Brent Chumbley is entering his 13th season at Radford University and his 12th year as the Director of Cross Country/Track and Field.
During Chumbley’s tenure as head coach, Radford has produced 168 all-conference performers, 41 Big South Champions, 37 regional qualifiers, 73 school records, a regional champion, and six All-Americans.
Academics have been a big emphasis under Chumbley and the results prove it. The Highlanders have had at least one student-athlete make the Big South All-Academic team every year since 2006. Both the men’s and women’s cross country programs garnered the USTFCCCA Team Academic Award in 2017.
The 2017-18 school year was one to remember for both cross country and track & field. Senior Carrie Keevey became the first Highlander since 2014 and the seventh in the last 20 years to earn All-Big South honors with a fourth place finish at Big South Championships in the fall. Then, the indoor track & field team placed fourth at the Big South Championships with 82 points, the most tallied by the Highlanders since 2001.
Under Chumbley’s tutelage during the 2014-15 campaign, Ashlen Veatch represented the first Highlander to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries since 2011 when she placed 38th in the women’s hammer throw. Teresa Williamson also produced a historic result, breaking the Big South Championship record for the 1,500-meter run while winning two gold medals before being named Big South Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Female Outstanding Track Performer of the Year. His work with these two student-athletes as well as the rest of the team resulted in Chumbley earning the Big South’s Women’s T&F Coach of the Year award in 2015.
The 2013-14 season saw nine new school records established and added 62 top-ten performances to the record books. Additionally, four conference championships and one NCAA All-American were also added.
This years recruiting class includes several state champions and many of them are expected to make an immediate impact. With added depth in the distances, two high ranking recruits in the throwing events and the return of a school record holder in the sprints, Radford is well positioned to make noise in the Big South come championship season.
Chumbley’s impact also carries over to post-collegiate athletes, just ask Radford’s two-time All-American, Brian Richotte. He coached Richotte to the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in the hammer throw. He also coached Brian Krantz at the 2008 Indoor Championships.
In 2011, Chumbley guided Kyle Morse in his second All-America campaign in the hammer throw. The Highlanders were named all-conference in seven events on the men’s side and eight on the women’s. Aimee Veatch enjoyed another standout season under Chumbley’s watchful eye, breaking the Top-20 in the NCAA rankings for the weight throw. The Highlanders had five athletes that were regional qualifiers and had two athletes earn Academic All-America status in Matt Dobson and Sean Domer.
Breaking school records have been a common occurrence under Chumbley. A total of 22 school records on the women’s side and 23 men’s records were eclipsed since 2007, when Chumbley arrived in Radford.
Chumbley’s 2009-10 season saw the men’s team finish third at the Big South Outdoor Championships, the highest finish since 2006. The women garnered a third-place in the Big South Indoor Championships, also the highest since 2006. For his efforts on the women’s side, Chumbley was named 2010 Big South Conference Women’s Coach of the Year for the indoor season.
The 2009 season was no different for Chumbley, as the Highlanders carried over their success from the previous year by placing fourth and sixth in the outdoor championship and sixth and seventh in the indoor championships.
Chumbley’s throwers fared well in the 2009 season as they placed in the top-five at both the indoor and outdoor championships. Freshman Aimee Veatch recorded first-place finishes in the weight throw at the indoor championships and reached the podium twice at the outdoor championships. Chumbley also had his hands in helping Lindsey Noe become the school record-holder in the pole vault.
On the men’s side, he helped with the steady improvement of Matt Dobson and nurtured the talents of Justin Smith. During the 2009 season, each of these two individuals placed at the conference championship; Dobson in the weight throw and Smith in the hammer and discus.
Chumbley’s guidance helped six athletes qualify for the NCAA Regionals and national championships. Shemelia Brandon, Aimee Veatch and Britney Whittaker on the women’s side and Raschad Kelso, Olajuwon Jones and the 4x400 team on the men’s side. Kyle Morse reached the next level of competition as he competed in the USATF National Championships. Brett Olinger and Justin Smith also reached the next level as they competed in the USATF Junior Championships.
Chumbley’s knowledge and experience of the sport saw instant results in the 2008 season. The men’s team posted their best-ever finish, second, at the Indoor Championships.
Individually the men’s and women’s teams produced seven all-conference performers.
The 2008 outdoor season saw individual Big South success and a number of Chumbley’s athletes advanced to the NCAA Regional meet. Two women, Amy Marshall and Shemelia Brandon, and seven men, Kyle Morse, Nictae Moore, Daniel Oseth, Raschad Kelso, Olajuwon Jones, Wayne Gore and Gaylon Johnson, all competed in the East Regional.
Morse, an athlete under Chumbley’s teaching since his sophomore year, claimed the East Regional title in the hammer throw and advanced to the NCAA Championships, where he became Radford’s fifth All-America athlete, and the first with Chumbley at the helm.
In 2007, Chumbley was called on to fill a new role, moving into the position of interim Program Director. At the conclusion of Radford’s track and field season in 2007, Chumbley had the “interim“ tag lifted from his title when he became the school’s director of track and field/cross country on June 23.
On the women’s side, he helped develop the top two throwers in program’s history: Tiffany Evans and Marshall. Under Chumbley’s watchful eye, Evans racked up four conference championships and earned Big South Field Performer of the Year honors in both the 2007 indoor and outdoor seasons. Marshall went on to post a pair of javelin titles of her own (2007-08), and etched her name into the school record books.
In 2006, Chumbley was hired as the throws coach and in his first season there were instant results. Four throwers made their mark among the very best in the Big South and the program’s record book.
Before landing in Radford, Chumbley’s background included four different stops. He spent four seasons as an assistant at Illinois State. In his time with the Redbirds, Chumbley produced one United States Olympic Trials qualifier, two NCAA Championship qualifiers, 17 NCAA Regional qualifiers,eight conference champions and 23 all-conference performers.
Prior to Illinois State, Chumbley spent one year at Murray State, where he helped produce a conference champion, 17 all-conference performers and guided his group in setting four school records.
Chumbley earned his master’s degree in teaching (physical education) from Hastings College (Ky.), where he coached the NAIA affiliate school in producing two All-Americans, 12 national qualifiers, one multi-event national champion and 17 new school records.
Beyond his collegiate coaching resume, Chumbley brings experience from the King of the Ring Throws Festival, the Redbird Track and Field Camp, the Urbana Coaches Clinic, Central Illinois Track Club and the Chumbley and Fister Throws Camp.
His track and field training includes certification as a USATF Level II Throws coach, and from USATF Level I coaching school.
In 1998, Chumbley earned his bachelor’s degree in education and kinesiology from the University of Kentucky.
An All-Southern Conference performer in the hammer throw while at Marshall University, Chumbley was also a three-time Kentucky High School State Champion.
He and his wife Jennifer currently reside in Radford with their daughter, Alex.
