The Breakers' announced on their website that Beddow-Patel would be completely stepping away from basketball later this month, ending a four-year reign at the Buckinghamshire outfit.
Arriving in 2021, Beddow-Patel has overseen a rapid rise for the senior men's team through the NBL pyramid, whilst also seeing the club's CBL side, Shenley Brook End School, making it to two playoff finals, including a victory in 2022/23 to go with another trip as beaten finalists a year later.
Joining the club from Canterbury Academy, Beddow-Patel's Breakers claimed immediate NBL glory in both the D3 league and playoffs, following that up with the same accolades in D2 plus a historic NBL National Cup victory in 2023/24.
Making their maiden bow in NBL Division One in 2024/25, the club finished 16-8, good for a top-four spot and a playoff place. Their post-season dreams ended at the final hurdle, losing the D1M showpiece to eventual champ Reading Rockets, 102-91, to go with a final loss to the same opponent in March's KitKing Trophy.
Marrying the two, a number of players from the CBL side featured prominently for Breakers men in recent years before moving on to full scholarship places at colleges in the US.
“It is with a full heart and mixed emotions that I share that I’m stepping away from coaching basketball.
“For the past decade, I’ve lived by the words ‘we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit’. In chasing that idea, my passion became my profession, my hobby became my work. And somewhere in between, we found excellence – not just in wins, but in impact.
“But impact has its cost. Coaching asks for everything. Too often, we hear winning coaches thank their families for what they’ve sacrificed, and that’s always felt off to me.
“So now it’s time to live by the first part of that quote and repeatedly show up for my family.
“To everyone who has offered me a chance, who shared wisdom, who shaped my journey, all I can say is thank you.
“To those who I’ve been lucky enough to coach or mentor, thank you. To the families, clubs, colleagues and supporters, thank you. I won’t be working in basketball next year. I need to give myself a little space and see where that takes me.
“I’ll always be grateful to this club for giving me my first chance to be a Head Coach and to build a programme. So this is goodbye, but save me a seat on the bench.”
“We would like to thank Billy for his contributions to the club and academy over the past four years.
“He has worked tirelessly to achieve excellence both on and off the court, having a positive impact on so many people within the club and wider basketball community.
“Billy has laid some incredibly strong foundations for both the academy and the men’s team, taking them from their infancy to where they are today.
“We would like to wish Billy and his family the best of luck in the future.”
The club is actively seeking a replacement Head Coach for the Men’s team, as well as a new Basketball Academy Manager with the 5D Trust.
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Main image credit - Josh Nesden
