Trevecca Nazarene University Athletic Director Mark Elliott announced the hire of Chad Hibdon as the next women's basketball coach for the Trojans. 

Hibdon replaces Gary Van Atta at the helm of the program. Van Atta, the winningest coach in Trevecca history, is now the head coach at the University of Montevallo.

"I am honored to be the new head women's basketball coach at Trevecca Nazarene University," Hibdon said. "The opportunity to bring my family home to middle Tennessee and for us to be a part of such a prestigious institution is a tremendous blessing. The vision, leadership, and Christ-centered environment that is cultivated by [Trevecca President] Dan Boone and Mark Elliott make this a great fit for our family."

Boone complimented Hibdon for his potential on and off-the-court impact. 

"I am pleased that the student-athletes of Trevecca will have the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop under Chad Hibdon," Boone said. "His Christian character, record of success, and love of basketball make him a fit for Trevecca."

Hibdon is the fifth coach in the history of the women's basketball program at Trevecca and third since the program restarted in 1996. 

"Chad's professional credentials and experiences of success are obvious, but it is the intangible qualities that set him apart," Elliott said. "Mission fit, leadership, the partnership he shares with his wife, his core values of 'give, grow, love, win' and his ideas of building a championship culture. These are the things that drew us to ultimately choose him from a very capable pool of candidates."

In his 10 seasons at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Blackman High School, Hibdon produced a 199-98 overal record. His teams produced six consecutive years of at least 20 wins, and in that six-year run, Blackman was 159-29.

Hibdon's final two teams were 66-3 and he led them to consecutive Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Class AAA state championships. 

Hibdon, the Naismith All-USA national girls basketball coach of the year in 2014, led Blackman to the title of national champions by USA TODAY, MaxPreps, and ESPN. He was a finalist for the Naismith award in his final season at Blackman.

The National High School Coaches Association named him the 2015 Women's Basketball National Coach of the Year. He was the first coach from Tennessee to be selected for the honor in its first 16 years of existence.

Hibdon left the Blaze to take on rebuilding Truett-McConnell College, an NAIA school in Cleveland, Georgia, into a competitive program.

He arrives at Trevecca as a highly decorated coach focused on developing champions.

"Being a Christian university in the heart of Nashville is a great base for recruiting the right student-athletes for reaching a standard of excellence everyone will be proud of," Hibdon said. "We will be championship-built, which means to be champions for Christ, champions in the classroom, champions in the community, and champions on the court. The four pillars of championship-built are give, grow, love, and win.

"Another key to our success surrounds being engaged on campus and in the community. As we begin the journey that God has prepared us, our vision is to enhance the tradition that is Trevecca Trojan women's basketball!" 

A native of Lascassas, Tennessee, Hibdon graduated from Murfreesboro Riverdale High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in health and wellness from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Education from Lipscomb University.

Chad is married to Lea, and the two have a son, Eli, and a daughter, Lydia Grace. 

For more information about Hibdon, see tnutrojans.com.

--Trevecca Nazarene University