The Bethany College department of athletics announces the hiring of Bethany College graduate Keith Ferguson ’11 as the new head women’s basketball.
“As a Lindsborg native and BC alum, Coach Ferguson has intimate knowledge of all of the benefits of a Bethany education,” Dean of Athletics/Dean of Student Development Dane Pavlovich said upon hiring Ferguson. “He has the skills and connections to be able to recruit quality student-athletes to our women’s basketball team. Keith has coached at a variety of levels, and he has had success at every stop in his coaching career.”
Ferguson comes to Bethany from the NCAA Division I level where he has had two very successful seasons as an assistant coach at Fresno State University. In his time, Fresno State has finished in the top three in the league each year with a Mountain West Conference championship game appearance in 2015-16. The overall team record during this time was 44-21 and they were 24-9 in conference play. Both years Fresno State saw post-season action, going to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament twice and advancing in the second round in the 2015-16 season. Ferguson had six players earn all-conference team awards and three individual awards over the two years including a co-player of the year award.
Before Fresno he was a coach at the collegiate level for nine years. During that time, he has seen 24 athletes receive all-conference recognition, and six of his players have collected All-American honors. He was an assistant at Hutchinson Community College during the 2011-12 season when the team finished with a 36-1 record and was the national runner-up at the NJCAA Tournament. Five players from this team received Division I offers.
Ferguson has also seen success as a head coach for Brown Mackie College from 2007-09 and then Barton Community College from 2009-11. During this time; he compiled a 94-50 (.653) overall record, led Brown Mackie to the program’s first 20-win season and coached his Barton squad to a 21-11 overall record and a Jayhawk Conference runner-up finish.
Ferguson obtained an associate’s degree from Cloud County Community College in 2004, he then graduated from Bethany in 2011 with his bachelors in business management.
“I am very excited and humbled for the opportunity to return to my home town and alma mater,” Ferguson said. “When I was a kid I grew up watching the Swedes play and know the level of pride and passion this community and alumni have for Bethany College. After speaking with Dane Pavlovich and President Jones I knew I wanted to be a part of what was happening at this institution. Bethany has had a great tradition in Women’s Basketball and I hope we can build a program that everyone will be proud of. ROCKAR STOCKAR!”
“Throughout our conversations during the search process, Keith provided a vision for the Swede Women’s Basketball team that will allow our program to continue to grow in prominence at the conference level. We are very excited have Keith back as a Swede,” Pavlovich stated.
http://www.bethanyswedes.com/article/4292.php
Photo Courtesy Bethany Athletics
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