Coaches Spotlight- Brad Wilson
How did you get involved in cross country/track?
I first got involved when I decided to run track during Spring semester of my freshman year at Walton. At the time I was a football player looking for something to do in the spring. I loved the sport from the moment I started and began thinking about whether my future was on the football field or if I should give cross country a shot in the fall instead. I made one of the best decisions of my life when I decided to start running full-time.
What is your favorite memory from XC/track when you were in high school?
It’s so hard to pick just one. I was lucky to have such incredible teammates and coaches while I was in high school that I have some memorable moments. The biggest moment that stands out to me is the Region Championship in track my senior year when we (Walton) swept the 2 qualifying spots in the 1600 and 3200. Charlie Dickhaus, Sam Bryfczynski and I had become really great friends and training partners and having the three of us go 1-2 in both those events and getting to experience Jefferson with them was a great way to end my HS career.
Who are some of the biggest influences on your coaching career?
The biggest influence on my coaching career is without a doubt Coach Tom Williams. He taught me so much about the sport in my time running under him at Walton and I couldn’t ask for a better mentor. Beyond training philosophies and workouts, he also taught me a lot about patience and appreciating the journey rather than focusing exclusively on results. The results are obviously a huge part of what we do but it’s important to take a step back and enjoy the journey along the way. I was also lucky to have some great assistants at Walton who shared so much of their knowledge with us. Bill Stewart is one that stands out as somebody who certainly helped mold my coaching style. Beyond that, I am grateful for all the coaches around Georgia today. I think we all try to pick up bits and pieces of advice from others. It’s amazing how much you can learn just by listening and talking to great coaches we have. Coach Monk at Pope, Coach Sorrells at Flowery Branch, Coach Spinks at Eagles Landing, Coach Gower at Walton, and Coach Christie at Mill Creek all come to mind.
How is cross country/track in Georgia different from when you were in high school?
It’s a lot faster! It is amazing comparing times from state meets from the early 2000s to now. Certainly the change from just Region Meets to having Sectionals has helped put the best kids at the State Championship in track but I think it’s also a testament to both the coaches and runners that are in Georgia right now. As a State, I don’t think we are satisfied with where we are, but we are certainly moving in the right direction. Our kids are pushing each other and themselves to faster times and that has shown up in our results. Watching some of the races in Carrollton, Albany, and Jefferson the past 3 years has just been phenomenal.
How did you end up at LaGrange High School?
While I was at Auburn, I did my student-teaching here at LaGrange. I taught for a year in Alabama before LaGrange called and said they had an opening if I was interested in coming back. I started teaching here in 2009 and I actually didn’t start coaching XC and track until the Spring of 2011. One of my students was running and found out I had run in HS and at Auburn and talked me into helping out with the distance track kids. The next fall I was named the cross country head coach and my coaching career really started.
What would you say has been the biggest change in the team from when you took over to now?
The expectations are the biggest change. When I started, I let the team know that we weren’t going to have just a “social jogging club” that many viewed cross country as. We were going to have a lot of fun, but we were going to do it while competing for championships. Our school is definitely football-crazy and is what LaGrange has been known for but I didn’t see any reason why that should preclude us from also having other great fall sports. That first year was rocky and we actually finished the year only having 5 guys and 10 girls on the team at the State Meet. Unfortunately, a lot of kids decided it wasn’t worth it and our numbers suffered. But those that decided to stick it out have shown what hard work can accomplish. I am so grateful and proud of the junior and seniors that first year because while they didn’t get many of the tangible rewards, our program wouldn’t be where it is today without their “buying in” to the program and setting the tone for the underclassmen at the time.
What are some of your proudest moments so far as a coach?
The first was when our guys finished 4th in the State in XC in 2012. It was the first podium finish at LaGrange in at least 3 decades and I was happy to see their commitment pay off in such real way so soon. I think that really showed them what they were capable of and set the stage for Region Championship and our runner-up State finish in 2013, including placing 4 runners in the Top 10. We knew challenging Marist would be a very difficult proposition but our guys put in a lot of mileage over the summer and gave it their best shot. We would have loved to win it all but Marist ran an incredible race and has such a great program under Coach Heintz. Individual moments that stand out are Andrew Coggins winning the State Championship in the 800 in 2013 and then winning the 1600 this year. Sarah Bearden also deserves mention for her numerous top finishes, including leading our girls team to their highest finish ever at State by finishing 5th this past year, while not being ranked in the Top 10 at the time. Sarah also ran one of the gutsiest last 800s I’ve seen the 3200 in Albany this year. Her and Kendall Nelson had a great duel for 2nd behind Morgan Isle. We’ve been very lucky to have such great leaders and hard workers like Andrew and Sarah to help build the program.
What are your goals for the future?
We want to keep the momentum moving forward. We are making the jump up to 5A next year so we better be ready for a new challenge. We are losing two phenomenal runners and leaders in Andrew Coggins and Sarah Bearden so having kids to step-in and fill that void is a must. We want to continue to build quality numbers and depth so that LaGrange can be among the contenders in the state in the years to come. Our girls would love to make that jump to the next level and possibly be in podium contention. Our guys team will be led by returning Top 10 finishers Sam Bowie and Jonathan Pelham and you always hope for a few surprises from returning members that have a great summer.