Hawaii Pacific University Athletics

A fixture in collegiate basketball coaching in the State of Hawai‘i, Darren Vorderbruegge is starting his 14th season as the men’s head basketball coach at Hawai‘i Pacific and his 16th at the university.
 
Vorderbruegge has a record of 164-178 in 13 seasons as the HPU head coach. He has the most wins of any active men’s collegiate coach in Hawai‘i, and one of two with 100-plus wins entering the 2021-22 season.
 
The Sharks fought through a 3-9 COVID shortened season in 2020-21, playing only the rugged Hawai‘i institutions. The Sharks split 3-3 against Chaminade, but fell in all six against regional contender UH Hilo. Sharpshooter Lachlan Viney was selected to the All-PacWest Hawai‘i team.
 
The Sharks battled through a 10-18 campaign in 2019-20, suffering an unfortunate spate of key injuries late in the stretch run that left them ninth in the PacWest. A bright spot was the play of senior Ronald Blain who was named to the All-PacWest Team.
 
HPU suffered its first losing season in five years in the 2018-19 season. A hot start of to the campaign was marred by tragic event that resulted in the cancellation of two games in December and resonated the rest of the season. The team competed, but could not regain their early season form following the tragedy. Jonathan Janssen, who was named the Preseason PacWest Player of the Year prior to starting the slate, was named to the All-PacWest team and went on to play professionally in New Zealand.
 
Key injuries and rebuilding during the 2017-18 season found the Sharks fall to 15-13 overall and 10-10 in the PacWest, marking the fifth consecutive winning season for Sharks, the only time that has been accomplished since the program joined the NCAA in 1998.. He coached senior Niksha Federico to PacWest Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-PacWest and First Team All-Region, while junior Jonathan Janssen was selected to the All-PacWest Third Team.
 
The 2016-17 season was one for the record books. Vorderbruegge led the Sharks to a 29-3 mark -- the fewest losses in a season in school history -- and was named the Clarence “Big House” Gaines Division II National Coach of the Year by College Insider. Coach V directed HPU to its first outright PacWest Conference Championship with an 18-2 record and to the PacWest Conference Tournament Championship. The Sharks advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for just the second time in program history in 2017 and advanced to the West Region Semifinals with their first NCAA Tournament win. Vorderbruegge was honored as the PacWest Conference Coach of the Year and the NABC West Region Co-Coach of the Year for his accomplishments.
 
Coach V coached the Sharks first NCAA All-American in Chauncey Orr in 2016-17. Orr, went on to play professionally in Australia, also earned first team All-PacWest and All-West Region honors. He also coached Connor Looney to PacWest Defensive Player of the Year, first team All-PacWest Conference and second team All-West Region, while Jordan Martin was selected second team All-PacWest Conference in 2016-17. The Sharks finished the season ranked fourth in the NABC Division II Poll and fifth in the D2SIDA National Poll. HPU posted a 2-1 record against nationally ranked teams in 2016-17 (split with California Baptist and defeated Alaska Anchorage).
 
The 2015-16 Sharks boasted a 19-9 overall record, at that time the most wins by an HPU team since 1998.  The Sharks finished 14-6 in PacWest play, one game out of first place.  Again, the team produced an outstanding home record of 12 wins and 2 losses.  That brought the last three seasons home record for the team to 33-9.  This season the team had three wins over opponents who were ranked top 20 nationally (Western Washington, California Baptist, and Azusa Pacific).  The team ended the regular season winning five of six games including victories over rivals Chaminade and BYU Hawaii.  Individually, there were two players (Luke Hager and Chauncey Orr) named to the All-PacWest Team. 
 
The 2014-15 campaign resulted in a 16-11 overall record.  A late season road win over regionally ranked Point Loma proved pivotal in securing a post-season berth for the Sharks.  Two players were named to the All-PacWest team, Luke Hager and Justin Long.  Equally important in the mission of the men’s basketball program, the first semester GPA for the team was an impressive 3.15.  The five seniors from this year’s squad are all on track to graduate as scheduled. 

