Brady McKillip

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 six 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 four of those seven seasons.  McKillip begins his eighth season at the helm of the GU program with a record of 135-204, including a 76-105 mark in the HAAC, one of the Nation’s top baseball conferences. 

               Over his six 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       and a fifth, pitcher Ryan Brickman (’06) whose rights were controlled by the San Diego Padres in 2007.  McKillip has also had two All-Americans, two All-Region players and 37 HAAC all-conference players including two first-team, 11 second-team and 24 honorable mentions as well as six Academic All-American Scholar-Athletes.

In seven seasons, McKillip’s Jackets have averaged a .307 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 again and in 2007 the Jackets hit .315 giving Coach McKillip his 6th team out of seven to post a team batting average over .300.

In  2005, McKillip’s defense also 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. 

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 reaccepted in 2007 after two years away from the high school.

At Central-Decatur, McKillip led the Cardinals to a 45-47 record overall in four 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 seven years and the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association for six.

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 Coordinator for the Graceland Department of Athletics and has taught for two years in the LEAD department at Graceland.

In October of 2005, Brady’s wife Leslea gave birth to their first child.  Landon Edward McKillip was born on the 21st of October.  He is the couple’s only child.  Brady and Leslea have been married for nearly five years and reside in Lamoni.  Leslea teaches fourth and fifth 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. 

Alma Mater
Graceland University, 2000

Head Coaching Experience
Graceland,  2001-present

Central-Decatur High School
2007 – Present, 2002 – 2004

American Legion,  1998

 Asst. Coaching Experience

Graceland,  2000

 Playing Experience

Graceland, 1998 - 1999

Colby Community College

1996 – 1997

 Awards & Honors

*  Runner-up HAAC Coach of the Year, 2002

*  Region V appearance as Head Coach at Graceland, 2002

*  HAAC tournament appearance as Head Coach at Graceland, 2002

*  Coached 6 All-Conference & 1 Conference Gold Glove selections in 2007

*  Coached 4 All-Conference selections in 2006

*  Coached 4 All-Conference selections in 2005

*  Coached 3 All-Conference selections in 2004

*  Coached 1 All-American, 1 All-Region and 5 All-Conference selections in 2003

*  Coached 1 All-American, 1 All-Region and 9 All-Conference selections in 2002

*  Coached 6 All-Conference selections in 2001

*  HAAC tournament appearance as assistant coach at Graceland, 2000

*  HAAC All-Conference selection as Short Stop, 1998

 Personal Information

Birth Date:April 27, 1977
Wife: Leslea (5 Years)

Son:Landon (2)