Chris Bradford enters his ninth season (10th year) as head coach of the Cal Poly Pomona cross country and track & field programs in 2026-27.
In fall 2025, both cross country teams qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships for the first time since 2019 and just the fourth time in department history. The women's team placed second at the CCAA Championships before finishing 16th nationally, the highest national finish in 40 years for the program.
Bradford has overseen one of the most successful stretches in program history. From 2022-24, both the men's and women's track & field teams captured three consecutive CCAA championships, while the women extended their streak with a fourth straight title in 2025. During that run, Bradford earned CCAA Coach of the Year honors six times - three for the men's program and three for the women's. Since his arrival, the Broncos have produced 58 Track & Field All-Americans and three Cross Country All-Americans.
In 2024-25, Bradford guided the women's track & field team to its fourth consecutive CCAA championship. Twelve athletes qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, while seven cross country student-athletes competed at nationals. His athletes earned five All-America honors, and the Broncos broke 15 school records during the year.
The 2023-24 campaign saw both the men's and women's teams repeat as CCAA champions, with Bradford earning CCAA Coach of the Year recognition on both sides. The Broncos collected 29 All-CCAA honors, 17 All-West Region selections, and advanced 13 athletes to the NCAA Division II Championships, where they earned nine All-America awards. Bradford also coached Ryan Fields to a berth in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where he placed 12th among 32 competitors in the 110-meter hurdles.
Bradford was named the 2022 CCAA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year after leading both programs to their first conference championships since 1998. The Broncos' remarkable 2021-22 season included 11 All-Americans, 36 All-Region selections, 46 All-CCAA performers, 15 individual conference champions, and 19 Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors, along with numerous academic achievements.
Bradford arrived at Cal Poly Pomona with 14 years of coaching experience, including eight seasons as head track & field coach at Western State Colorado University, where he oversaw all aspects of the program.
During his time with the Mountaineers, Bradford's teams compiled 11 top ten finishes in the NCAA DII Championships, he coached 18 NCAA DII individual champions and 111 DII All-Americans.
In 2017, Bradford was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Coach of the Year for the second time after leading his team to a conference outdoor championship. Bradford earned his first RMAC accolades in 2015, being named both the indoor and outdoor Coach of the Year after claiming both conference titles.
Bradford's teams have found success both on the track and in the classroom, being named the USTFCCCA Men's Scholar Team of the Year in 2012 and 2013. Also in 2013, Bradford's women's team won the Brechler Award for the highest GPA in the RMAC at 3.53.
Prior to Western, Bradford was the assistant track & field and cross country coach at Augustana College in South Dakota. He coached eight DII All-Americans and assisted in all aspects of the nationally ranked cross country teams.
Bradford earned a degree in Business Administration from Elmhurst College.