The 2013-14 season saw the team came charging from the gates, posting a 10-2 record.  At the conference tournament, the Sharks picked up their first post-season NCAA DII victory in school history by defeating Dixie State to advance to the conference semi-finals. HPU had already defeated the #7 nationally ranked Dixie State team earlier in the year.  HPU boasted a sterling record at home going 12-2 in front of its Honolulu fans.

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 ‘rebuilding’ stint, he soon took a two-year hiatus from basketball to focus on leading the athletics department, then returned to the sidelines in 2010.  He was back to ‘rebuilding’ and the past few years the team has established itself as a force in the PacWest.  During his tenure as head coach, he has become the winningest men’s basketball coach in HPU’s NCAA history and notched over 160 victories.

While at HPU Coach V has produced 24 players selected to the PacWest All-Conference team as well as guiding over 14 players to play professionally in such places as Australia, Germany, Spain, England, Japan, Sweden and Taiwan. 

In 2016, he took the HPU men’s team to Seoul, South Korea and participated in the Asia-Pacific International University Basketball Tournament.  The Sharks represented the United States of America against collegiate age teams from all over the world.  After losing their first game against Korea, HPU went on to run the table, meet back up with the Korean team in the finals, and win the championship for the USA on July 4.

Coach V has also been chosen by his fellow coaches to serve as the PacWest Conference representative to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Basketball Congress, as well as NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches Connection and the NCAA Division II Identity Workshop for Coaches.

A skilled teacher of the game, Vord has shared his knowledge with countless people. Having directed and served in camps and clinics across the county for over 30 years. In 2012, he took his basketball acumen to the Far East where he was a featured presenter at a coaches’ clinic for more than 70 university basketball coaches in China. The experience opened a door that began a relationship with Coach V and the basketball-crazed country of China.  Vorderbruegge returned to China in the summers of 2015-19 and conducted camps across the country for thousands of Chinese youth. He also was the featured speaker at a clinic for high school coaches in the city of Shaoxing. In the spring of 2018, he was hired to coach and train the Chinese National Team of 18 year olds who competed in The Albert Sweitzer International Basketball Tournament in Manheim, Germany.

Off the court Coach V has instituted a team culture of academic achievement and community service.  His squads have consistently earned a team GPA over 3.0.  Seniors who complete their athletic and academic careers at HPU have a 95% graduation rate.  As the leader of the basketball program, Vorderbruegge has emphasized the importance of community involvement.  In recent years, the team has volunteered to conduct athletic camps for youth at Palama Settlement near downtown Honolulu. Each year members of the Sharks basketball attend special events to promote literacy at elementary schools across the island. The team has been involved in beach clean-up activities as well as assisting with HPU Commencement. They have volunteered to work at the Honolulu Children’s Museum and also visited military veterans who are hospitalized at Triple Medical Facility in Honolulu and The Veterans Hospital of San Diego.  The team has participated in community activities such as The Men’s March Against Domestic Violence and demonstrations to bring awareness to the dangers of underage vaping.

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 and 2014, he was inducted into the Northwest Missouri State Hall of Fame as a member of the 2002 and 2004 men’s basketball teams.

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.

Serving from 2006-2014, Vord excelled as HPU’s Athletic Director, 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 the Athletic Department was recognized by the PacWest for its 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. In 2014, he was inducted into the Bethany College Coaches Hall of Honor.

Vord and his wife Amy are 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 Huikala Baptist Church.

Coach V has been married to his wife Amy for 33 years. She is the principal at Hawaii Baptist Academy Elementary School near downtown Honolulu. Their children are Dawson (and his wife Marina), Cordray and Daryn Leigh (BA, HPU 2015). They have two grandchildren.

 
VORDERBRUEGGE AT HPU

 

WINNINGEST COLLEGIATE COACHES IN HAWAI‘I
Prior to the 2021-22 Season
(records at Hawai‘i institutions only)

Men (min. 100 wins)

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