Hernando Planells wrapped up his first season as the Head Coach of the Jessup Women's Basketball program following the 2020-21 season. Planells was formally announced as the Warriors' new coach in the summer of 2020 after previously coaching in the NCAA ranks.
"Hernando brings elite-level character, coaching, care, and recruiting abilities to the Warriors, and our women's basketball student-athletes are going to be the beneficiary of his leadership," said Jessup Athletic Director Lance Von Vogt.
- Year one under Planells, the 2020-21 season, saw the Warriors win the first conference championship in program history, as Jessup's 10-8 mark clinched the GSAC East Division title. The Warriors earned their second bid to the NAIA National Championship, falling in the Opening Round to Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, ID. In recognition for the season, Planells was named GSAC Co-Coach of the Year, while Miranda Zaragoza earned All-GSAC and NAIA All-American honorable mention honors.
Coaching Experience
Before joining the Warriors, Planells served for three seasons as the Associate Head Coach for the women's basketball program at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Planells joined the Blue Devils as an Assistant Coach in 2013 and held that role until his promotion in 2016.
During his tenure at Duke, an NCAA basketball powerhouse, the Blue Devils won the ACC Championship and made two appearances in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. Planells not only is a talented coach, but he also possesses strong recruiting skills, as Duke featured a top-five ranked recruiting class in each season he was with the program.
Outside of collegiate sports, Planells has placed his fingerprints in professional and international basketball as well. Planells was the Head Coach of the Wyoming Golden Eagles of the All-American Professional Basketball in 2005, before becoming an NBA scout from 2005 – 2010. Planells returned to coaching in 2010 as the Assistant Coach for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League.
Along with his duties as the Jessup Head Coach, Planells also serves as the Head Coach of the New Zealand U17 National Team. He has held that role with the Tall Ferns since 2018.
5 Scholar-Athletes
1 All-American
1 All-Conference
1 Conference Title
1 Coach of the Year
Other Experience
Planells has also lent his hand to Hollywood, serving as the basketball coordinator for several feature films, including Coach Carter, The Longest Yard, Semi-Pro, and Grown Ups. From 2002 – 2003, Planells was the Head Coach of the Bouncers, a team featured on the SlamBall TV show.
A small business owner as well, Planells owns and operates Be Contagious Leadership. With his company, Planells offers public speaking opportunities at events such as the Women's Basketball Coaches Association convention. He also is the host of the Be Contagious podcast. In 2021,
Yahoo Finance named Planells one of the top-10 motivational speakers to watch for.
Personal
Planells is a graduate of Regis University and currently resides in Rocklin, CA. He has two children, Preston, who is currently a swimmer at the University of Utah, and Gabrielle.
