Dan Ploog has been named the new head coach of Azusa Pacific Women’s Basketball. Ploog, who has spent the past 18 seasons on staff under former head coach T.J. Hardeman becomes just the eighth head coach in program history.
“Dan has been an integral part of our women’s basketball success for nearly two decades, and we are excited to see him step into this new role,” said Azusa Pacific Director of Athletics Gary Pine. “His commitment to our mission, his understanding of what it takes to compete at a championship level, his high energy and engagement, and his deep love for our student-athletes make him the ideal person to lead our program into the future.”
During Ploog’s tenure as an assistant, APU has been a fixture on the national stage, reaching the postseason 12 times across the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels. The Cougars captured the 2011 NAIA national title, finished as the NAIA runner-up in 2010, and reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2019 and 2021. It was also twice the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Region Tournament (2016, 2018) during his time on staff.
“After leading the APU Women’s Basketball program for the last 18 years it excites me to know God has raised up Dan to be His next leader for the program. Dan has coached with me every year I have been here and I look forward to seeing him lead the program into new territory,” said former head coach T.J. Hardeman.
Before his coaching career, Ploog enjoyed a decorated collegiate playing career at Biola University, where he was a three-year starter and known as one of the toughest defenders in the Golden State Athletic Conference. He helped lead the Eagles to four straight NAIA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four berth in 2000. He set a school record for career games played (136, since broken) and averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over his final three seasons.
“Azusa Pacific has been my home for the past 18 years, and it is truly an honor to lead this program,” Ploog said. “I am grateful for the foundation that Coach Hardeman built and the opportunity to continue investing in our incredible student-athletes both on and off the court.”
A graduate of La Habra High School in 1995, Ploog was a standout athlete in both basketball and water polo, earning prep All-American honors in the pool before choosing to pursue basketball at the collegiate level.
Ploog earned his bachelor’s degree in sports physiology from Biola in 2000. He and his wife Heidi, a former Biola basketball standout and the daughter of T.J.
Hardeman have been married for 24 years and live in Fullerton with their four sons: Vander, Hudson, Logan, and Lincoln.
Ploog succeeds T.J. Hardeman, who concluded a decorated 18-year tenure that featured over 429 career wins and a 2011 NAIA National Championship.
