The Shadow
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia interim track and field head coach Trevor Dunbar announced the hiring of Sam Bradley on Monday (Aug. 17) as an assistant coach.
“Throughout my deliberate search, Sam Bradley quickly rose to the top of my potential candidates. Sam’s passion for the sport, attention to detail and ability to foster a positive team culture will make him a great match for our program,” Dunbar said. “I am excited to get to work with Coach Bradley and I am thrilled for our student-athletes to welcome him to the University of Virginia.”
Bradley arrives in Charlottesville after spending the last nine seasons at Radford. For the first eight years of his tenure with the Highlanders, Bradley served as the program’s head cross country coach and assistant coach before being promoted to associate head track and field coach before the start of the 2025 season.
While with the Highlanders, Bradley was named Big South Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2021. Under his tutelage, Hannah Moran landed 2021 Big South Runner of the Year honors and guided Caitlin Apps to the 2019 Big South Freshman of the Year Award. In addition, 16 Highlanders have earned all-conference honors during his time at the helm.
During his time leading the Bradley cross country programs, the women placed top five at the conference championships in seven of his eight seasons, including a pair of runner-up finishes. On the men’s side, the Highlanders placed in the top half of the conference every season under his tenure. The men’s program finished third in 2021, tying its best finish over the last 25 seasons.
Before his time with Radford, Bradley spent five seasons at Bradley helping the Braves to four Missouri Valley Cross Country Championships, with the women winning the 2014, 2015 and 2017 titles and the men claiming their first three conference crowns in school history in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He also coached an individual champion on the men’s side in 2017 and had three male representatives at the NCAA Cross Country Championships between 2016 and 2017. Between 2014-18, 24 athletes also qualified for the NCAA West Region Preliminary round Track & Field Championships.
To go along with the team titles at Bradley, on the men’s side, Bradley coached the first-ever Brave to reach the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships, which happened in 2016. Bradley had another runner earn All-America honors in the 1,500m run in 2017 after qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
A native of London, Bradley is a 2011 graduate of St. Mary’s University in Twickenham, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in sports science and strength and conditioning science. He was co-captain of the cross country/track and field teams and was part of the 2011 squad that claimed the British Universities and Colleges Sport title.
Bradley then competed for two years at Lamar University, where he earned a master’s degree in kinesiology in 2013 and was part of a 2011 Southland Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship squad.
“I would like to offer a huge thanks to Coach Dunbar for the confidence and belief he has shown in me and to the whole Track & Field and Cross Country staff for being so gracious and welcoming into the program,” Bradley said. “It is truly an honor to work within a program that is steeped in such tradition and success, and I am incredibly excited to begin this new venture with the Cavaliers and to work alongside this incredible team and staff.”
