Bio

Alma Mater: Graceland (00')
Overall Record at GU: 190-279/318-505

On March 1, 2001, assistant coach Brady McKillip took over the reigns as head coach just three days prior to the start of the 2001 season when then head coach Jeff Douglas stepped down to coach and follow his sons through high school. The Jackets would go on to win their first double-header and 15 games that season finishing sixth in the conference.

In 10 seasons, McKillip has taken the Jackets to their first-ever Regional Tournament appearance in 2002 while finishing in the top half of the Heart of America Athletic Conference in seven of those ten seasons. McKillip begins his 16th season at the helm of the GU program with a college record of 188-287, including a 119-156 mark in the HAAC, one of the Nation's top baseball conferences.

Over his 10 seasons, McKillip has had four players go on to play professional baseball; catcher Darrick Jones (02') with the Winnipeg Golden Eyes of the Independent Northern League, pitcher Shawn Cochran (03') with the Star 2 B Orioles in Holland, pitcher David Anderson (05') with the Kansas City T-Bones of the Independent Northern League, short stop, Matt Calcagni (07') with the Carlovac Keltics in Croatia and (09') with the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League. A fifth player, pitcher Ryan Brickman ('06) rights were controlled by the San Diego Padres in 2007. McKillip has also had two All-Americans, three All-Region players and 48 HAAC All-Conference players including 10 first-team, 11 second-team and 27 honorable mentions as well as eight Academic All-American Scholar-Athletes.

In 10 seasons, McKillip's Jackets have maintained a .303 batting average with their best being in 2003 when the Jackets finished the season ranked 11th nationally in batting with a .343 team average, 14th in runs per game at 7.53, and 15th in team triples with 16. In 2002, with their only regional appearance the Jackets finished 17th in batting with a .329 average giving McKillip two squads in his short tenure that ranked in the top 20 offensively in the nation. In 2005, the Jackets hit .305 as a team and finished 16th nationally in team home runs (41) and 19th nationally in team doubles (106). In 2006 the Jackets hit .305, in 2007 the Jackets hit .315 and in 2008 the Jackets hit .300 again giving Coach McKillip his 7th team out of 10 to post a team batting average over .300. In 2008, offensively the Jackets again reached a rank in the top 20, ranking 19th in the nation in stolen bases per game at 2.04 and 96 on the year.

Defensively in 2005, the Jackets ranked in the top twenty with a fielding percentage of .956, 12th in the nation for fewest errors (72) and 13th in the nation for fewest errors per game (1.26). In 2007, the Jackets again finished in the top 25 in the nation with a fielding percentage of .959. On the mound in 2010 the Jackets amassed several National Rankings as a staff. Among those were 2nd in the Nation in fewest walks allowed/game at 2.093, 2nd in the nation in for fewest walks allowed at 90. The Jackets also ranked 28th in the nation in fewest runs allowed and 42nd in the nation in fewest earned runs allowed/game.

Brady's coaching career began over the summer of 1998, when he helped lead his hometown McCook, Neb., American Legion 16-and-under baseball team to a 32-16 record and a third place finish in the state tournament as a co-head coach. He then returned to Graceland in 2000 as the assistant varsity and head junior varsity coach for the Jackets. In 2002, along with being Graceland's head coach, McKillip accepted the Head high school coaching position at Central-Decatur Community School in Leon, Iowa, a position he re-accepted in 2007 after two years away from the high school.

At Central-Decatur, McKillip led the Cardinals to a 52-57 record overall in five seasons having four players go on to play at the college level, including one at a Division I university.

McKillip's collegiate playing career began as a second baseman in 1996 at Colby Community College in Colby, Kan., and concluded as a short stop for Graceland in 1999. While at Graceland, McKillip maintained a .390 batting average, earned All-Conference honors as a junior in 1998 and was voted as a team captain in 1999. Unfortunately, McKillip's collegiate career was cut short by an ankle injury 13 games into his senior season. During the summer of 1998, McKillip played in both Belgium and Holland on an All-Star Team representing the United States.

In 2000 and 2001, McKillip worked for his former head coach from junior college as a hitting, fielding and base-running instructor for the United States Air Force Academy's summer baseball camps in Colorado Springs, Co. McKillip has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association for 10 years and the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association for nine.

Aside from baseball, McKillip is a 2000 Graceland graduate with a bachelor's of arts degree in business administration. He earned his Masters of Science degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation in May of 2006 from Emporia State University. McKillip also serves as the Outdoor Facilities Director for the Graceland Department of Athletics, serves on the Graceland Staff Council and teaches as an adjunct instructor for the HMS division.

In October of 2005, Brady and his wife Leslea had their first child. Landon Edward McKillip was born on the 21st. The couple was graced with their second child, Kacen Elise on September 15th of 2009. Brady and Leslea have been married for seven years and reside in Lamoni. Leslea teaches first grade at Central-Decatur Community Schools in Leon, Iowa. In his free time, McKillip enjoys spending time with his family as well as working with his dogs, hunting, fishing and golf.

Head Coaching Experience

• Graceland 2001-present
• Central-Decatur High School 2007- 2008,2002 - 2004
• American Legion 1998

Asst. Coaching Experience

• Graceland 2000

Playing Experience

• Graceland 1998 - 1999
• Colby Community College 1996 - 1997

Awards & Honors

• Coached 8 Academic All-Americans
• Coached 2 All-Americans
• Coached 3 All-Region V Players
• Coached 10 1st Team All-Conference Players
• Coached 11 Second Team All-Conference Players
• Coached 27 Honorable Mention All-Conference Players
• Coached 4 Conference Golden Glove Award Winners
• Coached 2 National Players of the Week
• Coached 11 Conference Players/Pitchers of the Week