COLUMBIA, Mo. - Having built the Bradley men's and women's cross country teams into Missouri Valley Conference championship contenders during his four-year stint with the Braves, Marc Burns has been named the men's and women's cross country head coach and track assistant coach at the University of Missouri.
"I want to thank President (Joanne) Glasser, Dr. (Michael) Cross, Craig Dahlquist and all the senior staff and support staff at Bradley for four fantastic years on The Hilltop," said Burns. "I have been very fortunate to call Bradley home and will miss the many great relationships that have been built in my time here. "The support for the program has been outstanding and everything that we were promised four years ago has happened.
"This program is in a great place and ready for success for years to come," added Burns. "The next head coach at Bradley will walk into a fantastic situation. I wish everyone here all the best and I will look forward to coming back here in November for the NCAA Midwest Region Championships."
During the 2013-14 athletic year, both the Bradley men's and women's cross country teams enjoyed their best seasons in more than a decade. The Bradley men finished fourth at the 2013 MVC Cross Country Championships for their best Valley team finish since 1989. Juniors Eric Delvo and Chase Coffey gave Bradley two all-conference runners for the first time since 1987, while Patrick Campbell was the 2013 MVC Freshman of the Year. On the women's side, Bradley's second-place finish at the MVC Cross Country Championships was the squad's best showing since 2002 and the Braves collected three all-conference awards, as well as the league's Freshman of the Year.
The strong performances continued into the indoor and outdoor track seasons, as Bradley's distance-focused runners combined for five MVC individual titles and three NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship qualifiers. Sophomore Kristen Busch won the 2014 MVC Indoor 5,000 meters and Outdoor 10,000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. She advanced to the 10,000 meter finals in Eugene and earned All-America honorable mention recognition with her 18th-place finish. In addition, Emily Delvo won the 800 meters title at the MVC Indoor Track Championships, then became the fourth individual in league history to sweep the 800 and 1,500 meter titles during the MVC Outdoor Track Championships.
Burns was instrumental in the reinstatement of the Bradley men's indoor and outdoor track and field teams. The outdoor program was reinstated for the 2012 season and the indoor program was reinstated last month for the 2014-15 campaign. The reinstatement of the year-round running program has produced immediate results. In addition to the best MVC Championship finish by the Bradley men in nearly 30 years, Coffey and Eric Delvo both qualified for the 2014 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track Championships in the steeplechase.
In addition to the competitive success of the running programs, both the men's and women's track teams set semester and cumulative team grade point average records during the 2014 Spring semester, while both cross country teams earned 2013 all-academic team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
"We wish Marc and his family the best in this new chapter in their lives," said Bradley Director of Athletics Dr. Michael Cross. "He has been a tremendous leader throughout his time at Bradley, has supported and lived our core values and leaves our program significantly better than when he arrived. Our next coach will be inheriting two very strong programs and a fantastic group of student-athletes because of his efforts."
Bradley has launched a national search for its next men's and women's cross country and track head coach.
Bradley Athletics Mission
Provide every student-athlete the opportunity for both a distinctive education and a championship experience
Accountability | Courage | Diligence | Integrity | Respect
