Bedell's title run earns Spalding® DI Coach of the Year
Franqua Bedell led No. 11 seed Tallahassee to its first-ever national title
Colorado Springs, CO – An unheralded run to the national championship has led to the announcement of Tallahassee (FL) head coach Franqua Bedell as the 2017-18 Spalding® NJCAA DI Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year. Bedell guided the No. 11 seeded Eagles to its first title in program history.
In his fifth season at the helm of the Eagles, Bedell led his program to a 29-6 record in the always-competitive Region VIII. In the national tournament, Tallahassee battled through five games as the No. 11 seed to win the title. The Eagles topped Trinity Valley (TX) 69-51 in the championship match as an at-large team.
A freshman-heavy roster, the Eagles’ offense ranked ninth in the nation with 83.4 points per game while the defense ranked seventh with 15.6 steals per game. In the national tournament, Tallahassee limited its opponents to 65.0 points per contest.
Under Bedell’s guidance, sophomore Japonica James was named to the 2017-18 NJCAA DI Women’s Basketball All-America First Team.
2017-18 NJCAA DI Women’s Basketball All-America Team
Just the third coach in program history, “Q” has led Tallahassee to 99 wins over his five seasons for a .678 winning percentage.
