Brad Hackett, head coach of the Muhlenberg track & field teams and director of the cross country and track & field programs since 1999, has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2024 season.

He will be succeeded by Amy Filanowski, who is in her second season as a full-time assistant coach.

"Brad's leadership as Muhlenberg's cross country/track & field head coach for the past 25 years will leave an indelible mark on the programs as well as the countless lives he has positively impacted over the years," said Lynn Tubman, director of athletics. "The College and athletics department are grateful for Brad's commitment to building respected and accomplished cross country/track & field programs. We will work hard to continue his coaching legacy and build upon the incredibly solid foundation he is leaving us."

"When I arrived here in September of 1999, I had no idea what a wonderful ride I was about to embark on," said Hackett. "These past 25 years have been the greatest experience of my life. I have loved every minute of my time here at Muhlenberg and there are way too many people to thank.

"But, I do want to thank every student-athlete who has participated in the track & field and cross country programs in my time here. They all made coming to work every day a joy. I would also like to thank every assistant coach who worked with our athletes over the past 25 years; they too made my job so much easier and much more fun."

Hackett has guided the programs to unprecedented heights. At the time of his arrival, the men's and women's track & field teams had combined to finish higher than eighth place only twice in the first six years of the Centennial Conference. Since 2000, they have placed in the top four 42 times, with the women winning the Centennial Conference championship outdoors in 2005 – Muhlenberg's first conference championship in track & field since the 1940s.

Hackett has coached 25 All-Americans in track & field, including the first in program history. The Mules have qualified athletes for the NCAA Track & Field Championships all but three years since 2001 and broken more than 80 school records. Hackett has coached more than 100 CC gold medalists and 19 CC Most Outstanding Performers.

In cross country, Muhlenberg has had at least one all-region runner every year but one since 1999 and crowned the program's first All-American in 2016. The 2006 men's team became the first in program history to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and the Mules have also sent 25 individuals to the national meet.

Hackett's athletes have also been successful in the classroom, with 13 earning Academic All-America honors. During his time, Muhlenberg has earned more than 150 certificates for academic achievement from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Prior to his arrival at Muhlenberg, Hackett was an assistant coach at Syracuse, Bucknell and Colgate for a total of fifteen years and also served as the interim head coach at Syracuse for one year.  He also served as the national triple jump chair for USA Track and Field for six years and the overall men's development chair for seven years.

Hackett also established Muhlenberg as a host site for championship meets. The Mules hosted NCAA cross country regional in 2001, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2019 and the CC outdoor meet in 2001, 2005, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2021. They are scheduled to host the CC outdoor meet again this spring in one of the final meets of Hackett's career.

"The atmosphere at Muhlenberg is special and I am very appreciative of the fact that I was able to be a part of such a great college for a quarter of a century," he said. "I will cherish my time here for the rest of my life."