From basketball court to winning coach: Former K-State player Will Spradling ’14 now coaching at St. Marys
Reporting by Mitchel Summers, WIBW-TV. Reprinted with permission.
Coach Spradling’s name is known now for leading the top-ranked boys team in Kansas
2A hoops.
“The second I started working with him,” said Fred Criqui, St. Marys senior forward,
“I knew that it was going to be a lot of fun.”
But Kansas knew Spradling before he picked up the clipboard.
“We all know that he knows what he’s talking about,” Keller Hurla, St. Marys junior
guard, said.
Before his time with the Bears, Will Spradling ’14 helped lead Kansas State to four
NCAA Tourney appearances and a Big 12 Regular Season Title.
“Kind of the culture at K-State and being in that winning culture and knowing what
it took to win has kind of helped me build that culture here,” said Spradling, former
Kansas State men’s basketball player and current St. Marys head boys basketball coach.
After graduating, he knew coaching was the next step. His wife grew up in St. Marys,
so joining the Bears was a natural fit.
“This whole community is behind us and it makes this awesome,” Spradling said.
Spradling witnessed great coaching in Frank Martin and Bruce Weber. His philosophy
was influenced by both.
“I was able to take what I felt like was best from those two coaches and kind of mesh
them into my coaching style,” Spradling said. “As well as take stuff from my dad and
coaches I’ve played for in the past. So, I feel like I’ve kind of taken things from
different coaches as well as kind of make my own brand.”
His current athletes grew up watching Spradling on the floor. That made it easy to
follow his lead.
“He gives us the best chance to win every game through his game plan and our preparation,”
Hurla said. “I just think he does a great job.”
“It definitely helps bring the team together and just bring out that chemistry when
you know that you have a coach that cares about the team and considers the team a
family,” Criqui said.
It also certainly helps that Coach Spradling still has the shooters touch.
“He’s still got it,” Criqui said. “He’ll still give everybody on the team buckets.”
“It’s extremely tough to guard him and keep in front,” Hurla said. “So, when you do,
you know you’re doing something right.”
Whether on or off the floor, Spradling has dedicated his life to basketball. He hopes
to uplift the next generation of hoopers.
“It’s been a great experience,” Spradling said. “Being able to have my family be a
part of it, my kids, my wife gets to come to practice. That’s our big thing here at
St. Marys is having a family culture. That’s what we preach.”