A&M-Victoria recruits Kocher as new director of Athletics
By Lauren Emerson
Communications Manager
Texas A&M University-Victoria Marketing & Communications
Texas A&M University-Victoria is pleased to announce that it has hired Bradley Kocher as its new director of Athletics.
Kocher will join the university from his current role as senior associate athletic director of external operations and community engagement at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. He plans to take the reins at A&M-Victoria on Aug. 17.
"We are excited to welcome Brad Kocher to our Athletics department and our community," A&M-Victoria President Christian Hardigree said. "A&M-Victoria's Athletics teams have a history of excellence, and we are proud to continue that tradition under Brad's leadership and new vision for the future."
Kocher's athletics career began as a starting pitcher for Edinboro University in Pennsylvania from 1997 to 2000. In 2002, he also became head baseball coach for Spotsylvania High School in Virginia. He moved up into the role of assistant baseball coach for the University of Mary Washington in 2009, and his collegiate athletics career has grown and prospered since. In 2011, he moved to Hillsdale College in Michigan, where he moved up from assistant baseball coach to director of recreational sports and athletic facilities, eventually moving up to the role of assistant director of athletics in 2016. From there, he spent time as a faculty member at Urbana University and Franklin University teaching Sport Management. In 2022, he accepted the assistant athletic director of external operations position at Central State University.
Throughout his career, Kocher has built and developed strong athletics programs. He has built fundraising strategies that increased donor engagement with athletics departments and has developed corporate sponsorship strategies. Now, he plans to bring those skills to Victoria.
"I like to think of a university's campus as a whole, and the Athletics program is the front porch for the university," he said. "We need to foster strong connections to all areas of campus and the community. Our student-athletes are first and foremost students, so we need to make sure they're achieving success both on the field and in the classroom. The university has a strong track record in this area, and I'm looking forward to furthering that mission. I also want to thank my wife, Rebecca, for her unwavering support and encouragement throughout this journey. Her belief in me and our shared commitment to serving others make opportunities like this possible."
Throughout his career, Kocher has supported Athletics programs by helping to build a strong vision and finding ways to connect the university to all areas of campus, including Student Affairs, academics, the community and more. He also sees Athletics as an opportunity to promote a service-focused perspective. He enjoys a good challenge, he said, and now he's looking forward to coming to Victoria to help grow what is already established and and go beyond that into the future.
"I am honored to be selected by President Hardigree to serve as the next Director of Athletics at Texas A&M University-Victoria," Kocher said. "I want to sincerely thank President Hardigree, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Sheehy, and the search committee for their confidence in me and for the opportunity to lead Jaguar Athletics. Athletics plays a vital role in strengthening institutions and communities. I look forward to working alongside our coaches, student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and the Victoria community to lead a championship culture grounded in excellence, integrity, and a transformative student-athlete experience. I am excited to begin building meaningful relationships across campus and throughout South Texas while working together to elevate Jaguar Athletics. I believe the future is incredibly bright, and I can't wait to get started."