'I just want to be helpful': Dentton Hudspeth aims to leave a permanent mark on the Bethel culture
'I just want to be helpful': Dentton Hudspeth aims to leave a permanent mark on the Bethel culture
From Sterling College to Southern Nazarene University to Bethel College, the young coach is making a name for himself in the best possible way.
Dentton Hudspeth is an easily recognizable face on Bethel College’s campus.
Arriving in North Newton in the fall of 2019, Hudspeth — who was originally hired as the defensive backs coach for the football team — is now slated for his first season as the offensive coordinator and another campaign as a contributor to an on-the-rise Bethel volleyball program.
And while his work at Bethel is nothing short of impressive, it’s his journey that truly sets him apart. Hudspeth played collegiate football at KCAC rival Sterling College, where he suffered a handful of injuries, completing his final season as a player in 2016. His head coach at the time, Andy Lambert, asked him to accompany him on a coaching opportunity at Southern Nazarene University (SNU).
Hudspeth spent two years there before making the move to Bethel.
“Like all great stories it started with a girl,” Hudspeth recalled about the start of his love for volleyball. Hudspeth began playing for fun in local leagues and open gyms, then picked up attention from coaches when he started playing sand volleyball. He ended up serving as a scout team player on the volleyball team at Sterling in his free time in addition to those local leagues.
He decided right then that wherever he went, he would find local volleyball leagues to join, which eventually brought him to Bethel where he earned a role in assisting the Threshers’ staff.
After helping out under Stacy Middleton, the former Bethel head volleyball coach, he continued to do so after the program’s transition to fellow Sterling graduate Adriana Leake’s hiring to lead the team.
“When I was at Sterling, I had to learn to communicate better,” Hudspeth noted when asked about the lessons he’s had to learn throughout his short — yet rapidly growing — coaching career. “When I got to SNU, I tried to continue that same lifestyle as before, but SNU had stricter rules and I learned that professionalism had to be separate from casual lifestyle.”
“I hope that when my time is done at Bethel, people will notice the impact I had in many different ways.”
Dentton Hudspeth
Hudspeth also stated that coaching volleyball taught him patience because it was a big change for him from coaching football. “Since I’ve been at Bethel, I’ve learned so much and I’m still continuing to learn new things,” he said.
“Balancing [my coaching life and personal life] is hard but not impossible,” he continued. “I’ve been blessed with two great bosses who don’t require me to be in my office for long hours. Football takes up more time because it’s an everyday thing, along with recruiting, whereas volleyball is only three or four times a week.”
He continued enthusiastically when asked when he has time to himself and his family: “I do all of this, and I still have some free time to spend with my fiancé and dog.”
When questioned about what kind of impact he wants to leave on Bethel as a football and volleyball assistant coach, a women’s basketball practice player, and Student Life helper, his reply is clear and humble: “I just want to be helpful. I hope that when my time is done at Bethel, people will notice the impact I had in many different ways.”