Brad Koch became the Marian Ware Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation in July 2021, making him the department's fourth full-time director of athletics since the men's and women's departments merged in 1979.
Since Koch’s arrival at Swarthmore, the College’s varsity programs have achieved remarkable success, securing 22 Centennial Conference Championships, 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, and one individual NCAA National Championship. Under his tenure, Swarthmore student-athletes have also earned 99 All-America honors, reflecting both athletic excellence and sustained program growth.
In his first year with the Garnet, Koch made an immediate and meaningful impact on the department through several key initiatives. He addressed critical needs by expanding support staff in Strength & Conditioning and Equipment Operations. Additionally, he prioritized mental health by hiring a licensed psychologist to support student-athletes, coaches, and staff with an emphasis on managing depression, anxiety, and overall well-being.
In addition to expanding support staff, Koch strengthened coaching personnel with several key hires in his first year. He appointed Tana Thomas as the head men’s golf coach and laid the groundwork for a women’s golf program, while elevating the role to full-time. He also removed the interim title from head women’s basketball coach Dawn Grant and added the department’s first full-time assistant coaches for women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and men’s lacrosse. Demonstrating a commitment to long-term program development, Koch has also introduced a five-year, phased plan to add one full-time assistant coach to each intercollegiate team.
During the summer of 2022, Koch partnered with the Facilities team and external vendors to plan and execute several major capital improvement projects. These included a full turf and track replacement at Clothier Field, accompanied by a comprehensive brand refresh, a new playing surface and updated branding for the Tarble Gym floor, resurfacing and color scheme updates for the Mullan Center tennis courts, renovations to the Tarble Athletics suite and lobby, and the installation of HVAC systems in the locker rooms to improve comfort and functionality.
Koch continued to strengthen the department by expanding staff across several key areas. He added a fifth full-time certified athletic trainer to better support the growing needs of Garnet student-athletes, along with a second full-time equipment manager to enhance daily operations. Mike Stratton was promoted to Athletics Operations and Facilities Coordinator, further addressing the gameday needs of student-athletes. Koch also continued to invest in coaching support by hiring full-time assistant coaches for volleyball, men’s basketball, and women’s lacrosse.
In the summer of 2023, Koch established a partnership with Move Well Physical Therapy to bring on-campus physical therapy services to student-athletes, launching in Fall 2023. He also led the creation of a dedicated nutrition station to support a more holistic approach to student-athlete health and well-being.
Further enhancing departmental structure and efficiency, Koch championed the development of a comprehensive Operations Handbook for the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. The document details and communicates all policies, procedures, and support services across the department.
During the 2023-24 academic year, Koch secured the NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grant (SAMG) to establish a new Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance and Diversity & Inclusion, marking the first position of its kind within the department. The position launched in the 2024-25 academic year with the hiring of Christina Epps-Chiazor and reflects Koch’s continued commitment to equity, integrity, and inclusive excellence in athletics.
Koch promoted Chris Irvin to Assistant Director of Athletics, expanding his role to include oversight of the department’s community service initiatives. As of June 2024, eight varsity programs - men’s basketball, baseball, women’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, softball, field hockey, women’s soccer, and men’s tennis - have partnered with Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams. Koch is committed to expanding this initiative, with the ultimate goal of achieving 100% participation across all 21 Swarthmore athletic programs. In the summer of 2025, the department deepened its relationship with Team IMPACT by joining its fellowship program, strengthening Swarthmore’s commitment to community involvement and outreach.
Koch also continued executing his long-term vision to enhance coaching support, adding full-time assistant coaches in field hockey, cross country/track & field, and swimming. The new assistant swimming coach additionally serves as Assistant Aquatics Director, supporting daily pool operations and coordinating swim test completion for the broader student body.
Further advancing the College’s sustainability goals, Koch oversaw the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting at Clothier Field Stadium in July 2024. This upgrade greatly enhanced the student-athlete game day experience, while boosting the overall production and quality of live events on the turf field.
Koch has worked closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement, as well as parents, alumni, and friends of the College, to raise over $1,280,000 in gift income during his four years.
As the 2025-26 academic year approaches, Koch has unveiled a bold and strategic vision to elevate Swarthmore’s Athletics Department, with a strong emphasis on modernizing and expanding athletic facilities.
