Bambi Brundage, the longtime throwers coach who has worked in variety of capacities at JU continuously since 2003, stepped into the role of Director of Track and Field in July 2023.
Brundage took over as the head coach of the program she helped win 20 conference championships in her first stint as an assistant, and making her return to the coaching ranks working with the throwers. She excelled in as an athlete herself at Oklahoma, being named an All-American twice after winning Big 12 Championships twice and All-Big 12 honors nine times in her illustrious career.
Her arrival at JU in 2003 coincided with the ascendance of the track and field program. She was a part of the record-setting 10-consecutive ASUN Conference Indoor Championships and 10-straight ASUN Outdoor Championships the program captured from 2006-16. During that dominant run, Brundage tutored 25 conference champions and 51 All-Conference performers. Three athletes went on to earn ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 49 were All-Academic performers and one was named the conference's women of the year.
Many found success beyond the conference stage, with 10 throwers qualifying for the NCAA Regional Championships and one heptathlete in 2004 who went on to place first in both throwing events at the NCAA Championship meet.
After stepping away from full-time coaching, Brundage stayed at JU and committed her service to three years in athletic administration, overseeing ticket sales, marketing and promotions, sponsorships, summer programs and served as a sport administrator.
She then shifted to university leadership, though stayed adjacent to athletics, as she served as the Director of Campus Recreation and Wellness until this year, when she advanced to the role of Executive Director of Student Wellness & Engagement. In her role she oversees summer camps, Campus Recreation & Wellness and Student Engagement & Leadership departments.
In her time both in coaching and in leadership, she has received multiple recognitions for her hard work. She has served as both a panel speaker for the Women in Coaching seminar at the 2017 USTFCCCA Convention and a mentor for the Female Coaching Program through the same organization. Additionally, she was named the 2018-19 Jacksonville University Woman of the Year.
