Will Beddingfield begins his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Lady Toppers in 2018 after serving as a volunteer assistant for WKU from 2009-13.
Beddingfield has worked primarily with goalkeepers during his time on the Hill and has led WKU to a 0.943 goals against average since 2009. WKU's goalkeepers have allowed just 161 goals in nine seasons with Beddingfield on the coaching staff. The Lady Toppers have surrendered less than 18 goals in six of Beddingfield's nine seasons on the Hill, including just 13 during their third-place C-USA finish in 2016. In WKU's 16-year history, seven of the top 10 seasons with the fewest goals allowed have come with Beddingfield at the helm of the goalkeepers.
Every primary goalkeeper under Beddingfield has earned All-Conference honors at one point in their career. Beddingfield was instrumental in the development of WKU's first professional player in program history, Libby Stout. Stout was a four-year starter for WKU, becoming the program's all-time leader in wins and minutes played during the 2011 season. She posted a 45-17-11 record in goal during her career while recording 39 shutouts for the Lady Toppers. Her 39 shutouts are the second-most in NCAA history. In 76 career matches played, Stout set WKU career records for wins, shutouts, goals against average in 0.68, and save percentage at .860. Stout became the first professional in WKU Soccer history when she signed with F.F. Yzeure Allier Auvergne in France in August 2012. Stout recently signed with the Boston Breakers in the NWSL in November 2015.
Beddingfield also played a major role in Nora Abolins' career, who became WKU's second player to sign a professional contract in 2016. She spent one season on The Hill in which she had 68 saves and allowed only 14 goals in the 2013 season. She had nine shutouts on the year, putting together a five-game stretch at one point. Abolins signed with QBIK Karlstad in February 2016. The club is in Sweden's second-highest division.
Allison Leone started in every match for WKU over her four seasons from 2014-17. She finished with a total of 297 saves in her career, which is the third most in program history. She also posted a 0.98 GAA in her four seasons and 27 total solo shutouts, and Leone captured Second Team All-C-USA honors following the 2016 season and Third Team honors after the 2017 campaign.
Beddingfield also mentored WKU's 2012 goalkeeper, Nikki Hall, who earned second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors as a freshman after allowing a .083 GAA and surrendering just six goals in 10 Sun Belt games.
Beddingfield arrived on The Hill on March 5, 2009 after spending two seasons at Big South Conference power High Point University as the first assistant, recruiting coordinator and goalkeeping coach. While with the Panthers, HPU experienced tremendous growth both on and off the field. In 2007, two of his keepers were recognized as all-conference and all-tournament, respectively. He has also trained several other all-conference performers on the field.
No stranger to collegiate soccer, Beddingfield brings 22 years of coaching experience, including head coaching stops at Carson-Newman University (Tenn.), Greensboro College (N.C.), Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.) and also a three-year stint with the Carolina Dynamo professional team as an assistant and goalkeeping coach.
Beddingfield's first head coaching stop at Carson-Newman saw him found the varsity program for the Eagles in 1992 and post a 49-45-7 record across six seasons. Under Beddingfield, the Eagles made their first appearance in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament in 1996 and featured 12 all-conference performers and 35 academic all-conference honorees. While at Carson-Newman, Beddingfield also served as the Game Management Supervisor for the NCAA Division II National Football Championship in 1996 and 1997
Beddingfield served a seven-year tenure (2000-06) as the head coach for the Lenoir-Rhyne women's team, finishing his career as the winningest coach in the 16-year history of the program. He ranked second among active South Atlantic Conference coaches for wins when he left and also was the only Lenoir-Rhyne coach to lead the program to a pair of conference tournament finals. He produced 12 All-Conference honorees, two All-Region and two additional All-American nominees while guiding the Bears program.
Beddingfield is fully-licensed by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), with a Premier Diploma and a NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma. Beddingfield resides in Bowling Green with his wife, JoAnna, and son, Ian.
