New Willard coach is right at home

WILLARD — All in the family. Willard High School's new girls basketball coach is Alanna Bedingfield, the wife of current boys coach Joe Bedingfield. The official announcement was made Wednesday. Alanna Bedingfield is the former Alanna Buurma, a 2000 graduate of Willard High School. She was the all-time leading rebounder at Willard with 930 and fourth in career scoring with 1,149. She went on to play and star at Ashland University, and is in the school's Hall of Fame. Here are the all-time leading scorers in Willard girls' basketball: 1. Cassidy Crawford, 1,640 2. Alisa Peddicord, 1,230 3. Tina Adams, 1,175 4. Alanna (Buurma) Bedingfield, 1,149 The Bedingfields have four children — Reese in high school, JJ in junior high, Ryann in fifth grade and Jade in third grade. "I am very, very excited," Willard Athletic Director Joe Crawford said. "I remember when Joe came and Alanna came with him. We had conversations in the past ... wouldn't it be great? "It is the kind of person you want to get back into the program. One of the Willard greats ... I am pretty excited." Bedingfield has no previous coaching experience, but she certainly knows the game. "All of her playing experience," Crawford said. "I sit here in both jobs I have now (AD and assistant principal) with no prior experience. It can be done. She knows what she wants to do. She is starting from a higher place than others because of her playing experience and her staff." On her staff are Ashley Bond, also the current head volleyball coach who has been on basketball staff, and Kelly Poths, reserve/assistant, a former head coach at Monroeville. Bedingfield replaces coaching legend Barry Pfahl, who had a 328-182 record in 22 seasons as coach (1991-2009 and 2019-23). She played for Pfahl during her star career for the Flashes. Prior to coaching the girls, Pfahl was a reserve coach in the boys' program for Bob Haas. "He was a big-time coach," Crawford said. "I think we are turning it over and leaving it in good hands. We had some very, very good candidates. It was a tough decision, which is a good problem to have. "My daughters went through the program and it has a special place in my heart. I want to continue that tradition and I feel this is the right choice and the right way to to."