LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Prior to this weekend's Rider Invite Track & Field meet, Rider Athletics will name its track in memory of former Head Coach Mike Brady'76 in an 11:45 a.m. ceremony. The ceremony is open to the public and all are invited.

The naming was made possible by generous donations from former student-athletes and friends of the program.

A group of Rider University track & field alumni came together and approached the University to secure the naming rights of the school's track for former coach, Mike Brady. Coach Brady played a significant role in many lives as a mentor, confidant, advisor, friend, and brother. The group surpassed their goal and established an endowed scholarship in Coach Brady's name.

Brady, who was inducted into the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002, passed away at the age of 63 in late November.

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.

In 12 years at the helm of the program (1980-1992), Brady compiled a record of 253 wins and just 43 losses, winning nine East Coast Conference championships and nine New Jersey Collegiate Championships.

In cross country, he won ECC titles in1990 and '91, and had four ECC runner-up finishes.

During the winter, his indoor track teams captured ECC titles in 1985-86, 1990-91 and 1991-92.

In the spring, his outdoor track & field teams also won ECC titles in 1986, '89, '91 and '92.

At the time he was inducted into the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame, 26 of 61 Rider records set by his athletes still stood. Brady also coached the first two Rider runners to ever win a conference cross country meet (Terence Wheat, Lance Hess).

But the victories on the track are not what Coach Brady's 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.

Following a successful tenure at Rider, he became the head coach of men's cross country and assistant coach of men's track and field at Princeton. Brady was named the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Coach of the Year.