Josh Bradford was named the third head baseball coach in program history at Lourdes University in August of 2019.
Bradford enters the 2024-25 school year, his sixth year both at Lourdes University and as a collegiate head coach, with a 85-113 record.
Bradford produced the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Noah Childress, in 2021. Childress was also a NAIA Honorable Mention All-America selection. In addition, Bradford has had two First Team All-WHAC and two Second Team All-WHAC honorees since arriving in the Gray Wolves’ dugout. A pair of his players have also been named to the WHAC Gold Glove Team.
His student-athletes also have succeeded in the classroom. He produced a CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team selection as well as a Second Team Academic All-American. He has also had seven CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District honorees. Over 50 players have been named to the WHAC All-Academic Team while 58 players have been named NAIA Scholar-Athletes. The 2022 team was named a NAIA Scholar Team, as well.
Bradford arrived at Lourdes after spending 14 seasons on staff at the University of Toledo over two stints. He spent 12 years with the Rockets as a full-time assistant coach. Toledo’s pitching coach since 2008, Bradford was a part of a staff that produced 28 All Mid-American Conference selections, and he saw 12 pitchers and eight position players move into professional baseball.
While at Toledo full-time, 63 players earned Academic All-MAC accolades, and the squad posted a grade point average above 3.0 regularly.
Bradford spent two seasons as the pitching coach at the University of West Georgia, where he produced the first player in program history to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. He also has spent time as an assistant coach for the Danville Dans of the Central Illinois Collegiate League, and NCAA Division II member Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Bradford played professionally for seven seasons after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th round in 1996. He spent four seasons in the Blue Jays’ organization, reaching AAA in 1999 before moving to the Northern League, concluding his career in independent baseball.
Playing collegiately at Xavier University, Bradford was the 1996 Atlantic-10 Pitcher of the Year and a First Team All A-10 selection. He played two seasons for the Musketeers after playing two years at Hutchinson Community College.
Bradford is a 2002 graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College, with a bachelor’s degree in physical education.
