Southwestern College athletic director and women’s basketball coach David Denly will leave the college July 1 to become head women’s basketball coach at Bellevue University in Nebraska. 
           
Denly was head women’s coach at SC for 17 years, and took the Lady Builders to the national championships during the past five seasons with seven appearances in all, finishing no lower than fourth in the KCAC every season he was at the helm.
           
President Dick Merriman promoted Denly to athletic director four years ago. 
           
“David has been an outstanding coach and athletic director for the college,” says Merriman, who will be leaving the college in July. “His Lady Builder squads have combined tremendous competitive success with outstanding academic performance and a strong leadership profile on campus. He has truly shown the way in terms of building a program that features both athletic and academic success.”  

Merriman describes Denly as “an active and engaged athletic director, working to achieve significant facilities improvements for athletics, like Jantz Stadium and the Helmer Family Track, and taking active roles in the work of the KCAC and the NAIA. The number of Builder teams and athletes that have been recognized as NAIA Champions of Character says a lot about his commitment to doing college athletics the right way.”
           
Denly will be the inaugural women’s basketball coach at Bellevue as the college adds the sport for the first time in 2015-16. With an enrollment of approximately 8,300, the college is part of the North Star Athletic Association.
           
“There were many things we fell in love with at Southwestern College and the outstanding character of the student-athletes and the overall athletic program was a big part of that,” says incoming SC President Brad Andrews. “Dave leaves big shoes to fill both in his coaching and his role as athletic director, but we’re proud of him and wish him well. We will work hard over the coming weeks to find someone worthy to take his place.”
           
“I’m forever grateful for the opportunities Southwestern College has given me,” Denly says. “The opportunity to be a women’s basketball coach and athletic director has helped me both personally and professionally, and for my family and me, Southwestern will always hold a special place in our hearts. We are excited about the opportunity Bellevue presents, and I will be drawing on my Southwestern experience as I move on in my career.”
           
Denly’s overall record at SC 348-171, and he has guided his team to seven consecutive 20-win seasons, setting school records along the way for both total victories in a season and conference wins in a season.  He has coached 24 first-team All-Conference players, 48 Academic All-Americans and 84 Academic All-Conference selections in his tenure at Southwestern, and the Lady Builders have had the KCAC Player of the Year four times during his tutelage. He was KCAC Coach of the Year three times, and is the 16th winningest women’s basketball coach in the NAIA. 

Before taking over the women’s program at SC, Denly served as an assistant coach to Brad Horstmann in the Builder men’s program for two years.  During that time, the Southwestern men qualified for the national tournament and won the KCAC conference tournament.