Andy Rang was promoted to head coach in the winter of 2018-19 after serving as interim and associate head coach during a nearly a seven-year tenure at Trine.  He enters his 12th season as a member of the Thunder coaching staff in 2023-24. Rang also serves as Assistant Athletic Director of Travel, a position he has held since 2014.

 

Rang’s game-planning and scouting abilities have played a pivotal role in the turnaround of the Trine program. In the last four seasons, the Thunder have vaulted up the conference ranks to the top of the MIAA.  Coming into the 2022-23 season, Rang has a 114-23 record as head coach.

 

Most recently, Trine appeared in the 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Sectional Semifinals after winning their first two games in the event at Loras College. For the second consecutive season, the Thunder had an All-American on their roster, this time it was Sidney Wagner. Wagner became the third NCAA All-American in program history when D3hoops.com honored her on the Third Team. Wagner and Makayla Ardis saw themselves represented as All-Region student-athletes for their efforts over the course of the season. For the second straight year, the Thunder were Co-MIAA Regular Season champions in the conference. 

 

For the first time in school history, the Trine University women's basketball team reached the NCAA Division III Tournament National Semifinals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2021-22. The Thunder finished the season with a record of 28-4 overall and were 15-1 in the MIAA. 28 wins is the most in a single season in program history. Trine were named MIAA Regular Season Co-Champions and played for the MIAA Tournament Championship on their home floor thanks to a 70-62 victory at Hope College, snapping the opposing program's 61-game winning streak. In the national tournament, the Thunder played host for First and Second Round action inside the MTI Center for the first time in school history. The team defeated Immaculata and John Carroll before beating Springfield and Transylvania on the road to reach the Championship Semifinals. There, they would lose a hard fought battle with Hope, 57-52. Tara Bieniewicz became the second All-American in program history by D3hoops.com and the WBCA. At the Regional level, Coach Rang was tabbed Co-Head Coach of the Year, while Bieniewicz and Kayla Wildman were each recognized as All-Region players. The WBCA also honored the team for their academic achievements in the Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

 

The Thunder faced a shortened season due to COVID-19 in 2020-21 where they finished 14-3 overall and 6-1 in the MIAA conference. Trine reached its fourth consecutive appearance in the MIAA Tournament title game and the fifth in the past six seasons.  Three players earned All-Conference honors, including Tara Bieniewicz who also earned All-Region honors.

 

The 2019-20 season saw the Thunder post their fourth-straight 20+ win season (23-6) and finished second in the MIAA with a 14-2 mark.  In the MIAA Tournament, Trine reached the championship game for the fifth consecutive season and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in a row.  In addition, the team reached the "Sweet 16" for the second time in its four tournament appearances.  Three players earned All-Conference, including Tara Bieniewicz who also earned All-Region honors.

 

In his first season as head coach, the Thunder picked up where they left off from the year before and captured both the MIAA Regular-Season and Tournament Championships with back-to-back seasons of a school-record tying 26 wins (26-3 overall).  Trine also finished a perfect 16-0 against conference opponents, marking the first time the team has done so since joining the MIAA.  Trine also made a third-straight trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament and advanced to the second round, where the Thunder fell to eventual national champion Thomas More (Ky.) University.  Senior Brandi Dawson earned MIAA “MVP” honors for the third time in her career and was one of two players to earn All-MIAA accolades.  She also went on to be named All-American by both D3hoops.com and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).  Fellow senior Cassidy Williams also had a standout season as a first-team All-MIAA honoree and earned All-Region accolades.  In the final national rankings, Trine was seventh in the D3hoops.com poll and 13th in the WBCA poll.

 

In 2017-18, Trine won a school single-season record 26 games (26-4) on its way to a share of the MIAA regular-season title as well as an appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight season.  In the national tournament, the Thunder advanced to the “Sweet 16” for the first time in program history since joining the NCAA.  Brandi Dawson repeated as the MIAA “MVP” and Div. III All-American, while Hayley Martin earned MIAA “Defensive Player of the Year” and All-Region honors for the second consecutive season.  Trine ended the year ranked ninth overall in the nation in the final D3hoops.com and WBCA polls.

 

In 2016-17, Trine went on a historic run to its first NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament appearance. Along the way, the Thunder won its first MIAA Championship and first MIAA Tournament title. The team produced All-American and MIAA Most Valuable Player Brandi Dawson and MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Hayley Martin. Trine finished eighth in the nation in scoring defense. The team concluded the season ranked 17th by D3hoops.com and 18th by the WBCA.

 

Rang came to Trine University from IPFW, where he served as director of operations for the women’s basketball program for two seasons. During his time at IPFW, he was able to help the program win 20 games and advance to postseason play, both first for the program since going Division I.

 

Prior to IPFW, Rang spent five successful seasons as the head girl’s coach at Fort Wayne South Side High School. During his five seasons with the Lady Archers, Rang led his team to four straight 20-win seasons, three sectional titles, one regional title and two trips to the Indiana 4A Elite Eight and one to the Final Four. His overall record at South Side was 98-24.

 

Rang resides in Fort Wayne with his wife, Chandra. They have four children, Christian, Chandler, Carter and Avery.