(Friday, March 6; Sioux Center, Iowa) The Great Plains Athletic Conference has announced its Women's Basketball Coach of the Year, and Dordt's Bill Harmsen has been voted to the honor for the fourth time in his collegiate coaching career.

Harmsen is in his eighth year at Dordt and coached the Defenders to a GPAC regular season championship with a 21-1 league record. The team enters the NAIA National Championship bracket with a 29-2 overall record.

The Defenders have won four straight GPAC regular season titles and are 82-6 in league play over the last four seasons. Harmsen has a 217-50 overall record in his seven-plus seasons with the Defenders. He has guided the program to seven NAIA National Championship field berths, two NAIA national championships, and one runner-up finish.

Harmsen was also awarded the honor in 2018-19, 2022-23, 2023-24 and was the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2023-24. 

Dordt opens NAIA National Championship play on Friday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. against Simpson (California) at De Witt Gym on Dordt's campus.