Following a series of coaching moves effective for 2010, Tyson Graham will be in charge of an emerging Ashford cross country program while contributing to the track and field team's development as an assistant coach.

Graham entered 2009 as a second-year head coach of the Saints' track and field/cross country programs and continues to bring a wealth of experience from various levels to the table as Ashford looks to move into the upper-echelon of the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

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. 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 son, Noah.

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/Head Cross Country Coach - Ashford University (2008-09)
• Head Cross Country/Assistant Track and Field Coach - Ashford University (2010-Present)

Adams transitioned into 2010 by assuming head coaching responsibilities for the men's and women's track and field programs at Ashford. He will retain his additional duties as an assistant cross country coach for the Saints in his second season overall at Ashford.

Adams recently underwent training in Boulder, Colo., to successfully obtain his USATF Level 2 Coaching Certification. He specialized as a sprints coach at AU prior to taking over his new position on the athletics staff.

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 meter and 400-meter distances.

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

He 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 state in 2008.

Adams is obtaining 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, a 2008 inductee to the IGHSAU Track and Field Hall of Fame and is working at Ashford University as an Employee Relations Representative. They reside together in nearby Camanche.

The Adams File

• Assistant Men's and Women's 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)