Franqua Bedell starts his second season as an assistant coach of the Otahkian basketball program. Coach "Q" has over nine years of coaching experience on various levels of women's basketball and has used that experience to help his teams to success.
Bedell's main responsibilities for the program is working with guards and ball-handling for all players. He assists in the recruitment of high school and junior college players off the court as well as oversee all travel arrangements.
Bedell also is also in charge of monitoring the athlete's academic performance and progress throughout the academic year. He coordinates and runs all tutoring and study sessions for the athletes.
Before arriving in Cape Girardeau, Bedell served as assistant girl's basketball coach at Northside High School in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. At Northside he helped lead the team to a 27-4 record and a fifth place national ranking in the USA Today Girl's High School Poll. In that one season at Northside, he coached seven D-I signees.
In 2002, Bedell assisted the men's basketball program at his alma mater, the University of the Ozarks. His duties included assisting in recruiting and evaluation of potential recruits. He also served as Student Activities Director and Resident Hall Director for the university.
From 1999-2000 he was an assistant coach at Hardin Simmons University while completing his Masters. As an assistant he helped in recruiting and player development. He also served as the Club Sports Director and coached the cross country club team and handball club team for the university.
A graduate of the University of the Ozarks in 1999 with a degree in education, Bedell was a student athlete in three different sports; basketball, soccer and cross country. He earned his Master's in Education, with an emphasis in Sports and Recreation Management from Hardin Simmons University in 2001.
Bedell is actively involved in the community, volunteering his time as a Special Olympics coach. He remains involved in coaching inner city youths on basketball fundamentals.
