Brenau Names Bridges Head Track & Field Coach
(Story provided by Brenau Sports Communications)
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - The Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department hired OB Bridges as head coach of the Track and Field program.
Bridges comes to Brenau by way of Asbury University, where he was an integral part of relaunching the track program after a decades-long hiatus.
"My first year at Asbury was dedicated to recruiting student-athletes for the program and my second year was the initial year of the program," he said. "We had several student-athletes qualify and compete at the National Christian College Athletic Association national championships."
Bridges said he plans to elevate Brenau's track and field program to a national level.
"I want to build a program that year-in and year-out competes for conference championships and has a presence on the national stage," he said. "And, build a program that has a positive team culture emphasizing resilience, teamwork, and respect, making Brenau a place student-athletes want to commit to long-term."
Bridges has been working with track and field athletes professionally since 2008. He earned his Master of Science in physical education and Bachelor of Science in recreation and park administration from Eastern Kentucky University. During his undergraduate studies, he was a four-year member of EKU's track and field team and a Colonel Scholar.
Bridges has coached on the high school and college levels, and has earned several coaching awards. While coaching at Eastern Kentucky, Bridges coached high jumper Tequan Claitt who claimed numerous accolades during his collegiate career, including having one of the top jumps in the world in 2017 at 2.28 meters – 7 feet and 5 ¾ inches.
Bridges started competing in track and field in middle school along with his friends, and it developed into a lifelong passion.
"I love the competition of track and field, I love all the different events and how each one is unique and takes different skill sets to be good," Bridges said. "I love how track and field is an individual sport and the work you put in will translate to your success. Also, I love the team aspect and seeing how all these different events and athletes in different events can come together."
Bridges will also serve as the Director of the Schrader Athletic Center.