Utah Valley University head coach Dan Nielson has announced the hiring of Adam Wardenburg as the program’s associate head coach. Wardenburg is making a return to UVU, where he spent four seasons as an assistant coach on the women’s basketball staff from 2014-18.
Wardenburg was most recently at Southern Virginia University, where he led both the men’s and women’s programs during his four-year tenure. He spent the 2018-19 season as the head coach of the women’s team before taking over the men’s program in 2019.
“My family and I are so excited to be Wolverines and to be working with the women’s basketball team again,” Wardenburg said. “I have a lot of respect for Dan and after talking with him about his vision for the program, I knew that this was the perfect place for our family. I am excited to be working with a great staff and a group of players who all have the same goals for our team. I cannot wait to get to work with everyone at Utah Valley as we work together to win WAC championships!”
As the men’s coach at SVU, Wardenburg coached the team to a 13-win turnaround from his first to second full season. The 2021-22 team finished 14-12 and set several NCAA Division III program records. In 2022-23, the Knights advanced to the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament. In his season with the women’s program, he led SVU to a school record 21 wins and a runner-up finish at the Capital Athletic Conference Championships and was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
During his previous tenure at Utah Valley, under former head coach and current Senior Associate Athletic Director Cathy Nixon, Wardenburg helped the Wolverines to a pair of semifinal berths in the WAC Tournament.
“We are ecstatic to bring Adam and his family back to UVU and the Orem community. He is someone that is not only a successful coach but a fantastic person as well. His years of experience as a head coach and as an assistant at the Division I and junior college levels will make an immediate impact on our program! We’re excited to get to work with him on our staff,” Nielson said.
Prior to his first stint in Orem, Wardenburg was an assistant with the College of Southern Idaho’s women’s team where he was part of a staff that went 29-4, won a Region 18 Tournament title, and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament. He also spent time at Utah State on staff as the director of operations.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in 2013 and received his MBA from Western Governors University. Wardenburg and his wife Tristan are the parents of three daughters and one son; Blakely, Emery, Indie, and Brooks.
