Following a series of coaching moves effective in mid-2009, Graham enters his third season at the controls of an emerging Ashford cross country program this fall while contributing to the track and field team's rapid development as an assistant coach.

Graham recently completed USATF Level II Certification in Endurance over the summer of 2010, taking place in Philadelphia, Pa. He also serves as the Midwest Collegiate Conference men's and women's cross country chairman.

Graham also takes on multiple roles as an Associate USATF Racewalk Official and as an active USATF Iowa Racewalk member in addition to his responsibilities at Ashford.

In the short time Graham has taken over the Ashford program, he has overseen the development of NAIA National Championship qualifiers, Andrew Drinkall and Doug Powers. Four student-athletes under his guidance have reached the record books with top-10 performances and two teams have been noted with plenty of Academic All-MCC selections.

In the track and field season Coach Graham oversees the 800-meter through marathon runners and also serves as the racewalk coach. Graham has been a part of 13 school records, three conference records and numerous all-conference performance/academic accolades, while at Ashford. He also has had eight qualifiers at the NAIA National Championships in track & field in the past two seasons, including an NAIA All-American performance.

Graham brings a successful background to the Saints' programs where he was last a Head Girls' Cross Country/Assistant Track and Field Coach in Brooksville, Fla., at Nature Coast Tech High School.

Graham also started the cross-country squads from scratch while serving as a physical education and health instructor at Brooksville Elementary School in Florida.

Graham also coached at BGM Community Schools (Brooklyn, Iowa), Northern University Schools (Cedar Falls, Iowa) and Grace Christian Schools (Hudson, Fla.).

Graham participated in track and field and cross country while at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, graduating in 2004. Graham is currently listed as a top 10 performer all-time in the 10,000-meter run at Northwestern. He pursued a second degree at the University of Northern Iowa and ran with the UNI Track Club in 2006.

Graham resides in Clinton with his wife, Carolyn, and his sons, Noah and Emerson.

The Graham File

• Assistant Boys and Girls Cross Country Coach - Northern University Schools (2005)
• Assistant Boys Basketball Coach/Head Boys Volleyball Coach/Assistant Boys Track and Field Coach/Head Boys and Girls Basketball Coach - B.G.M. Community Schools (2006)
• Head Girls Cross Country Coach/Assistant Girls Track and Field Coach - Nature Coast Tech (Fla.) High School (2007-08)
• Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach - Ashford University (2008-09)
• Head Cross Country/Assistant Track and Field Coach - Ashford University (2010-Present)

Adams has settled in for what will be his second season as head coach for both the rapidly emerging Ashford men's and women's track and field programs and his fourth overall in a coaching capacity.

After transitioning into the 2010-11 academic year with assumed head coaching responsibilities, Adams has also maintained status as an assistant men's and women's cross country for the Saints.

To date, Adams has brought in student-athletes and ushered in an era that features 24 NAIA National Qualifiers (12 indoor/12 outdoor), one NAIA All-American, five individuals who have claimed top-10 finishes at the NAIA National Championships and 18 Midwest Collegiate Conference individual champions.

Adams has seen his standout hurdler Christian "Ed" Awah claim back-to-back Male Athlete of the Year honors at the institution's traditional Ashford University Sport Performance Yearly Awards (AUSPY's).

The Saints enjoyed unprecedented success in Adams' first full year at the helm, smashing a plethora of school records while sending a record number of student-athletes to the NAIA National Championships during the indoor and outdoor campaigns. His efforts resulted in MCC Coach of the Year honors for the indoor season.

Adams has undergone training in Boulder, Colo., to successfully obtain his USATF Level 2 Coaching Certification. He specialized as a sprints coach at AU as an assistant prior to taking over his head coaching duties.

Adams originally came to the Saints by way of Quincy, Ill., where he attended Quincy Senior High School. Upon graduation, he attended Div. I Western Illinois University where specialized in 200 and 400-meter distances.

After completing a successful career where he was a seven-time NCAA Regional Qualifier at WIU, Adams spent one year as an assistant coach for the Leathernecks.

Adams then served as an assistant coach for two years at Davenport Assumption High School for both the men's and women's track teams. During his tenure, he helped the women's unit bring home runner-up honors in the 2008 Iowa state meet.

Adams obtained his teaching certification and taught at DeWitt Middle School and Camanche High School in the fall/winter of 2009.

Adams is married to his wife, Audra, an Ashford employee in the human resources department and assistant track and field coach. They reside together in nearby Camanche with their daughter, Annalynn.

Adams By The Numbers (2010-Present)

• NAIA National Qualifiers - 24 (12 Indoor/12 Outdoor)
• Midwest Collegiate Conference Champions - 18
• NAIA All-Americans - 1
• Top-10 Finishes at NAIA National Championships - 5

Coaching Honors

• MCC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year (2009)

The Adams File

• Assistant Track and Field Coach - Western Illinois University (2005-06)
• Assistant Boys and Girls Track and Field Coach - Davenport Assumption High School (2007-08)
• Assistant Track and Field/Cross Country Coach - Ashford University (2008-09)
• Head Track and Field/Assistant Cross Country Coach - Ashford University (2010-Present)