University of Illinois women’s basketball head coach Nancy Fahey announced Saturday (July 3) the addition of assistant coach Hernando Planells to the Fighting Illini coaching staff.
“I am extremely excited to welcome Hernando Planells to the Fighting Illini women’s basketball family,” Fahey said. “Hernando is a fantastic coach, mentor, and motivator with deep and varied experiences at all levels of our game. His record as a talent evaluator and recruiter is impeccable. Coach Planells is a person of the high character who will fit perfectly into our culture here at Illinois.”
Planells boasts an extensive résumé that includes more than 20 years of experience at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels across the men’s and women’s game. He has coached domestically and internationally, developing a reputation for strengthening individuals and teams.
“I am filled with excitement and gratitude as I join the Illini coaching staff,” Planells said. “To work alongside Coach Fahey, who is a proven winner and a players’ coach, is an absolute honor. I look forward to being a part of the Illinois women’s basketball program and helping develop champions on and off the court.”
Planells comes to Illinois after serving the 2020-21 season as the head women’s basketball coach at NAIA William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif. In his lone season at the helm of the Warriors’ program, Planells was named Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Co-Coach of the Year after winning the program’s first conference championship and leading the team to the NAIA National Tournament for the second time in school history.
From 2012-19, Planells was an integral part of the Duke University women’s basketball program, including his final three seasons as the Blue Devils’ associate head coach. During his time in Durham, Duke compiled a 171-63 (.731) record, capturing the ACC regular-season and tournament championships culminating in an Elite Eight appearance in 2013. Overall, Planells helped the Blue Devils to five NCAA tournament berths, adding two more Sweet 16 runs in 2015 and 2018.
Planells was key to Duke’s influx of talent during his tenure, securing top-five ranked recruiting classes in each season, highlighted by the nation’s top-rated class in 2015. That success on the recruiting trail also translated at the next level, as Planells and the Blue Devils staff developed 11 WNBA draft selections.
Since 2018, Planells has also coached on the international stage, serving as the head coach of New Zealand’s U19 Women’s National Team. It marks a return to international competition for Planells who worked as a basketball consultant at the University of the East in the Philippines in 2012, just prior to taking on his role at Duke. He also served as the head coach of the Ryukyu Golden Kings of the Basketball Japan (BJ) League in 2007-08.
In addition to his time in the BJ League, Planells roots in the professional ranks run deep in the United States. From 2004-2010, he served as a scout for Marty Blake & Associates, the official scouting service of the NBA. And During the 2010-11 campaign, he was an assistant coach for the Maine Red Claws – now known as the Maine Celtics – of the NBA G League. Planells’ coaching résumé also includes a stint in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Hollywood Fame (2006-07).
A highly regarded motivational speaker and clinician, Planells operates Be Contagious Leadership LLC, helping organizations grow and strengthen their leadership, communication and culture through the power of improvisation. With his wealth of experience and knowledge around women’s basketball, Planells is also a regular speaker at the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) convention, and organized Moving Up, an annual conference on leadership.
Planells’ unique blend of basketball knowledge and skill development has led him to the “big screen” where he has choreographed and consulted on the basketball scenes and training the actors on movies such as “Coach Carter,” “The Longest Yard,” “Rebound,” “Spider-Man 3,” and “Semi-Pro” among other credits.
A native of Los Angeles, Calif., Planells hosts a leadership podcast called the “Be Contagious Leadership Experience,” and published his book, entitled “High Performance Gratitude” in October 2020.
Planells’ son, Preston, attends the University of Utah where competes for the Utes’ swimming and diving program. His daughter, Gabby, enters her freshman year at Chico State University in Chico, Calif., beginning in the fall.
Planells earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Regis University.
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