By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Chase Spreen, a former fixture in the background on the Bedford North Lawrence sideline, has stepped into the spotlight.
After working as an assistant coach for Jeff Allen for nine seasons, Spreen has been hired as the new head coach for the Lady Stars. He succeeds Greg Burton, who lasted only one year at the helm, to become the 13th coach in the history of the iconic program.
BNL is imbedded in Spreen’s DNA. He played for the Stars, averaging 22.5 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior in 2008. After his college playing career at Lindsey Wilson and a brief professional stint in Australia, he returned home to find his niche on the BNL girls staff, helping the Stars hang the latest Class 4A state championship banner in 2023. After a year away, he’s back to restore the luster.
Those banners, all the tradition and history they represent as they hang in the northeast corner of BNL Fieldhouse, will be a constant reminder of the responsibility he has accepted to guide the flagship program.
“Being back, obviously I’m excited,” Spreen said. “I always knew, eventually, I did want to come back. I didn’t know exactly when that would be. It just felt like this was the right time to do it. It’s over been a year, and I enjoyed my time off, but at the end of the day a part of me was always here.
“It’s just a part of you. You want both teams to have success. Whether you’re 10 minutes down the road or three hours away, you want to see how the programs are doing and hope they do well. Being able to have an immediate impact on a place like BNL is exciting.”
BNL is coming off a 7-16 season, its first losing campaign since 2006 and the most losses in one season in the 51 years of basketball. So there’s work to do. His first priority will be restoring the culture that Allen and his predecessors created, in terms of respect, success and accountability, on and off the court.
“The important thing is to remind everyone, and re-establish, what our expectations are,” Spreen said. “I think Greg Burton did a good job. Some people might disagree with that. He came into a situation that was very difficult. For me, coming back in, it’s establishing what is expected, during games and off the floor, in practice and the classroom. Those need to be upheld. At the end of the day, you have to be transparent in the first meeting and practice, and build every day.“
Spreen will count on his experiences under Allen, who went 226-45 in 10 seasons. His time spent on that staff, which also included input from current junior varsity coach Brett Holtz and former assistant Mandy Harrell, was invaluable.
“Working for Coach Allen, you got a behind-the-scenes look of how to establish and maintain a sense of culture,” Spreen said. “Not just of winning, but a culture of understanding what the right things are, what is expected of you, on and off the floor. Those are the things to be understood, that he taught me. Things will never be right on the floor if they’re not right off the floor.
”You won’t make everyone happy, and he’s been the great example of how to handle things in a professional manner. You always have to be transparent with people and be honest with them, regardless of what they’re upset about.”
The 2023 state championship was the fifth for BNL, following the titles won in 1983, 1991, 2013 and 2014.
“We’re very proud of what we accomplished,” Spreen said. “Not just the state championship, but we always had a level of success, a level of expectations. Being able to look up, at that banner and the ones before that, you want goals for each other. But it’s not just the wins and losses those banners represent, it’s what is expected of you to be a Lady Star. It’s a reminder to uphold the standard. We won’t try to live in the past, but it’s important to understand what the expectations are.”
Spreen is following in the footsteps of some coaching giants, including Pete Pritchett (271-25 from 1982-94), Kurt Godlevske (120-41 from 2004-13), Damon Bailey (27-1 with the state title in 2014) and Allen. While BNL does not yet have the talent to match those legendary teams, it’s the goal to compete for Hoosier Hills Conference and postseason crowns.
“Chase is a knowledgeable, energetic coach with a tremendous basketball IQ,” BNL athletic director Adam Yates said. “He is a well-respected, familiar face within the program and the community. Chase has an outstanding rapport with the student athletes and was a big part of the success in the program over the last decade. The committee felt he will do a great job with the girls.“
BNL COACHING HISTORY
Coach Years Record
Carol Burk 1974-80 81-20
Gary Boyd 1980-82 32-11
Pete Pritchett 1982-1994 271-25
Rick Spires 1994-95 14-8
Jo Underwood 1995-98 44-20
Jay Ritter 1998-2000 31-12
Frank Decker 2000-04 40-45
Greg Elkins 2004-06 14-28
Kurt Godlevske 2004-13 120-41
Damon Bailey 2013-14 27-1
Jeff Allen 2014-24 226-45
Greg Burton 2024-25 7-16
Totals 1974-2025 907-272
