. Nearly 20 former alumni are currently playing in the professional ranks spread out across the globe. 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 four-year level.
"Our players, assistant coaches, managers, training staff, and athletic staff are far too many to mention individually, but it has been an honor and privilege to coach and work with each and every one of you.
I hope Warrior Nation enjoyed getting to know our staff and our players, and I know we have enjoyed the journey each and every year with you. I will always consider Ottumwa and Indian Hills as home and the place where I had the opportunity to grow as a person and as a coach. Thanks for a great ride. See you soon - Go Warriors!"
A national search for the next head coach of the Indian Hills Basketball program is underway.