Danelle Bishop enters her 16th season (17th year overall) as the head coach of the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team in 2026-27.
As the fifth head coach in program history, Bishop has guided CPP to 10 NCAA Championship appearances, which includes four Sweet Sixteen showings (2011, 2014, 2015, 2026), three Elite Eight appearances (2011, 2014, 2026) and one Final Four (2014). She owns a win-loss record of 300-143 at the helm of the CPP women's basketball program, and with 22 years of head coaching experience (including four seasons at Azusa Pacific and three at California Baptist), Bishop is 438-228, a .658 winning percentage.
Bishop led the Broncos to an incredible 29-5 record during the 2025-26 season, marking the most wins for the program since the 1989-90 season. The team also won the CCAA regular season title, tying the most CCAA wins in a season with 20. Bishop earned CCAA Coach of the Year honors for the second time in her career, and was a finalist for WBCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Broncos to their 15th NCAA West Region Title.
At the conclusion of the 2013-14 regular season, Bishop earned her first CCAA Coach of the Year honor after capturing the CCAA regular-season title with an 18-4 record. That same season, Bishop and the Broncos won the NCAA Division II West Region title and advanced to the national semifinal.
In her 15 seasons at CPP, the women's basketball program has seen six All-Americans, eight All-West Region honorees, five CCAA Players of the Year, and an impressive 44 All-CCAA honorees.
Prior to joining the CPP program, Bishop was the head coach at California Baptist University in Riverside for three seasons from 2007-10. She was the first coach in program history to post consecutive winning seasons in 17 years, and she also earned the most wins in a two-year period in that span. In her first season (2007-08), the Lancers were just one win away from making their first trip to the national tournament since 1982.
In 2003-04, Bishop got her head coaching start at Azusa Pacific University at the age of 26, leading the Cougars to unprecedented heights with four straight 20-win seasons and four consecutive NAIA National Tournament berths. APU went 92-41 (a .692 winning percentage) during Bishop’s run and finished with two “Sweet Sixteen’’ finishes at the national tournament – a first for APU.
Prior to her time at APU, Bishop spent three seasons as an assistant coach at San Joaquin Delta Junior College in Stockton and served as a graduate assistant at her alma mater, Tarleton State, in 2000.
Bishop played two seasons at Tarleton State (from 1997-99) and was an All-Lone Star Conference selection both seasons. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science in 1999 and earned her master’s in education.
She played one season at the University of Florida (1994-95) and then transferred to Delta College, where she was named team MVP, All-Bay Valley Conference and participated in the California State Junior College All-Star game in 1997.
Bishop resides in Eastvale with her husband Walter, daughter Marissa Reagan, and son Walter IV.
Bishop Through the Years
| SEASON |
INSTITUTION |
OVERALL |
CONF |
PLACE |
| 2003-04 |
Azusa Pacific |
20-12 |
13-7 |
|
| 2004-05 |
Azusa Pacific |
24-11 |
14-6 |
|
| 2005-06 |
Azusa Pacific |
24-10 |
14-6 |
|
| 2006-07 |
Azusa Pacific |
24-8 |
15-5 |
|
| 4 Years |
Azusa Pacific |
92-41 (.692) |
56-24 |
|
| 2007-08 |
California Baptist |
17-12 |
10-10 |
|
| 2008-09 |
California Baptist |
17-14 |
9-11 |
|
| 2009-10 |
California Baptist |
12-18 |
5-15 |
|
| 3 Years |
California Baptist |
46-44 (.511) |
24-36 |
|
| 2010-11 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
28-5 |
19-3 |
2nd |
| 2011-12 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
19-9 |
15-7 |
2nd |
| 2012-13 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
14-13 |
12-10 |
6th |
| 2013-14 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
26-7 |
18-4 |
1st |
| 2014-15 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
21-9 |
17-5 |
3rd |
| 2015-16 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
11-17 |
9-11 |
7th |
| 2016-17 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
17-11 |
14-6 |
3rd |
| 2017-18 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
20-9 |
16-6 |
2nd |
| 2018-19 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
25-6 |
19-3 |
2nd |
| 2019-20 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
19-10 |
15-7 |
3rd |
| 2020-21 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
COVID-19 |
| 2021-22 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
8-15 |
7-12 |
9th |
| 2022-23 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
18-11 |
14-8 |
4th |
| 2023-24 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
20-10 |
15-7 |
3rd |
| 2024-25 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
25-6 |
19-3 |
2nd |
| 2024-25 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
29-5 |
20-2 |
1st |
| 16 Years |
Cal Poly Pomona |
300-143 (.677) |
229-94 |
|
| OVERALL (22 seasons) |
438-228 (.658) |
309-154 |
|
|
NCAA Tournament Appearance |