The Mullan Tennis Center recently underwent key upgrades, including the addition of a new scoreboard and 60 FPS live-streaming cameras. Looking ahead to spring 2026, further enhancements are planned for Clothier Softball Field with the installation of a press box and expanded spectator seating. The baseball program will also benefit from major upgrades with the construction of new dugouts.
In addition to these current improvements, Koch has laid the groundwork for two transformative facility projects: ARWell and Cunningham Park.
Scheduled for construction in 2029-2030, ARWell will replace the existing Lamb Miller Fieldhouse. The facility will include an NCAA regulation indoor track, recreation infield, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, a fitness center, storage, and support spaces. Designed to serve both varsity athletes and the broader campus community, ARWell will offer premier training and competition venues along with expanded recreational access.
Cunningham Park, projected for construction in 2026-2027, will expand Swarthmore’s presence in the community. The project will transform the existing grass fields and tennis courts into a comprehensive sports complex featuring two synthetic fields, one grass field, twelve tennis courts, and a sports pavilion. It will serve as a competition venue for tennis and field hockey, while enhancing training opportunities for varsity and club sports.
Furthering this commitment to wellness, Koch led the creation of the Sports Performance Advisory Group (SPAG), a committee dedicated to enhancing the overall wellness of student-athletes. SPAG provides a collaborative platform to improve athletic performance, prioritize safety, and support student-athlete success. The group focuses not only on injury prevention and recovery, but also on advancing holistic health through nutrition education and emotional well-being.
In 2025, Koch also guided the department-wide adoption of Teamworks, a software platform designed to streamline operations and improve communication within the Athletics Department.
While continuing to foster growth within Swarthmore’s Athletics Department, Koch steps into a broader conference leadership role as Chair of the Centennial Conference Athletic Directors for the 2025-26 academic year.
Since joining the department, Koch spearheaded efforts to hire SFBN (Sports Fan Base Network), a professional broadcasting service to provide play-by-play commentary for all live-streamed athletic contests, augmenting Swarthmore's viewership, communications reach, and service to fans across the globe.
Koch is currently serving on a number of committees, including the Steering Committee for the College’s rebranding efforts, the Advisory Committee for the Cunningham Fields Renovation and Field House Replacement Projects, and the Athletics and Well-Being Fundraising Committee. He is the Chair of the Athletics Leadership Council and Co-Chair of the Athletics Advisory Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the President’s Senior Staff. Koch also serves as the Centennial Conference AD liaison for the sport of men’s golf and is a member of the Conference Board of Delegates.
Before arriving at Swarthmore, Koch served as the director of athletics and recreation at Cabrini University for nine years. Prior to that, he had been Philadelphia University's associate director of athletics for seven years.
With Koch at the helm, Cabrini won its first ever NCAA National Championship, claiming the Division III men's lacrosse title in 2019 at Lincoln Financial Field, defeating Amherst, 16-12. Cabrini teams took home 58 conference championships during his tenure and appeared in 41 NCAA Tournaments, while more than 90 All-America honors were earned by student-athletes.
He spearheaded the expansion of Cabrini's athletic department to 19 Division III varsity programs by adding baseball, women's rowing and women's golf. Koch got an introduction to the Centennial Conference in 2019-20 when Cabrini's women's golf team began competing in the conference as an affiliate member. Additionally, Koch pushed through the addition of a number of full-time staff positions in Cabrini's athletic department that supported student-athletes and the success of the program as a whole.
In supervising and planning of facility upgrades, Koch was instrumental in the replacement of Cabrini's stadium turf field, the installation of new scoreboards, dugouts, and press boxes, the creation of an indoor golf facility, and the construction of a 38,000-square-foot, two-story pavilion that is the home of a fitness facility, exercise studios, event space, locker rooms, athletic training rooms, classrooms, and a café and gathering space. He also executed the opening of the Cabrini-Carroll Baseball Field, a partnership with Archbishop Carroll High School for the joint use of the all-turf field.
Koch emphasized giving back to the community as AD at Cabrini. In 2018-19 alone, the department engaged in more than 25 community outreach initiatives, logged more than 1,600 hours of community service, and raised $13,000 for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Koch also encouraged an on-going relationship with Team IMPACT, which he has continued to do at Swarthmore.
Koch resides in Ambler with his wife Kimberly, son Caleb (16), and daughter Rachel (13).
