William & Mary Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Alex Heacock '09 announced the hiring today of Forest Braden to the post of Head Men's Cross Country Coach.  Braden will be responsible for all coaching, recruiting, and administrative aspects of leading the Tribe's renowned men's distance program both during the cross country season, and as an assistant coach during both the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.  He is the 22nd head coach of W&M's team since 1924-25.

"I believe that William & Mary remains one of the premier names in NCAA cross country and distance running, and this hire directly reflects that," said Heacock. "In Forest, we are getting a proven coach that raised the profile of the UCLA distance programs while experiencing sustained success at the national level. That doesn't happen by accident, and I am extremely excited to welcome him into the Tribe family. I look forward to working alongside him, our student-athletes, and staff to continue to move our program forward."

Braden comes to Williamsburg after a very successful eight-year run on the other end of Route 60, at UCLA.  During his time in Westwood, the Bruins reached the NCAA Cross Country Championships six times, with the men finishing in the top-20 four times in the last five years, and the women finishing 27th in 2014 and 28th in 2016.  The 2012 men's team, his first to make NCAAs, finished 13th overall for UCLA's best finish since 1985.

Across all seasons, Braden's athletes earned a total of 16 All-America honors in the past six years, including three in cross country, nine in outdoor track and field, and the men's distance medley relay that finished seventh in the nation at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships.  During the 2016-17 school year, three athletes earned second-team All-America honors during the outdoor championships, including Julia Rizk in the 800m as well as Daniel de la Torre in the 5,000m and Austin O'Neil in the 3,000m steeplechase, while Ferdinand Edman took 14th nationally in cross country.

Braden has also been active in the national and international coaching ranks, serving as the men's and women's distance coach during the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.  He helped both select and coach the U.S. team in the middle and distance events at the international championships, including helping guide Shaquille Walker to the gold medal in the 800m run.  Braden was also the coach for elite marathoner Katja Goldring, who was ninth at the 2016 women's marathon Olympic Trials, as well as for Nick Hartle, who made three-straight USAT&F Championships in the 800m.

"I want to thank Alex Heacock and the hiring committee for bringing me in to the Tribe family," said Braden. "I am honored to take over such a storied distance program and excited at the opportunity ahead. I also want to thank Mike Maynard and UCLA for hiring me eight years ago and giving me the opportunity to begin my coaching career. I'm looking forward to meeting the athletes and beginning the next chapter in William & Mary Cross Country!"

Before going to UCLA, Braden was an assistant at Gonzaga for the 2008-09 school year, helping begin the turnaround for the Gonzaga program.  Braden was a standout runner during his college days at Boise State, earning three All-American honors and seven WAC championships as a Bronco.  He helped lead Boise State to five WAC team championships during his career, including sweeping the indoor and outdoor conference championships his final two years.  After graduating with his degree in history in 2007, Braden ran professionally for a year with Team Indiana Elite, recording five top-10 finishes on the USAT&F championship circuit.

Braden and his wife, Shelly, reside in Williamsburg with their three cats.