Franqua Bedell is the third head coach in the history of Tallahassee's women's basketball program

Posted: Jun 20, 2013

Franqua Bedell introduced as head women's basketball coach at TCC

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 20, 2013) - Tallahassee Community College officially introduced Franqua Bedell as its new head women's basketball coach on Thursday – just the third in the program's 20-year history.

Most recently, Bedell, affectionately known as "Coach Q" to his peers and colleagues, was an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he spent the 2012-13 season on Marlene Stollings' staff with the Rams.

"I'm humbled and honored to be the next head coach at Tallahassee Community College," said Bedell. "In this profession, this opportunity is something I've longed for and worked for.

"It's definitely a dream come true."

In addition to VCU, Bedell's collegiate coaching ledger includes stints at Mississippi State University (2008-12), Southeastern Illinois College (2006-08), Southeast Missouri State University (2003-05) and Hardin-Simmons University (1999-00), where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant on the men's basketball staff. He also has three years of coaching experience at the high school level.

"Today signifies the beginning of a new era for women's basketball at Tallahassee Community College," said director of athletics Rob Chaney. "I'm confident we made the right choice and a great choice and I'm excited to get Coach Q on board so he can go to work."

Bedell's first move as head coach is in the books – he retained assistant coach Lamar Hamilton, who served as the Lady Eagles' interim head coach since mid-January. Bedell's next job is solidifying the Lady Eagles' 2013-14 roster, and he has already confirmed the return of all six rising sophomores – Aariel Allen, Addesha Collins, Karley Barnes, Morgan Demilio, Tyeshia Guinnie and Aiyannah Peal.

Due to beginning its coaching search just three days prior to the start of the current signing period, recruiting has been slow to get off the ground for Tallahassee. But Bedell is known for his relentless style of recruiting and a tremendous work ethic, qualities that Chaney says are a "blueprint for success" in the grueling Panhandle Conference.

Though Tallahassee marks Bedell's first coaching stop in Florida, he is quite familiar with the Panhandle Conference and even has ties to the league.

In 2006, Bedell was hired by NJCAA member school Southeastern Illinois and was an assistant to Greg Franklin, now the head coach at Tallahassee's arch rival, Chipola College. That season, Southeastern Illinois carried the NJCAA's No. 1 ranking into the postseason and brought home a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Tournament.

Prior to the following season, Franklin left for an assistant's role at Mississippi State and Bedell was promoted to the top spot at Southeastern Illinois, his first head coaching opportunity at the collegiate level. He guided the Falcons to a 33-4 record, including a win over Tallahassee in an early-season game played at Chipola, and a sixth-place finish at the 2008 NJCAA Tournament.

Following his second year at Southeastern Illinois, Bedell, like Franklin, was hired as an assistant at Mississippi State, and the duo made up part of Sharon Fanning-Otis' staff until she retired following the 2012 season.

A native of Fort Smith, Ark., Bedell graduated from Southside High School then attended the University of the Ozarks, in Clarksville, Ark., where he lettered in basketball (1995-96) and earned a bachelor's degree in general studies. He went on to obtain a master's degree in sports and recreation management from Hardin-Simmons in 2001.

Bedell was named head coach at Tallahassee on June 6; his first official day on the job will be Friday, June 21.