| Title: | Head Cross Country Coach |
| Phone: | 617-521-1066 |
| Email: | brian.cunningham@simmons.edu |
Brian Cunningham is in his second season as the Simmons Cross
Country Head Coach after joining the college for the 2013 campaign.
Cunningham guided the Sharks to a third-place team finish at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship in just his first season in 2013. Under his tutelage, four Simmons harriers placed in the top 15 at the GNAC title race.
Prior to his arrival at Simmons, Cunningham enjoyed a successful
career in long distance running. He served as the Assistant Men's
and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at The
College of William and Mary from 2003-2005, where he worked with
middle distance runners. The Tribe qualified for the NCAA Cross
Country Championships twice during his tenure. Cunningham also
assisted with five male and female competitors, who were chosen to
compete for varoius Team USA squads. He also spent one year
at The University of Texas-Pan American, where he oversaw the
team's distance and middle distance runners, including the fastest
male runner in the 10,000 meters on the American collegiate
scene.
In addition to coaching on the collegiate level, Cunningham has coached for the Cambridge Running Club and as a part of the PR Training Programs in Virginia, where he supervised various athlete groups training for competitions from five kilometers to 50 miles in distance.
Cunningham also enjoyed a successful stint on the high school level, serving as an Assistant Coach for Lake Braddock Secondary School in Virginia, where he helped the girls cross country team capture the state championship in addition to winning numerous regional titles in both cross country and track and field. He guided the girls 4X800 meter relay team to an eighth-place finish at the prestigious Penn Relays, earning All-America honors. Cunningham also saw his girls distance medley relay squad place sixth at the Indoor National Scholastics. The girls team was ranked 22nd in the nation by American Track and Field magazine.
Previously, Cunningham was the Head Coach at the nearby Winsor School, where he oversaw the inception of the cross country program. The program flourished right away, winning the conference championship as well as an individual title in just its first season. Cunningham was honored as the 2001 Eastern Independent League Coach of the Year for his efforts. In just three years, the mentor molded 10 All-Region competitors during his time at Winsor, while leading four to individual New England titles. While at Winsor, Cunningham also worked for three years with the John Hancock Elite Athletes program for the Boston Marathon. Additionally, he competed on the professional level from 1999-2002 with FILA-Discovery USA.
Cunningham received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from The College of William and Mary and was named All-Conference in the 800 meters, while earning IC4A qualifying status in the 4X800 relay during his four-year career. He and his wife, Michelle, make their home in Tiverton, RI.