A 1970 graduate of Colbert County High School, Brad was a three sport athlete for the Indians playing football, basketball and baseball. In baseball he was four year starter and played in the East-West All-Star game. He started two years in basketball and was a team captain as a senior, averaging 12.5 points and 8 assists per game. Following high school Brad was signed to an athletic scholarship by Athens College. Following college, he began a high school coaching career in 1974 at Cherokee Vocational High School which would include stops at Huntsville High School, Butler High School, Tanner High School and Muscle Shoals High School. As head football coach at Tanner during the 1980 and 1981 seasons, the Rattlers were 19-4, County and Area Champions, lost only 2 regular season games in two years, and Brad was the Decatur Daily Coach of the year. In 1984 he joined Ray Perkins staff at the University of Alabama as director of the Bryant Hall Athletics Dorm and recruiting coordinator. In 1987 he joined the staff of Coach Howard Schnellenberger at the University of Louisville as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. During his years on the Louisville staff he was named by the media as one of the best recruiters in the nation, signing 9 of the 22 starters on the Cardinals team at one time.