Mid-America Christian University Athletics is proud to announce that longtime MACU women’s basketball head coach Hannah Moeller has officially been selected to serve as the Evangels’ first ever Senior Woman Leader.
“I want to thank President (Phil) Greenwald and Executive Vice President Dr. (Bobbie) Spurgeon-Harris for their confidence and belief in me,” said Moeller. “MACU is home to me. I am honored to serve in a new and exciting way as our University and Athletic Department continues to reach new heights. I am hopeful our department continues to equip student-athletes to be strong, Christ-like leaders for years to come.”
For National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institutions, the Senior Woman Leader serves as a key participant in senior-level management decisions regarding intercollegiate athletics on-campus in order to promote meaningful representation of women in leadership and management.
“Coach Moeller demonstrates humble and confident leadership at Mid-America Christian University both on and off the court,” stated Greenwald. “Hannah’s commitment to excellence, servant leadership, and heart for students is exemplified in the deep relationships she has built with athletes, colleagues and alumni. Whether coaching a game or mentoring a student, Coach Moeller brings her best to glorify God and serve others. We look forward to her presence and participation in the strategic leadership of athletics in our campus community.”
Some of the duties that Moeller will be involved in include, but are not limited to: communicate regularly with the athletic director on departmental and university initiatives, provide leadership and guidance in the area of Title IX and gender equity planning, assist the athletic director and senior management with strategic planning and decision-making, participate in budget development and major financial decisions, as well as advocate for student-athlete well-being while also serving the role of a mentor and resource for athletic staff members.
“Hannah has a demonstrated ability to work well with the MACU community as a whole,” stated MACU Executive Vice President Dr. Bobbie Spurgeon-Harris. “She had a passion for nurturing and empowering young women athletically, academically, spiritually and in life. Her passion and leadership will be an asset to all female students at MACU.”
Moeller moves into the role after serving as the longest tenured female employee and the third-longest tenured head coach of the MACU Athletic Department, as she is currently entering her seventh season at the helm of the women’s basketball program after becoming the head coach heading into the 2016-17 season. Overall, Moeller has more than 10 years of collegiate basketball coaching experience.
Outside of coaching, Moeller brings profound leadership into the position, serving as a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and also serves on the Sooner Athletic Conference Oversight Committee for women’s basketball. Internally, Moeller has also served as a mentor for MACU’s Women of Valor leadership program since 2016 and has completed GiANT worldwide leadership training and has held a leader post for MACU’s MCORE program.
In her MACU coaching career, Moeller has elevated the MACU women’s basketball program to new heights. In her first year, Moeller led the Evangels to their first 20-win season since 2006-07, wrapping up the campaign with a 23-13 record and the program’s first ever appearance in the NCCAA Division I National Championship Tournament.
One year later, Moeller guided MACU to its first NCCAA Division I title, defeating Concordia-Ann Arbor (Mich.) 71-60 on Mar. 17, 2018, finishing the season with a 24-11 overall mark. In the 2018-19 season, the Evangels became just the fifth NCCAA Division I program to win back-to-back NCCAA National Championships as MACU rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 87-84 on Mar. 16, 2019 to close out with a 25-9 record.
Mid-America Christian put together another stellar regular season in 2019-20, turning in a 21-11 record and were selected as the Central Region representative as well as earning the No. 1 seed for the NCCAA national tourney. However, the Evangels missed out on their opportunity to three-peat as national champion when the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite not getting the opportunity to play for the national title, Moeller was still named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year for the third straight season.
While navigating the Coronavirus pandemic the following season, Moeller led MACU to its first ever Sooner Athletic Conference Championship after the Evangels went 6-0 in league play and 9-3 overall. Despite half of MACU’s regular season contests getting canceled as a result of COVID-19, the Evangels still earned their first ever bid to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In its first trip to the illustrious national tournament, MACU narrowly missed winning its first ever NAIA Opening Round contest as the Evangels’ rally against Columbia (Mo.) came up just short in an 85-83 defeat on Mar. 12, 2021.
Last season, Moeller paved the way to the Evangels’ winningest season in program history. After wrapping up the 2021-22 campaign with a 28-5 record, Mid-America Christian recorded the most wins it had ever recorded in a single season while the Evangels’ .848 win percentage also eclipsed the previous MACU record. MACU also finished with its most wins ever in Sooner Athletic Conference play, going 19-3 against league competition.
After qualifying for the NAIA national tourney for the second year in a row, Moeller helped propel the Evangels to their first NAIA Opening Round win after defeating Briar Cliff (Iowa) 76-64 in Wichita, Kansas on Mar. 11.
Over her six previous seasons as MACU’s head coach, Moeller has amassed an astounding 130-52 overall record (.714), boasting five 20-win seasons and has posting no lower than a .639 win percentage in each season.
Moeller will officially assume her role as Senior Woman Leader for the MACU Athletic Department on August 1.