Staff Directory
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email Address:
- Alma Mater:
- Morehead State
- Graduation Year:
- 2006
- Phone:
- 936 294-3350
| Season | Wins | Loses | Final National Ranking |
NCAA Finish |
| 2010-11 | 71 | 41 | 7th | Tournament Qualifiers |
| 2011-12 | 79 | 35 | 9th | -- |
| 2012-13 | 102 | 40 | 7th | Tournament Qualifiers |
| 2013-14 | 96 | 47 | 1st | National Champions |
| 2014-15 | 91 | 49 | 5th | Semifinals |
| 2015-16 | 102 | 47 | 6th | Quarterfinals |
| 2016-17 | 79 | 34 | 4th | Semifinals |
| 2017-18 | 85 | 46 | 5th | Semifinals |
| 2018-19 | 93 | 42 | 5th | Tournament Qualiifiers |
| 2019-20 | 87 | 40 | 5th | Not Played - COVID |
| 2020-21 | 43 | 40 | 7th | NCAA Regional Finals |
| 2021-22 | 72 | 30 | 6th | NCAA Regional Finals |
| 2022-23 | 75 | 43 | 5th | NCAA Regional Finals |
| 2023-24 | 74 | 43 | 8th | NCAA Regional Champs and Final Four |
| 2024-25 | 74 | 37 | 8th | NCAA Regional Finals |
| 2025-26 | 73 | 39 | 8th | NCAA Regional Finals |
| Total | 1,317 | 677 |
Brad Hagen enters his 18th season as the only head coach in the history of Sam Houston State University Women’s Bowling, having guided the Bearkats through their first 17 seasons of competition and built the program from the ground up into one of the most successful programs in NCAA bowling history.
Under Hagen’s leadership, Sam Houston has established itself as a perennial national contender. The Bearkats have surpassed 1,300 program victories, currently ranking as the seventh-winningest program in NCAA bowling history, and have earned 14 NCAA postseason berths in Hagen’s first 16 seasons, including 13 consecutive postseason appearances, the fourth-longest active or historical streak in NCAA bowling. During that span, Hagen has compiled a 1,317-677 record, winning approximately 66 percent of the program’s competitions.
Hagen’s impact was immediate. In Sam Houston’s inaugural season, he led the Bearkats to the NCAA Women’s Bowling Championships, making Sam Houston the first true Division I startup program to qualify for the NCAA Championships in its inaugural season. Just four years after the program’s creation, Hagen guided the Bearkats to the pinnacle of collegiate bowling, capturing the 2014 NCAA Division I National Championship in Cleveland with a championship-match victory over defending national champion Nebraska.
The 2014 championship established Sam Houston as a national force, and the Bearkats have remained among the nation’s elite ever since. Hagen has guided Sam Houston to five Final Four-or-better appearances, including semifinal appearances in 2015, 2017 and 2018, as well as the program’s historic return to the national semifinals in 2024 after capturing its first NCAA Regional Championship in Arlington, Texas. The Bearkats have never finished lower than ninth in the NTCA Coaches Association national poll. The Bearkats have a post-season record of 44-51.
Sam Houston also reached No. 1 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top 25 poll for the first time at the conclusion of the 2014 season, a distinction the program achieved again in the December 2022 poll. Hagen’s teams have consistently combined national-level performance with sustained competitive excellence, including a remarkable in-season turnaround that culminated in another NCAA at-large berth and the program’s fifth consecutive regional appearance this past 2025-2026 season.
Developing Nationally Recognized Student-Athletes
Hagen’s influence extends beyond team success. During the program’s first 16 seasons, 15 different Sam Houston student-athletes earned NTCA All-American recognition a combined 28 times, while Bearkat bowlers accumulated 66 NTCA Academic All-American honors.
His recruiting has also helped establish Sam Houston as an increasingly diverse national and international destination for elite student-athletes. Bearkat rosters under Hagen have included athletes from 18 different U.S. states and 17 countries, bringing a broad range of talent and international experience to the program. During his tenure, 21 Sam Houston student-athletes have represented their respective national teams while competing as Bearkats, including appearances at some of the world’s largest international bowling competitions.Â
National and International Coaching Impact
Hagen’s influence reaches well beyond the collegiate game. He has served numerous leadership and coaching roles at the national and international levels.
From 2014–2018, Hagen served on the NCAA National Committee. He previously served as Central Regional Chair and Vice President of the National Tenpin Coaches Association from 2011–2014 and served as the Conference USA representative from 2023–2025.
His international coaching career includes serving as coach of the Puerto Rico Junior National Team from 2011–2013, where his athletes earned 19 medals, including Masters Division boys’ and girls’ individual championships at the 2011 PABCON Championships. That performance established a new Puerto Rican Youth PABCON record. His Puerto Rico team also earned a bronze medal at the 2012 World Youth Singles Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.
In 2015, Hagen coached the USA doubles team to a bronze medal at the World Deaf Bowling Championships in Italy. He has also worked closely with the Israeli Women’s National Team, including at the 2018 European Women’s Championships and the 2019 Women’s World Championships.
Hagen further contributed to the Philippine National Team, assisting with the women’s team that captured bronze at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the nation’s only bowling medal at those Games.
His international work has continued with the Thailand Bowling Federation, where he has served in technical and coaching capacities, including as a Technical Director at the Asian Youth Games and the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, both held in Bangkok. At the 2025 SEA Games, Thailand captured medals in men’s singles, men’s doubles and men’s team competition, while the women’s team earned bronze—its first SEA Games medal in 14 years.
Coaching Education and Professional Leadership
Hagen has continually pursued the highest levels of professional coaching education. He earned his USBC Bronze certification in 2008 and Silver certification in 2009, and holds Master-level certifications from Jayhawk, PowerHouse and IBPSIA. He currently serves on the IBPSIA Board of Directors as the VP and is a USBC Gold Finalist Candidate, representing the highest level of USA Bowling coaching certification.
His expertise and influence within the sport have also been recognized by Bowlers Journal International, which named Hagen among its Top 100 Coaches in 2012 and 2014–2016, prior to the publication ending its annual Top 100 Coaches recognition.
Building a Legacy at Sam Houston
From a startup program to an NCAA national champion and perennial postseason contender, Brad Hagen’s tenure has defined the history of Sam Houston State Women’s Bowling. As the program’s first and only head coach, Hagen has been at the center of every chapter of its development—from recruiting its first athletes and establishing its competitive identity to building a culture capable of competing for championships on the national and international stage.
His legacy at Sam Houston is reflected not only in wins, championships and postseason appearances, but also in the student-athletes who have competed for the Bearkats, the numerous All-Americans and Academic All-Americans developed under his leadership, and the growing number of Sam Houston bowlers who have gone on to represent their countries at the highest levels of international competition.
After nearly two decades, Hagen’s tenure continues to represent the sustained growth, national prominence and international influence of Sam Houston State University Women’s Bowling.
