The Saugus High School Athletic Department announced today that Bill Bedgood will become the new Boys Basketball coach effective immediately. Coach Bedgood has a significant coaching history at the high school level as well as a basketball pedigree that includes local roots as a player at Hart High School and College of the Canyons. He has been the Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks from 2005-2012 as well as the Head Varsity Coach at Bishop Alemany from 2002-2005 and at Antelope Valley Christian High School from 1999-2001.

As a graduate of Hart High School in 1992, Coach Bedgood played for Greg Herrick, current Women’s Basketball Coach at College of the Canyons. Coach Herrick says, “I followed Bill’s playing and coaching career very closely. In that time, he always demonstrated a concern for others, the desire to improve in everything he did and a definite ability for leadership. I believe he will bring an enthusiasm for kids, great knowledge of basketball, outstanding organizational qualities, and an ability to relate to the community to benefit all those that come in contact with the Saugus program.”

Upon graduating from High School, Bedgood attended UCLA but found his way back to the basketball floor at COC where he played for Lee Smelser and John Clark and earned Freshman of the Year honors and MVP status during his Sophomore season. He completed his collegiate career at Cal Lutheran University, playing for the nationally ranked Kingsmen under the leadership of Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Rider and Assistant Geoff Dains. Dains, who played basketball and graduated from Saugus High School in 1992, had this to say about the hiring of Bedgood, “The players that Bill Bedgood sent us when he was coaching at Alemany and Notre Dame were tremendous additions to our program and they graduated in four years. These young men came in fundamentally sound, especially in terms of defense, and they were immediate impacts within our program. Bill has a fantastic perspective on the high school athlete, and prepares them very well, not only for their high school careers, but for life after high school.”

The process to find the new Saugus coach brought an extended list of very good candidates. A committee of administrators, Athletic Director, other Saugus coaches, and former basketball coaches with years of experience spent a significant amount of time going through applications, resumes, and reference checks. Ultimately, a final select few were taken to task in formal interview sessions as well as on the gym floor in front of current Saugus players, being asked to run a full practice. “We liked the process that we came up with. It was one of the most rigorous ever employed for hiring a coach on our campus, and I believe this lengthy process has helped us uncover a real gem” said Principal Bill Bolde. He continued, “All of our committee members were very impressed with Coach Bedgood’s credentials, his vision for Saugus Basketball, his genuine likeability, and his desire to see young men excel in basketball and in life.”

Coach Bedgood is a math teacher at Notre Dame High and is a resident of the Saugus Community where he and his wife, Emilie are raising three sons.