WKU men’s basketball head coach Hank Plona officially unveiled the finalized coaching staff for the 2024-25 season on Friday. This announcement follows a successful 2023-24 season in which the Hilltoppers secured the Conference USA Tournament title and earned a bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Plona, entering his first season as head coach after serving as an assistant last year, brings significant experience from his eight-season tenure at Indian Hills CC in Iowa, where he led the Warriors to a 225-35 record and multiple NJCAA National Tournament appearances.
Plona expressed confidence in the newly assembled coaching staff, noting their strong character and leadership qualities. “I am very excited about the staff that we’ve put together for this season,” said Plona. “I know and trust their abilities, their strengths, and most importantly their character.”
Key Staff Additions:
- Josh Newman joins the staff as an assistant coach. Newman, with 26 years of coaching experience, previously served at the University of the Pacific and was a mentor and friend to Plona. His extensive head coaching background includes successful stints at Texas Permian Basin and Arkansas-Fort Smith.
- Eric Murphy starts his first year as an assistant. Murphy, formerly the head coach at Florida Southwestern State College, brings a record of 143-34 and three Suncoast Conference Championships. Plona regards him as an elite basketball coach.
- Martin Cross and Tim MacAllister continue with the program. Cross enters his tenth season with WKU men’s basketball and his third as an assistant, while MacAllister begins his second season with the team.
- Darryl Jackson returns as an assistant coach with an expanded role in operations, focusing on academics and player development.
- Wyatt Battaile transitions from a graduate assistant role to a full-time assistant coach and Director of Player Development and Video.
New Graduate Assistants:
- Henoc Bienne joins from Indian Hills CC and Iowa State.
- Devontae Lane comes from Indian Hills CC and Central Michigan University.
Plona is enthusiastic about the contributions of these new and returning staff members, emphasizing their role in maintaining and building on the team’s recent successes. The Hilltoppers will open the 2024-25 season in November, with further details on the schedule to be announced.
