Brad Hagen, a U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) certified coach with more than 15 years of competitive experience at the regional and national level, has been named as head coach for the new women's bowling program at Sam Houston State.
Bearkat director of athletics Bobby Williams announced today that the university will begin women's bowling competition at the NCAA Division I level beginning in 2010. Hagen will join the Sam Houston athletic staff to begin laying the foundation for the new program July 1, 2009.
“When we began women's soccer as a start-up sport seven years ago, we brought in our head coach a year before we started competition to give ourselves the opportunity to get started on the right foot,” Williams said. “Brad Hagen brings enthusiasm and a wealth of experience in the sport of bowling. He will hit the ground running, working to identify and recruit quality student-athletes, scheduling for the 2010 season and building community support for our 17th varsity sport at Sam Houston State.”
A native of upstate New York who picked up his first bowling ball when he was five years old, Hagen competed in more than 70 collegiate tournaments for Morehead State in Morehead, KY. During his collegiate career, the Eagles were one of the top-rated club teams in the nation. Hagen holds bachelor's degrees in both management and marketing from Morehead State.
Hagen holds USBC Bronze Level and Level One certification. He also has worked as an assistant PGA Club Professional at Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich, NY.
“Establishing and developing an elite competitive NCAA women's bowling program is such an exciting challenge and opportunity for me,” Hagen said. “I grew up in an area where bowling was a huge winter sport. In high school during the winter months, I'd bowl seven days a week. For several years I've been working with high school and college athletes. Now, to have the chance to build a Division I program into a regional and national contender is a dream come true.”
Hagen has worked as an academic sales consultant professional for Cengage Learning in Florence, KY, since August, 2008. He was a university staff assistant in student activities for Morehead State from January through May of 2008 and worked in the student life and student activities office from 2002 to 2006.
Sam Houston State currently competes in 16 intercollegiate sports at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Southland Conference. Men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, golf, cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field. Women's sports include volleyball, basketball, golf, tennis, soccer, softball, cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field.
