A Bright Future for Bartel

After a very successful 2022-2023 basketball season, Head Women’s Basketball Coach Keith Ferguson announced that he will be leaving Bethany College at the end of this semester. Ferguson will be taking on a new head coaching position at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. As he closes his door here at Bethany College, the door has been left wide open for his assistant coach, Sarah Bartel. The Lady Swedes welcome Bartel as the new head coach for the 2023-2024 basketball season. Bartel played under Ferguson for two years before serving as the assistant coach for two years at Coffeyville Community College. In 2021, she made her way back to Bethany where she has been the assistant coach for the past two seasons. In her time as an assistant at Bethany, she has helped lead the team to two winning seasons and a second-place conference finish in 2023. Bartel has led team workouts, helped with the recruiting process, and been a mentor for all the girls that she has had the opportunity to help coach.

Bartel has worked closely with many of her players on and off the court. In her time as a resident director in Warner Hall, she has been able to connect with all students across campus. “I am excited to see what she has in store for us and I’m excited to get back on the court under her leadership,” says Emily Green, sophomore point guard. Green and the rest of her teammates have high expectations for Bartel as she steps up to fill the shoes that Ferguson has left. Similarly, Bartel has high hopes for the team and is confident in their abilities. Looking forward, Bartel already has bright ideas for the next season. She hopes to incorporate new team bonding activities and new practice equipment, but her expectations of players will remain the same. The Lady Swedes have been a tough group of competitive players. Coach Bartel will continue to demand that her players display these qualities and will seek recruits that are similar.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime for Bartel and something that she has always wanted to achieve. Bartel has learned a lot from her time both playing and coaching alongside Coach Ferguson. The Lady Swedes feel comfortable moving forward with Bartel as the new Head Coach. An exciting new chapter awaits her and the Swedes.