Westtown School is pleased to name Fran Burbidge as the new Head Coach of the Girls Basketball Program. Fran comes to Westtown as one of the most respected basketball coaches in the area, and his career in the game of basketball and experience with player development has been nothing short of amazing.

Most recently, Burbidge served as the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Belles Nike EYBL Team, while also acting as a Skills Site Director and National Evaluator for Rising Blue Star Basketball and US Junior National Programs.

Burbidge is no stranger to the high school game around the Philadelphia area. As Head Coach of the Bishop Shanahan Girls Basketball Team from 2013-2017, Burbidge led the team to three consecutive Chest-Mont League Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017. And as an Assistant Coach with Chuck Simmonds for the Episcopal Academy Girls Basketball Team, Burbidge helped lead the team to a PAISAA State Championship in the 2012-13 season.

Additional career accomplishments for Burbidge include:

• Coached nine McDonald's All Americans
• Coached 11 Gatorade State Players of the Year
• Coached two National Players of the Year
• Coached eight USA Basketball Team Members
• 1997 AAU National Championship Team
• 10+ Mid-Atlantic AAU Championship Teams
• Head Coach - Ursuline Academy (2007 & 2008) - 2008 State Championship

"I am thrilled to become the new Head Coach at Westtown School and grateful to Athletic Directors Mich Canuso-Bedesem and Paul Lehmann for the opportunity to lead the program," says Burbidge. "Westtown has established itself as one of the preeminent schools in the area from both an academic and basketball perspective. I could not be more excited to build upon the foundation that has been developed over the past decade, and let it be known that student athletes who are looking for an outstanding academic experience while also getting a high level of basketball development should put Westtown Girls Basketball at the top of their list!"

Doug West- Associate Head Coach

West, a native of Altoona, Pa and graduate of Villanova University returns to the area after serving three years as Head Coach of the Altoona boys’ basketball program. West spent one season at Penn State Altoona as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. West comes with an extensive basketball profile that includes a 12-year playing career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), a four-year playing career at Villanova University, and coaching experience in the high school, collegiate, and professional ranks.

West earned a four-year athletic scholarship to Villanova out of high school and went on to become one of the most prolific scorers in Wildcats history, putting up 2,037 points from 1985-1989. He still ranks fifth on the team’s all-time scoring list. In 1988, he helped Villanova reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and was named to the All-Southeast Regional Team for his performance.

After graduating from Villanova with a degree in Communications, West was selected in the second round (38th overall pick) of the 1989 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He enjoyed a nine-year career with the Timberwolves and is still among the top five in several all-time team records. West was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies, where he played until the conclusion of his career in 2001.

West was reunited with his alma mater (2007-12) when he became an assistant coach for the Villanova men’s basketball team. For five years, he played a key role in the program’s evaluation and recruiting process. During his coaching tenure at Villanova, the Wildcats posted 77 wins, including seven NCAA Tournament victories and a trip to the Final Four in 2009.

In 2012, West joined Nick Nurses coaching staff on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the NBA Developmental League affiliate of the Houston Rockets. As an assistant coach with the team for one year, he worked to develop the squad’s potential NBA-level talent and helped in the drafting process for future D-League players. With West’s assistance, the Vipers posted a franchise-best 35 wins in 2012-2013 and won their second-ever D-League title.

West was a 1996 inductee to the Philadelphia Big Five Hall of Fame for his efforts as a student-athlete at Villanova. In 2004, he was inducted into the Blair County Hall of Fame, and three years later he was elected to Villanova’s Hall of Fame. West is also a member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association

Assistant Coach
Myonie Williamson