The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Track & Field / Cross Country
- Title:
- Assistant Coach: Distance/Cross Country
- Email:
- Brad@utexas.edu
- Phone:
- 512-471-9138
Two Minutes with Brad Herbster
Brad Herbster is in his fifth year as an assistant coach with Texas Track & Field overseeing the training for the distance events while also guiding the men’s and women’s cross country teams.
His first year at Texas saw great success for the distance events for both the men and women, while the men’s cross country team also reached the NCAA Championship meet. The success of the distance programs has continued to grow under his watch.
With four seasons at Texas under his belt, Herbster has coached his athletes to five individual Big 12 titles, 11 Big 12 runner-up finishes, six USTFCCCA All-America performance with three first teamers and one NCAA champion.
In 2017, Herbster guided the men’s cross country team to its eight consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships. The Longhorns had a strong showing at the NCAA South Central Regional Championship that saw four runners earn all-region honors finishing in the top 25. Nate Moore and Robert Uhr both finished in the top 10 to take the Longhorns to their runner-up finish and advance to the NCAA meet.
On the track in 2017, Herbster’s group broke two school records with Mary Beth Hamilton and Meghan Lloyd becoming the fastest Longhorns in program history in their events.
Hamilton broke the record indoors in the mile with her time of 4:39.11 at the Husky Classic. She also move up the school’s top 10 list in the 800 meters to No. 7.
Lloyd became the top steeplechaser in program history with her time of 10:20.37 at the Cardinal Classic. She nearly broke the record earlier in the season at the Texas Relays to give her two of the top five times in school history.
The future is bright for Texas distance runners as Herbster has hit the recruiting trail with success in recent years. He signed the No. 1 recruit in the nation on the men’s side in the 2017 class with Sam Worley joining the fray. Worley won an invitational mile against collegiate and professional runners at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. His time of 4:00.61 nearly made him just the 10th high schooler in U.S. history to run a sub-4 mile. He ranks 12th all-time in U.S. history. In 2016, Herbster brought in the No. 1 girls high school runner in the 3,200 meters in Destiny Collins.
During the 2016 track and field season, Herbster saw his athletes qualify for NCAA Championships in five events with four of them coming outdoors. None of the five NCAA qualifiers from 2016 graduated and all return for action in 2016-17.
Sandie Raines dominated the 5,000 meters at the Big 12 Championship to successfully defend her outdoor title in the event. She also finished second in the 10,000 meters.
The 2015 cross country season set the tone for the success on the track. Herbster coached his men and women to NCAA Championship appearances marking the first time since 2012 that both teams qualified for the championship meet. It also marked the seventh consecutive year for the men to qualify.
On the track in 2015, Herbster coached Raines to her first Big 12 Conference title outdoors in the 5,000 meters. She also took second in the 1,500 to score 18 valuable points for the women’s team to help hold off the Kansas State Wildcats and give the Longhorns the title. Raines also earned first team All-America honors indoors in the 5,000 meters finishing eighth at the NCAA meet under Herbster’s guidance.
The men’s team saw Craig Lutz take second in the 10,000 meters at the conference meet in 2015 and finish fourth at the NCAA Championships. Lutz also helped lead the men’s cross country team to qualify for the NCAA Championships and finish in 26th place. He narrowly missed becoming the first three-time All-American in cross country, finishing 51st.
The 2014 season was highlighted by the performance of Marielle Hall for the distance group. The senior broke the school record in the 5,000 meters twice during the season, once in winning the Stanford Invitational and again finishing third at USATF Championships. Hall won the NCAA title outdoors in the event as well. She claimed Big 12 Conference titles indoors in the mile and 3,000 meters while taking the 1,500 title outdoors. Hall also earned All-America status in cross country finishing 29th at the NCAA Championships.
On the men’s side, the Longhorns qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished 14th. Ryan Dohner and Craig Lutz each received All-America honors for finishing in the top 40 at the championship meet. Dohner took 11th with Lutz close behind in 15th. Herbster also coached multiple men’s runners to scoring performance at Big 12 Championships.
Herbster came to Texas after four years (2009-12) at Clemson, where he served as assistant coach and associate head cross country coach for the 2012-13 season for the combined men’s and women’s program. The Tigers captured Atlantic Coast Conference championships in women’s indoor and outdoor track & field during each of the four seasons with Herbster on the staff. They also recorded eight consecutive NCAA top-20 finishes, the last four of which were top-10 showings.
Herbster helped take the Clemson distance program to new heights, exemplified by standouts Alyssa Kulik and Kim Ruck. Kulik, a 3,000-meter steeplechase specialist on the track, was a two-time All-American and 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the event, won the 2012 league steeplechase title and was a two-time all-region honoree in cross country. Ruck was a two-time ACC champion and a 2010 indoor All-American. She also is the Clemson school record-holder in the 5,000m and earned all-region cross country honors in three consecutive seasons. On the men’s side, Herbster coached Chris Slate to four straight all-ACC performances in the indoor and outdoor 800m during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Slate advanced to the NCAA Championships in the event in 2012, the first Tiger to do so in the 800m since 1999.
Prior to his time at Clemson, Herbster guided the distance athletes at the University of Charlotte from 2002-09, during which time he was an integral part of four consecutive women’s Atlantic-10 cross country championships and three of the last four 49er team conference cross country titles on the men’s side.
In 14 years, Herbster has coached 13 All-Americans, 38 all-region selections in cross country, 41 all-conference cross country selections and 43 conference track champions.
In the process of earning his degree from the University of South Carolina in 1991, Herbster competed for the Gamecocks’ cross country and track & field teams. A specialist in the 3,000m steeplechase, he was a three-time all-conference performer and ranks fifth in school history in the event on the all-time performance list.
Herbster and his wife reside in Austin.
THE HERBSTER FILE
EDUCATION
• B.A., University of South Carolina (1991)
COACHING EXPERIENCE
• University of Texas – Assistant Coach, 2013-present
• Clemson University – Assistant Coach, 2009-13
• University of Charlotte – Assistant Coach, 2002-09
ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE
University of South Carolina – 1987-91
• All-SEC Accolades: 3
