The longest tenured Region 4 girls basketball
coach is switching locker rooms at Allen County-Scottsville High School. After
11 years as head coach of the Lady Patriots, Brad Bonds has been named as the
new coach of the Patriot basketball program.
“For several years, this has been in my mind but the timing wasn’t
right,” Bonds said. “This year when the position became available, I knew this
was the right time. I have had to deal with a lot of emotions, sad, nervous,
excited but I am ready to accept this challenge and make this move with these
young men.”
Bonds will leave the Lady Patriots after an 11-year stint in which his
teams went 222-113. The three-time Region 4 Coach of the Year (2013, 2014,
2016) guided the 2015 Lady Patriots to runner-up in the Houchens
Industries/Kentucky High School Athletic Association state tournament. In
addition to the 2015 Region 4 championship, AC-S was region runner-up in 2013
and a quarterfinalist in 2009, 2014, and 2016. Under Bonds’ leadership, AC-S was
the District 15 champions in 2013 and 2015 and was runner-up in 2009, 2014, and
2016. Bonds has guided the Lady Patriots to nine winning seasons in 11 years
and to five 20 or more-win seasons (2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).
Coach Bonds graduated from AC-SH in 1994 and Campbellsville University
in 1998. His first coaching duties were with the Barren County Middle School.
Bonds coached for five years (1998-2003) in Barren County before returning to
AC-S as an assistant coach under Angel Bonds and Garry DeWitt. Bonds succeeded DeWitt
as head coach in 2007.
In addition to basketball, Bonds was head coach of the AC-S softball
program for three seasons (2005, 2006, 2007). During his tenure, Patriot
Fastpitch won three district championships, was regional runner-up twice (2006,
2007) and regional champions in 2005---finishing fifth in the state softball
tournament. Bonds career softball coaching record at AC-S was 97-24-1. Bonds
also coached two years of softball at Barren County compiling a 30-25 record.
Overall Bonds is 127-49-1 on the diamond.
Bonds inherits a Patriot basketball program in a rebuilding process.
AC-S posted a 9-19 record this year under coach Nick Chaykowsky---the eighth
consecutive year in which the Patriots finished with a sub-500 record. Bonds will be looking to lead the Patriots to
their first District 15 title since 2010 and their first Region 4 tournament
appearance since the 2012-13 season.
The Patriots are expected to return multiple players who have started at
least nine games in their AC-S career. Returning players include rising seniors
Bryce Carter, Camden Carver, Jacob Lightfoot, Brett Rippy, Cayden Ross, and
Chase Ward along with rising juniors Charlie Calvert and Owen Stamper. Rippy
led the team in scoring (13.6) and assists (2.4).
Bonds becomes the 15th Patriot coach in Allen County-Scottsville program
history. AC-S basketball has an overall record of 603-615 in 44 seasons. Jeff
Rippy---an assistant coach with Bonds for the past seven years and a former
head coach at Monroe County and Trousdale County (TN)---will join Bonds as an assistant
coach for the Patriots.
Away from the game, Bonds enjoys spending time with his wife Wendy his
son Bryson (17), daughter Audrey (7), and son Easton (3). He also likes to play
golf and read.