After five years with the club, Billy Beddow will be leaving Crusaders to take on the challenge of leading a new programme in Milton Keynes. Billy has been based at The Canterbury Academy since joining Crusaders. He has worked his way up from third assistant to lead assistant under current head coach Adam Davies. Billy has had a number of other roles in his time at Crusaders, including heading up our junior academy and coaching the U16 premier club team.
Adam has this is to say about Beddows’s departure, “Billy is liked by everyone: players, teachers, parents and even refs. I am losing a great assistant coach who has helped shape and build what we do here at the academy. I am very proud that Billy wants to take the leap into leading his own programme and I have full confidence he will do an amazing job.”
Billy had this to say about his my at the club “My time with Crusaders has been nothing short of brilliant. 5 years ago both the club and the school welcomed me with open arms and provided me with a learning opportunity that has changed my coaching career for the better. The history of the club and academy is rich, and I am so proud to now be a small part of this legacy. The quality of the staff as professionals and people meant that I have been able to grow and make lifelong friends along the way. I’m looking forward to the next challenge in my coaching career in Milton Keynes and want to say a huge thank you to everyone at Canterbury Academy and Kent Crusaders!”
Lazarus Thompson who has recently been coaching up North in Stoke, will join the EABL programme in Canterbury at the end of August. Laz has already had experience coaching in higher education establishments with Stoke-on-Trent sixth form and Staffordshire University.
Crusaders Director Jesse Sazant commented on the appointment of coach Thompson, “Lazarus is a great addition to our programme. He will bring a lot to the club and the academy and can’t wait to see him continue to grow and develop as a coach.”
Lazarus will join current assistants Cristina Stanciuca and Rhys Davies. Adam, who will be leading the programme for his fourth season, is excited to get going with his new staff. “I’m really looking forward to Lazarus coming in and bringing new ideas and a different set of eyes to see how we can continue to develop and improve the academy and people within it. I think Laz will fit right in here and I can’t wait to get going and hopefully have a normal season again.”
This will be Lazarus’s first full time basketball coaching job and he can’t wait to get started saying, “I would like to thank the Crusaders for the opportunity to pursue my passion full time. I am grateful to be a part of a club that focuses heavily on player development, and I look forward to working with Jesse, Adam and all of the players and staff.”
