Brad was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1939. His family soon moved to National City and then to Paradise Hills. He eventually enrolled at Lincoln Junior-Senior High School where he played football, basketball and baseball. In his senior year he was coached football by the notable Walt Harvey and Bob Granger. After graduating from Lincoln in 1956, he continued his academic and athletic career at San Diego Junior College (now San Diego City College) playing basketball and baseball for legendary coaches Merrill Douglas, Mike Morrow and Ed Sanclemente respectively. After SDJC, Brad signed with the Boston Red Socks organization. After a three year career of professional baseball, he returned to San Diego and enrolled at San Diego State College (now San Diego State University) where he continued to play baseball under Coach Lyle Olson and served as a baseball graduate assistant. He graduated from State in 1965.
Brad then returned to his alma mater, Lincoln High School, as a teacher and assistant JV baseball coach. During this period he was involved in the Boys Club sports programs in his home town of National City. After two years at Lincoln, Brad transferred to Kearny High School and coached JV football and baseball. After nine years at Kearny, he was then hired as the head football coach and assistant baseball coach at Mira Mesa High School, a position he held for 19 years. He concluded his illustrious coaching career as Mira Mesa’s softball coach for 17 years for a total of 47 years of coaching.
In 1966, after graduating from State, Brad was getting ready to watch a Navy basketball game at the 32nd Street Naval Base. As luck had it, only one official showed up to the game. The lone official spotted Brad and asked him to join him in officiating the game. Brad said “why not” and his basketball officiating career was launched. As a member of the San Diego County Basketball Officials Association, Brad officiated at virtually every level of basketball; Youth, Boys Clubs, YMCA, CIF, Junior College, NCAA Divisions I, II, and III along with NAIA. During his twenty-five years as a member of the SDCBOA, Brad was on the association’s Board of Directors, served as the ratings chair and was a trainer and mentor to countless new basketball officials.
Since Brad’s retirement he has been recognized as an outstanding coach and official by the High School Sports Association of San Diego and has been inducted into the San Diego Coaches Legends Hall of Fame. He also received the Cal Hi Sports, “Softball Coach of the Year” in 2002, the same year his softball team was rated first in California and second nationally.
