Monday, Oct 14, 2019
A ceremony was held on Oct. 12
by Rider Sports Information
On Oct. 12, Rider Athletics hosted a ceremony to formally unveil the Michael P. Brady Track Building & Pavilion. The event comes after the track on campus was renamed the Michael P. Brady Track last April.
The building will greatly enhance the daily operations of the track and field program, professionalize meet management and bolster recruiting efforts while honoring the legacy of former track and field coach Mike Brady '76.
"It was a wonderful day to honor Coach Brady and share the moment with his family, friends, and track and field alumni," Rider Head Coach Bob Hamer said. "Coach Brady meant a lot to so many people and it was really special to be able to honor him and his legacy in this manner."
Brady, who was inducted into the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002, passed away at the age of 63 in late November 2017.
"The building will be a valuable asset to the program in so many ways," Hamer added. "It will professionalize meet management and operations and it will also provide a venue for alumni and friends to gather and watch a meet in a very enjoyable setting. It has really transformed the Michael P. Brady Track into a true facility. I am very grateful to all of Mike's family, friends, and track and field alumni for making this a reality."
Named head coach at Rider University in 1980, Brady led the Broncs to Eastern prominence in both cross country and track within five short years. His cross country teams captured five consecutive New Jersey collegiate championships and two straight East Coast Conference titles. Brady also guided the Broncs to three indoor and four outdoor ECC track and field championships. Rider captured the ECC indoor and outdoor crowns in each of his last two years, and the Broncs won their final 64 indoor dual meets. Brady's squads compiled a 121-37 record in cross country, a 71-2 mark in indoor track and a 61-4 record in outdoor track.
The victories on the track are not what Coach Brady's student-athletes remember most about their time at Rider. Instead, they recall his determination to prepare them for success in life as well as the guidance and friendship he displayed in pursuit of that endeavor.