Western Kentucky University has formally introduced its new men’s head basketball coach.
Hank Plona, was formally introduced during a news conference inside E.A. Diddle Area on Wednesday alongside WKU President Timothy Caboni and Athletic Director Todd Stewart.
Plona agreed to terms with WKU which guarantee $500,000 annually through June, 2028. The coach is also eligible for multiple incentives for achieving athletic and academic performance goals.
During the introduction at E.A. Diddle Arena, Plona said in the year since he arrived in Bowling Green he has grown to embrace the community and is enjoying his time on and off the court.
"It's a knowledgable basketball community," Plona said. "I think there's a hunger and eagerness to support a great basketball team."
“I think there's a real uniqueness to Bowling Green, to Western, and to the people here. I think this is a place that every person I have met is very, very proud to be here and it's been a great experience for me so far.”
While WKU's season does not begin until next year, Plona said he's eager to continue to build on the team's success during the 2023-2024 season. WKU won this season’s Conference USA tournament, earning a bid to the NCAA tournament.
"I think the desire and will to win, the will to play in front of 7,500 people everyday, to be around people that want you to do good, that support you, that are invested in your success, I think that Bowling Green and Western are both very unique," Plona said. "Helping them succeed does bring me joy, it is the motivation behind why I coach basketball. I do have the same passion for our community I promise I want to get to know each and every one of you on a first name basis."
*Original Post on 4/2/24*
The Western Kentucky University men’s basketball team has a new head coach. Hank Plona will take the position after former head coach Steve Lutz left the program for the head coaching position at Oklahoma State.
The announcement of Plona’s hire, from Athletic Director Todd Stewart, came less than a day after the departure of Lutz.
Plona, a native of Connecticut, is being promoted to the head coaching position after serving as an assistant with the Hilltoppers last year. He has eight years of experience as head coach of Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, where he led the team to seven postseason appearances and was named the ICCAC Coach of the Year on four occasions.
In a statement released by the university, Plona said he's embracing his new role and plans to use the positive momentum to create more success with the program.
“I’m incredibly honored to be chosen as the next head coach at Western Kentucky,” Plona said.
“My staff and I haven’t stopped working since the day we got back from Indianapolis and the NCAA Tournament and we are eager to build upon the success of the 2023-24 season into the future. We will continue working tirelessly on the recruiting trail – both in retaining current Hilltoppers and identifying future ones.”
Plano also thanked former WKU head coach Steve Lutz for the opportunity to come to Bowling Green as an assistant coach for the Hilltoppers.
Lutz’s departure was announced on Monday although there was speculation he would be leaving in the days prior to the official announcement. Lutz accepted the same position at Oklahoma State, where he will take over a program in the much larger Big 12 athletic conference. Lutz and his staff guided the Men’s Hilltoppers team to their first postseason NCAA tournament appearance since 2013.
WKU has scheduled a news conference at E.A. Diddle Arena on Wednesday morning to formally introduce Plona as the next men’s basketball coach.
