Southern Utah University men’s basketball coach Todd Simon has announced the addition of assistant coach John Wardenburg to the Thunderbird staff.
“John brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and experience to the program,” SUU head basketball coach Todd Simon said about Wardenburg. “He is tremendously respected in the Utah basketball community and beyond. Our student athletes will benefit from his passion, enthusiasm and ability to teach the game.”
Wardenburg spent nine years as an assistant basketball coach at Brigham Young University, from May 2001 to July 2010. During that span the Cougars made the NCAA Tournament six times and played in the NIT two times. He was also a part of four conference titles. While at BYU he coached several All-Americans including Kyle Collinsworth, Tyler Haws, Jimmer Fredette, Lee Cummard, Keena Young, Trent Plaisted and Rafael Araujo.
Following his tenure at BYU, Wardenburg became an assistant coach at BYU-Hawai’i for one season and helped the Seasiders reach the NCAA Division 2 National Championship game. Wardenburg left BYU-Hawaii to take an assistant coach job at Indian Hills Community College from July 2011 to April 2014. During this time, IHCC qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament twice, including playing for the NJCAA National championship in March, 2012. Wardenburg became the head coach of Indian Hills Community College in April of 2014. As head coach his team finished the season 29-5, won their Region and District championship and qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament.
Most recently, Wardenburg was an educator and assistant basketball coach at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs, where the Thunder played in the Utah State semi-finals for the first time in the history of the school.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from BYU in 1986, with a minor in geography. He went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Health, PE & Recreation from Utah State University in 1991. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wardenburg and his wife, Pam, have four sons and six grandchildren.
Photo Courtesy SUU Athletics
