Andrew Carlson enters his third season as the Head Coach of Track and Field/Cross Country at Bradley University. Carlson joined the Braves prior to the 2023-24 season after two seasons as Cross Country/Track & Field Assistant Coach at the University of Louisville.
The 2024-25 season saw a litany of personal and team achievements for the Braves. Carlson led Bradley Cross Country to Men's and Women's Missouri Valley Conference Championships in the Fall of 2024 and was named MVC Coach of the Year. Seven runners were All-MVC selections while three additional runners were All-MVC Honorable Mention. Bradley runners also swept MVC Freshman of the Year honors. Across the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field seasons, Carlson coached 11 athletes and relay teams to MVC Championships, including two athletes who won Indoor and Outdoor conference championships in the same event (Jamie Phillips - 800m; Jayde Rosslee - 5000m). Overall, Bradley athletes set 15 program records and 75 top-10 times during both seasons. Seven athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, headlined by Jack Crull, who finished sixth in the 1500m Final at the NCAA Championships to earn First-Team All-American honors. Crull was the first Brave to earn the honor since 1954.
In his first season with the Braves, Carlson led the men's and women's cross country teams to second place finishes in the MVC Championships in Fall 2023. In the NCAA Midwest Regionals, the women's team took sixth place as the men took home eighth. Carlson tutored Bradley athletes to four MVC Individual Championships during the Winter 2024 Indoor season. Julia Nielsen won the women's 800m and Mile titles, Jack Crull won the men's 800m crown and the Women's Distance Medley Relay team brought home first place. In Spring 2024 Outdoor Track, Carlson coached Crull, Nielsen and Nadia Potgieter into the NCAA Preliminary Regionals with Crull reaching the Quarterfinals in the Spring 2024 Outdoor Track & Field season. Bradley runners won three MVC Outdoor Championships with Eli Rieker joining Nielsen and Crull on the podium's top step in their respective events.
Prior to joining Bradley, Carlson served as the Cross Country/Middle Distance Coach at the University of Louisville. In his first season with the Cardinals, Carlson helped guide four NCAA Preliminary Round entries. Louisville was represented by Isaac Kiprop, Albert Kosgei and Ben Ewert in the 3000m Steeplechase and Ian Kibiwot competed in the men's 5000-meter.
During the 2022 cross country season, Carlson helped guide Ian Kibiwot to a 17th-place finish and All-Region honors at the 2022 NCAA Southeast Regional. On the track, he helped Ryan Farrell become only the second athlete in Louisville history to break the 1:50 barrier indoors and the fourth to do it outdoors. He also saw Dylan Christian set a new indoor freshman record in the men's 1000m.
Carlson spent over seven seasons at North Dakota State, where he directed the track and field distance runners. He served as the head coach of the Bison cross country team for the 2020-21 campaign, his final season before joining Louisville.
The Bison excelled with Carlson at the helm, sweeping indoor conference titles in every distance from 800m to 5000m and taking home multiple men’s championships. In 2019, Carlson was named the Summit League Coach of the Year for women’s cross country after leading the North Dakota State to a conference championship following three straight runner-up team finishes. The men’s program medaled in six consecutive seasons, earning four straight silver finishes.
Under his mentorship, Carlson’s student-athletes took home 40 Summit League titles from 2014, owning 83 entries in the program’s all-time top-10, while accounting for 10 school records. Bison distance runners earned 12 bids to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds since his arrival, including three straight seasons with an NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier in the women's steeplechase.
His guidance was critical in the development of athletes such as Erin Teschuk and Maddie Van Beek.
Teschuk finished her career as a seven-time first-team NCAA All-American, program-record holder in eight different events and multiple NCAA Championship appearances before earning a spot on Team Canada for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Van Beek was a first-team All-American and three-time Summit League Athlete of the Year from 2013-15.
Carlson graduated with his Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2005 after becoming a three-time NCAA All-American in cross country and track. Carlson is the school record holder in the 5,000m at 13:44.64. He was a two-time NCAA Midwest Region cross country champion, two-time runner-up in the Big Ten outdoor 5,000m, and owns the fifth- and 10th-fastest time in Gopher history in the 10,000m.
Following an accomplished collegiate career, he joined Team USA Minnesota in 2005, taking home the USA 15K road championship in 2008 and the 25K title in 2010. He was a member of four World Championship events for Team USA, competing in the half-marathon three times and once in cross country. In 2012, Carlson placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:11.24, which still stands as the seventh-fastest marathon debut in U.S. history.
He and his fiancée, Shannon Peters, have three dogs: Rocket, Chewie and Charlie.
COACHING CAREER
2023-Present: Bradley (Head Coach)
2021-2023: Louisville (assistant coach)
2013-21: North Dakota State (Head Cross Country Coach, 2020-21; Assistant Coach Cross Country/Track and Field Coach)
ATHLETIC CAREER
College
• Three-time USTFCCCA All-American (two in cross country, one in track and field)
• Two-time USTFCCCA Cross Country Midwest Region Athlete of the Year
Professional | Team USA Minnesota (Adidas/Brooks)
• Two-time United States Champion – winning the 2008 USA 15K Road Championship and the 2010 USA 25K Road title
• Member of four World Championship events for Team USA
• Placed sixth at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:11.24 – a time that still stands as the seventh-fastest marathon debut in U.S. history.
LOUISVILLE
• Carlson helped guide four NCAA Preliminary Round entries. Louisville was represented by Isaac Kiprop, Albert Kosgei and Ben Ewertin the 3000m Steeplechase and Ian Kibiwot competed in the men's 5000-meter.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE
• Led the cross country programs to 10 school records and 10 All-American honors
• Coached athletes to capture 40 Summit League titles in the distance events.
• 2019 Summit League Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year
• Distance runners earned 12 bids to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds under Carlson, including three straight years with a qualifier advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the women’s steeplechase
• The 2020 women’s team swept indoor conference titles in every event from 800m to 5000m, including the distance medley relay.
• In 2020, Carlson coached Tim Heikkila to the 2020 Summit League championship in the mile and Alex Bartholomay to the 3000m title
• 2019 Summit League Coach of the Year (women’s cross country)
• Summit League Women’s Cross Country Team Champions (2019)
• Summit League Women’s Cross Country Runner-Up (2016, 2017, 2018)
• Summit League Men’s Cross Country Runner-Up (2017, 2018, 2019)
• Coached Erin Teschuk, a seven-time NCAA All-American and school record holder in eight different events, including the mile, indoor 3000m, outdoor 5000m, and 3000m steeplechase.
ALL-AMERICANS
• Jack Crull, 2025: 1500m
• Jennie Barager-Petrash, 2021: 3000m
• Erin Teschuk, 2016: Cross Country; Mile, 3000m (Indoor); 3000m Steeplechase | 2015: Mile, 3000m (Indoor), 3000m Steeplechase
• Taylor Janssen, 2017: 3000m Steeplechase – honorable mention
• Maddie Van Beek, 2015: 3000m Steeplechase
OLYMPIAN
• Erin Teschuk | 2016 Rio Olympics, Team Canada