Sioux Center, Iowa — Dordt College has announced its coaching succession plan for the women’s basketball program.
Bill Harmsen, current Western Christian High School boys’ basketball coach and athletic director, will assume coaching responsibilities for the 2018-19 school year. While Harmsen fulfills his contract at Western Christian in 2017-18, Sioux Falls O’Gorman High School girls’ assistant basketball coach and former Dordt College basketball all-American, Kyle Lindbergh, will serve as the interim head coach during the 2017-18 season.
“I am thrilled Bill will be leading the women’s basketball program in 2018-19,” said Dordt College athletic director Glenn Bouma. “Bill has a wealth of basketball knowledge and has the respect of those he has worked and coached with and also those he has competed against. He has shown he can adapt his coaching to the talents of his teams and his holistic approach has been a key to his coaching success. I have no doubt Bill is the person to mentor and guide the players in the program as they grow spiritually, academically and athletically.”
Harmsen most recently guided Western Christian to a Class 2A boys’ state basketball championship in 2017 with a 24-2 record. Prior to the 2016-17 school year Harmsen coached the Western Christian girls’ basketball program for five seasons and coached the Wolfpack to three state titles, a runner-up finish and a berth in the state tournament semifinals. Western Christian’s record in that five-year span was 124-12. Before taking the girls basketball head coaching position at Western Christian, Harmsen served as an assistant in the boys’ basketball program from 2001-12. Harmsen was the boys and girls basketball coach at Dakota Christian from 1994-98 and was an assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Sioux Falls for two seasons.
Harmsen graduated from the University of Sioux Falls in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health, Physical Education. He later earned a Masters of Educational Administration and Leadership degree from the University of Sioux Falls.
“My primary goal in leading this basketball program is that each player grows in their relationship with Jesus Christ,” said Harmsen. “I believe that if my teams grow together spiritually and emotionally a byproduct will be a successful team on the court. I hope to instill pillars of faith, commitment, trust and loyalty in the Dordt women’s basketball program and I look forward to this opportunity.”
Lindbergh served as an assistant girls’ basketball coach in 2016-17 at Sioux Falls O’Gorman High School after spending two basketball seasons playing professionally for the Stirling Senators in the State Basketball League, Western Australia. Lindbergh graduated from Dordt College in 2014 after he played on three NAIA National Championship Tournament teams. He claimed NAIA First-Team All-American honors in 2014 along with GPAC Player of the Year and twice claimed the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year honor. Lindbergh recently earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Liberty University.
