Hawaii Pacific University Athletics

Darren Vorderbruegge enters his eighth year as the Director of Athletics and sixth as head basketball coach at Hawai'i Pacific University. Originally arriving at HPU as the head coach for the men’s basketball program in June 2006, it didn’t take long for “Coach V” to make his mark. He was named interim Director of Athletics in November 2006 and granted the position outright in May 2007. After a two-year hiatus from basketball to focus on leading the athletics department, he returned to the sidelines in 2010.

The 2012-13 campaign saw the progress of Sea Warrior basketball move forward. “Vord” led a young team — featuring only two seniors — to a berth in the inaugural PacWest Conference Tournament. The Sea Warriors boasted a winning record at home and knocked off regionally ranked Chaminade in the regular season finale to advance to postseason play.

Prior to the 2011-2012 season, the last time HPU defeated a regionally ranked opponent was during Coach V’s second season, February 2008, when the Sea Warriors snapped an 11-game Chaminade winning streak. The win handed the Silverswords their first conference loss of the year.  No one has been surprised by the big wins — it has been part of Coach V’s pedigree. 

A skilled teacher of the game, Vord has shared his knowledge with countless people. Last year, he took his basketball acumen to the Far East where he presented at a coaches’ clinic for university basketball coaches in China. The experience allowed Coach V to share his expertise with more than 70 coaches.

Prior to joining HPU, Vorderbruegge coached for over 20 years in both the high school and collegiate ranks. He served as the Associate Head Coach for the Men’s Basketball Team at Northwest Missouri State University. During his tenure there, the Bearcats averaged 25 wins a season and twice reached the Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Division II Tournament.  In 2009, he was inducted into the Northwest Missouri State Hall of Fame as a member of the 2002 men’s basketball team that was 29-3.

Before his stint at Northwest Missouri, Vord coached basketball at three different high schools in Kansas. In 2000, he led Wichita Northwest High School to the first conference championship in school history and a fourth place finish in the state championship tournament. He was named the Greater Wichita Athletic League Coach of the Year.

Prior to his time at Northwest High, he was the head coach at Hoisington High School and an assistant coach at West Elk High School.

Vord has excelled as HPU’s AD, capturing back to back Pacific West Commissioner’s Cup Championships in 2010 and 2011, an honor bestowed to the most successful, complete athletic program in the league. Under his watch, the 2010 softball team captured HPU’s fifth national championship and in 2013 was recognized by the PacWest for their community service efforts, earning the Community Engagement Award.

Vorderbruegge received his undergraduate degree in Secondary Education from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. While attending Bethany he earned honors as an All-American and Academic All-American performer in track and field. Later, he received his master’s degree in secondary educational administration from Wichita State University.

Coach V has been married to his wife Amy for 25 years. She is the principal at Hawaii Baptist Academy in downtown Honolulu. They have three children: Dawson, Cordray and Daryn Leigh, a student at HPU.

Vord and his wife Amy are very involved in community affairs. They have volunteered at Camp Hope, a camp for children who have been afflicted by cancer, where Vord was the Camp Director. They have served as mentors in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. They have been involved with Kaiser High School Project Graduation and are active members in Hawaii Kai Church.